Re:Does the Future Belong to Generalists?
by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF on Wednesday April 26, 2023 @04:52PM
(#35719832)
> jack of all trades, master of none
It amuses me that the opening paragraph contains this phrase because I understand it to be longer:
> A jack of all trades, master of none, is often better than a master of one.
The longer version speaks in favor of generalists over specialists and the short version is often used as a sentiment (such as in this case) of the opposite; that generalists are somehow worse than specialists because they "master" nothing. Funny how language changes like that.
Re:Does the Future Belong to Generalists?
by legerdemain on Wednesday April 26, 2023 @10:52PM
(#35722763)
The extended "original" versions of several idioms, including this one, were created in the 21st century. See, for example, this: https://english.stackexchange.com/a/508907
Re:Does the Future Belong to Generalists?
by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF on Thursday April 27, 2023 @04:11PM
(#35733905)
> But it seems more likely that the extra-long version was a very recent formulation, perhaps influenced by the memory of a concerted effort by educators in 1930 to alter the old adage to suit a new objective.
That does indeed seem likely. Admittedly, I see myself as a generalist so I have a bias towards the new version even if it's not the historical sentiment. Thanks for the read!
Re:Does the Future Belong to Generalists?
by RelativeDelta on Wednesday April 26, 2023 @05:26PM
(#35720243)
No.
"Generalists" usually carries an implication of a higher volume of less developed skills.
GPU.
"Specialists" likewise refers to fewer more developed skills. CPU.
The future belongs to those who can maximize both trees.
A high volume of highly developed skills.
That will likely take the form of a specialized skillset: Leveraging frontier technologies to advance complexity in market niches (presumably via heavy usage of AI).
This aligns more with the "Specialist" than the "Generalist".
Re:Does the Future Belong to Generalists?
by rnk on Wednesday April 26, 2023 @05:40PM
(#35720400)
Is there anything to say other than self-identified generalists think they are the best, specialists also think they are better too, everyone else doesn't care.
It amuses me that the opening paragraph contains this phrase because I understand it to be longer:
> A jack of all trades, master of none, is often better than a master of one.
The longer version speaks in favor of generalists over specialists and the short version is often used as a sentiment (such as in this case) of the opposite; that generalists are somehow worse than specialists because they "master" nothing. Funny how language changes like that.
That does indeed seem likely. Admittedly, I see myself as a generalist so I have a bias towards the new version even if it's not the historical sentiment. Thanks for the read!
"Generalists" usually carries an implication of a higher volume of less developed skills. GPU.
"Specialists" likewise refers to fewer more developed skills. CPU.
The future belongs to those who can maximize both trees. A high volume of highly developed skills.
That will likely take the form of a specialized skillset: Leveraging frontier technologies to advance complexity in market niches (presumably via heavy usage of AI). This aligns more with the "Specialist" than the "Generalist".