/sci/ - Science & Math

>>11388816

You should have at least a surface level knowledge of most things, a more hobbyist knowledge of a handful of things, and a mastery of one or two things

>>11388816

If you specialize in a single skill, doesn't mean it is gonna be the only thing you're good at. Knowledge does not exist in isolation from each other like the brainlet in picture imagines. They are more like an interconnected web, and if you're good at something you're gonna be more efficient in learning many other things.

>>11388830
>if you're good at something you're gonna be more efficient in learning many other things.
What makes you say that? I have many hobbies. How does cooking relate to snow sports and math?

t. brainlet

>>11388816
You should hone those skills which are naturally your gifts as much as possible, and be at least competent in as many other things as you have time to learn. You shouldn't however ignore your innate talents in favor of exclusively general skills, the mark of an excellent person is that they are willing to learn as necessity demands, not that they allow their talent to be wasted chasing after broad mediocrity in all things. I think what Heinlein is talking about is avoiding becoming so specialized that you are completely useless at everything else, and using a hyperbole to drive the point home. He is right about insects, they're excellent specialists and it has proven to be a winning survival strategy, however we are not them and what works for them doesn't work for us.

>>11388836
There is an argument to be made that by learning one skill you improve your ability to learn, making it easier to learn future skills. Not to mention the natural cross over among more closely related items.

>>11388816
Specialization. Generalists are easily replacable.

>>11388816
Work on improving your worst qualities over building up your best qualities

>>11388836

Framing unrelated objects in terms of math can have the surprising effect of helping learning, understanding and creating new objects

I think most people who do math make those connections everyday, and some even wrote books about it

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23360039-how-to-bake-pi

So specialization doesn't necessarily make you know one single topic and blinded to other topics. Most specialists can make connections and gain insights and see patterns between rather unrelated things. It surely isnt about forgetting how to do basic trivial tasks like cooking or cleaning. This line of thinking 'I know how to change diaper and pitch manure so I am more human than that guy who is a good specialist, because knowing the things I happen to know is what being human is about', that is clearly just cope lol

>>11388901
I pretty much have no worst quality. My only weakness is that I have no friends, but that's because I don't like dealing with people. I'm wondering if I should focus on a single task or do many different things. I have many interests, almost ADHD-tier, so the choice is difficult.

>>11388907
Indeed, I definitely get what you're saying. I was snow sports today and some guy was explaining the physics to a kid. Cooking is chemistry. It's all related.

>>11388911
Humans are social animals and much of our capacity for achievement hinges on our capacity to work together. You should stop deflecting away from your inability to socialize and improve yourself in that skill.

>>11388940
Maybe you're right but to me that sounds like some college propaganda. Many successful people were not the supersocial extrovert type. I can socialize, hold a conversation etc.. I just don't get any enjoyment whatsoever out of it. As a kid I was very violent and hostile, as a teenager I was a loner. In fact I really dislike human faces, seeing wrinkles and such. It's likely some sort of mental disorder, but I'm not going to put myself on meds and fuck up my brain.

>>11388954
I don't mean engage in the kind of retarded shit college people do, I just mean practice being sociable when working with other people. When I was a teenager I was also an extreme introvert, however with much practice I'm now able to be sociable and people generally seem to like and respect me, which is important since I work around a lot of people. It's a good skill to hone, especially if you want to work in any field that requires team effort or in which you want personal advancement.

Specialization with no generalization is a god indicator of low IQ

>>11388969
What do you mean by sociable? Small talk? Or just getting along with others? I can get along with people, and hold a conversation. I just don't like to. That's the difference. I sit away from others because I have no desire to speak of superficial and shallow crap

>>11388975
The small talk can endear you to people in a small way, and sitting near/around them and chatting some shit is a visual indicator that you are part of the group and should be accepted. By actually physically placing yourself away from other people you are very obviously signalling to them that you're an outsider. In a more pragmatic bend, I've gotten some significant benefit from small talk, I won't blog about it but suffice it to say that had I only put on the barest minimum of sociability I probably wouldn't be doing as well as I am now.

It isn't my favorite thing to do either, but it is useful both generally and personally.

>>11388816
you should do whatever the fuck you want

>>11388816
My method is specialize until stagnation, then generalize until stagnation. Rinse repeat.

>>11388984
>part of the group
I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me. Unironically, that's why I was a loner in high school. If you hang out with others, it's a fundamental truth that they will influence and rub off on you. Considering that my school was full of dopeheads and degenerates, I chose to be a loner. Still, I don't want to be a part of anything.

Fuck off Jamie

You workers need only concern yourselves with that which pertains to your station of technical labor.

>>11388829
Fpbp

Over specialization breeds weakness.

>>11388816
>should (because i say so)
narcisstistic confirmed.

>>11388816
Robert Heinlein was racist I win bye bye

>>11388830
It is kind of interesting that you use the idea of knowledge being an interconnected web to defend specialization. That has always been my argument for defending less specialization. After all, when people don't realize how interconnected knowledge is, they believe that what you are learning in a field (say math) is not applicable to other fields (for example political science), and so you must be wasting your talents by pursuing many fields that are very different from each other.

>>11388829
well said

>>11388816
Wanting to be a hyper-specialized genius is the result of a modern fetishization of intelligence. The happiest people are well-rounded, and I don't mean in just intellectual pursuits. They read, study, and work, but they also work out, hike, do things with their family, cook, etc.

>>11388829
This is the correct answer. Specialization is really only necessary for (high-paying) employment.

>>11388816
Expertise in all areas > Expertise in 1 + well rounded in all others > Expertise in 1 + ignorant of all > Well roundedness > Ignorance

>>11388829
>>11388843
>>11388996
>>11390943
you absolute PUSSIES.
Mastery of all areas is the only true path. You are untermenschen if you disagree.
>>11391298
absolutely based and correct.

>>11391359
How are you supposed to master all areas? There is not enough time within our lifespan

>>11388843
>naturally your gifts
Spooky

>>11388816
80% of your focus should be on 20% of subjects.

>>11391570
80% of my focus is on cooming, the other 20% is on shitposting.

>>11388816
Well rounded with a broad range of hobbies & more than a few specializations.