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“dabble time”
lip service
Sviatoslav Richter was one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century; he started formal lessons at twenty-two. Steve Nash is a relatively normal-sized Canadian who did not get a basketball until he was thirteen years old; he won the NBA MVP award, twice. As I write this, I am listening to a professional violinist who started when she was eighteen. Of course, she was told to stop before she started because she was too old. She now makes a point of teaching beginner adults. The tidy specialization narrative cannot easily fit even these relatively kind domains that have most successfully
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highlight reels,
a diverse group of specialists cannot fully replace the contributions of broad individuals.
I hope I have added ideas to that discussion, because research in myriad areas suggests that mental meandering and personal experimentation are sources of power, and
The phrase evolved over time, and today it’s usually “jack-of-all-trades, master of none.”
I think that’s a useful model for parenting. First, I’d like to facilitate a sampling period for my kid—to expose him to a variety of experiences and possibilities. (A 2019 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] report found that children already significantly narrow their ideas of possible careers by age seven. “We must fight to keep their horizons open,” said Andreas Schleicher, OECD’s director of education and skills.) And then my role is that of the mentor, supporting my son by helping him get the maximum amount of signal about his own talents, interests, and options
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“Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves—their strengths, their values, and how they best perform.” •
can empathize. In the decade of adult life it took me to commit to becoming a psychologist, I was desperate for direction to match my determination.”
