General Education Has a Bad Rap

Nothing can substitute for depth of analysis, and there's proven value in specialization – it's what education, career paths, scientific research, and technological innovation are built on – but generalism is a secret talent.

People who appreciate diversity, who are in the know about the wider world and who understand how things interact are invalua... See more

The declining returns to expertise have implications at the national, company, and even individual level. A collection of specialists creates a less flexible labor force, one that requires “retraining” with technological developments creating constantly shifting human resource needs.

We live in an age where deep-specialization is highly encouraged — the era of what tech analyst Vinnie Mirchandani calls the “monomath.” Doctors specialize, lawyers specialize, academics specialize, mechanics specialize ... just about everyone professionally specializes. The more deeply you specialize, the more money you’re likely to make.

And that’... See more

Students worldwide are being encouraged, often forced, to specialise too early. As a result, multitalented children are often being faced with what psychologists refer to as ‘multipotentiality’ – a condition of frustration, confusion and anxiety suffered by multitalented pupils as a result of the compulsion to specialise (that is, choose between mu

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