Specialization Is For Insects

“At some level, all humans are broad. We’re all multivariate/multifaceted, but we get summarized in pithy ways in our lives.” — Naval Ravikant

“Exploration is how you discover what works. Persistence is how you make the most of what already works.” — James Clear

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert A. Heinlein

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” — Thomas Huxley

Before you discover what you love: fewer commitments, more experiments. After you discover what you love: fewer experiments, more commitments.

The “generalist first, specialist later” Mindset

You should explore a range of pursuits early in your career and life, with that exploration leaving you better equipped for the exploitation phase when you go deeper on the arena that provides you with maximum leverage.

Polymath

• Renaissance Man
• Generalist > Specialist
• A person with wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary knowledge & skills
• 博學多聞的通才

Don’t specialize, hybridize

Specific Knowledge

T 型人才（T-shaped person）

• 橫的一橫：表示這個人懂很多不同領域的東西（廣度），像是通才，可以跟各種人溝通，知道很多事情的大概。
• 一條腿：表示這個人在某一個領域特別厲害（深度），是專家。

📌 比喻：像是一個會很多東西的老師，但數學特別強，可以幫忙教其他老師數學的那種感覺。

π 型人才（Π-shaped person）

• 橫的一橫：還是一樣代表懂很多事情（廣度）。
• 兩條腿：表示這個人不只在一個領域很厲害，而是在兩個（以上）不同的領域都有深度的專業。

📌 比喻：像是一個不只數學很好，還非常會寫程式的老師，兩邊都能深入研究，也能幫大家做跨領域的事情。