Why The Old Advice — 'Stick To One Specialization' Is Killing Your Genius

There is absolutely nothing wrong with practising one thing for the whole of your useful lifetime. Many people are known for one thing and make a fortune out of it.

But were we created to be conformists? The expression that: no one should kill the child in them, means that we must never allow the inquisitiveness in us to die.

The existence of polymaths in our midst serves to remind us that we have latent talents waiting to be developed.

A polymath is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems. Notable examples include:

Aristotle

He is regarded as the first polymath ever. He wrote in-depth about topics including physics, biology, zoology, logic, ethics, theatre, music, and politics.

Benjamin Franklin

Franklin was a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer and political philosopher. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Artist, inventor, scientist, architect, philosopher. He created some of the worlds most famous art pieces including the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, and Virgin on the Rocks.

Thomas Edison

Inventor, entrepreneur, innovator, artist, writer. Throughout his career, he filed 1,093 patents on topics ranging from telecommunication and sound recording to imagery.

In recent times, the term 'multipotentialite' has come into use as a synonym for polymath. The difference between these multipotentialites and most people is that they ventured into their other interests whilst most others stuck to one thing.

Whereas man is a creature of habit and one that is quite rigid in approach to new ways or things, it is those that dare to explore beyond their set bounds that thrive better in the circumstances that come at them.

One of the greatest polymaths, Albert Einstein, said: "Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by the ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid". Unfortunately, most people, unnecessarily find themselves here. Let me make it easier. In Africa, we say that one believes that their mother is the best cook until they venture out to the neighbours or to their friends homes further afield.

And because no one dares to tell their mother that they have found a better cook, lest they get punished, they remain stunted in their ways. Mother in this sense is anyone that though very reassuring, is holding you back. And is mother punishing you for exposing her cooking weaknesses, or for venturing out? Mother is good for us, but not in every situation.

We fail to realise our full potential because we allow ourselves to stay boxed in by the limitations of others. We choose one mentor/role model who is not gifted in many areas of life and expect them to aid in our navigation of the myriad of challenges that come at us at the various stages of our lives.

Sticking to one thing in life wastes away your genius but many adapt by demonstrating that they are good at what they do just so that others approve of them. Ironically, fish have learned to climb trees.

When it comes to climbing waterfalls, the Nopili rock-climbing goby really puts its teeth into it. The inch-long (2.5 centimetre) fish uses suckers in its mouth and belly to move up cliffs in its rugged Hawaiian habitat. If it can scale a rocky wall, it certainly can climb a tree. So, if the fish has learned to climb a tree, surely, you can learn to do things beyond your limiting environment's provisions.

That very sport you loath may expose you to people who can mentor you in new ways.

I know of a guy who hated golfers. He viewed them as lazy and unrealistic about life. One day, a friend of his bought him golf clubs and paid for his first lesson.

Before starting, the friend had a sitting with him to document his expectations.

The would-be golfer wrote down that he would within his first lesson get better than his introducer. He added several objectives that proved impractical as the golfing days went by. At the end of it all, the new golfer confessed to having depended on observations and the comments of other non-golfers to arrive at his earlier attitude towards golf. He apologised and got to love the sport so much so that he became a major sponsor over the years.

He met with new friends who afforded him the opportunities to venture into new areas. This led to a global conglomerate. Today, the man is a qualified accountant, marketer, golfer, industrialist, philanthropist and speaker. It all took an irritated golfer to trigger the latent potential in a man who otherwise, would have remained a misinformed golf critic.

There is magic tucked in sports. Do not deny yourself such opportunities. Awaken the inquisitive child in you and venture out as a polymath.