A teacher at college always raves on about "versatilists" and how "only versatilists can be successful in today's society". I mostly agree with him.
You don't need to know shit about anything, the only thing you need is the ability to learn about a certain focused subject in a short period of time and know how to apply that knowledge to solve a problem.
You don't need to know shit about anything, the only thing you need is the ability to learn about a certain focused subject in a short period of time and know how to apply that knowledge to solve a problem.
Nice one. I totally agree :D
In regards of the case of an apocalypse, I think that common sense can keep someone alive enough time to meet people who will complete your skillset. Basic thing like building a fire, a simple shelter, orientation with the sun and north star, etc.... But, well it's a rather extreme exemple :D (But very interesting)
In my opinion, In a development job point of view, being a specialist with a global understanding is a good option. I mean having an area with a good level (in the case of gamedev, for exemple : Programmer) but knowing a little how the rest work (knowing a bit of gamedesign to better understand what he wants, a bit of 3D modelisation knowledge to be able to speak with artists, etc..) is very valuable. But mastering every field is maybe too much for an average human. (not impossible, but hard)
My fear of not being able to properly build some of the commodities of today (Microwave!)
Fill a pot with water and make it boil, then put whatever you have to "mlcrowave" in a recipient that you put in your pot. I suppose it would work for canned food. But never tried myslef.
I share the sentiment actually (to a degree).
It was one of my hidden motives to become an indie, and to effectively do it 'all on my own': know every angle.
There's a lot of satisfaction with doing more parts, being 100% responsible for a brick is more satisfying than 1% of a NASA shuttle.
That being said, that train of thought originated in the fear of not being able to do 'shit' after an apocalypse. My fear of not being able to properly build some of the commodities of today (Microwave!) led me to try to have a more hands-on experience. The compartmentalization of our society had led to great progress (otherwise un-achievable), but it also makes it that much more frail. However unlikely, what if all engineers and engineering books disappeared? How would the rest of us fend for ourselves?
I generally don't think too much about that, until somebody else mentions it obviously ;)
Yeah, I very much share this sentiment. Even though specialization is great for the economy, I cant stand not-knowing. I may not be the best programmer, the best mathematician, the best physicist, or the best biologist, but my employability in knowing a whole lot about all of these subjects is just fine, and I get to do actually interesting work. Aspiring to be a generalist has worked out for me. Lying here in my self-constructed bed, Id like to think id do relatively well if society did collapse.
Having knowledge will unlikely earn you total independence, wheather even greater independence. If I would want my broken leg be done, I would teach someone how to do it (it gets reversed interestingly), or, tell him what to do while being broken up -(check whaether I bleed to inside areas of mine, seek blue spots that seem to grow in time, open up the spot and seek bigger vein that got broken, cut it and place both ends on a dull stick , if I happen to bleed to head spacing, do a thin opening to my head skull, and when blood stops strawing out too far temporary seal it, prepare blood of my type, place it to my vains as I will loose much blood while waiting to have inside bleeding seal itself. After time critical stuff is done, wake me up and we will be working out broken bones... ).
The problem would be with people around being incapable, or without knowledge, but knowledge is only vital requirement, but unluckuly not sufficient requirement. On too many things.
Earning an independence to live is awesome and everyone would want it, but there are aspects such as experience, dedication, individual skills...
Knowledge others do not know may also bring a trivial result towards independecne. Even if I was quantum mechanics master who constructs perpetum mobile I may only get energy- that others are getting already more naive natural way. Concerning those people to switch to my energy becouse it is "less consuming resources" is just trivial from their point of view to get dependant on my asset and compensate me.
Even if I was a chemistry master, I may only construct flawors, turn matter to other molecula matter by energy and so on. What still brings disaponting result towards independence of my very self.
If one wants to be independent, he may create something that others would like and have himself compensated by them- this does not create independence, only a will of society to take care of you instead of you. If I wanted to travel around the world, I would not use car - I would depend on roads, gas and cars fragile mechanism. With horse I wouldt achieve this. I can even build a ship if I reach shore and board my horse on it. I will need to catch fish and so on.
A very good ability towards independence is ability to find things out, not to learn them from a teacher. This would be total independence, becouse you would not even need a teacher to gain knowledge.
One needs to get out the golden spoon from his ass if he wants to be independent, and not think how to overcome nature or duties of living with knowledge of some technical character. Celebrating how society is taking care of me instead of me, how to not work or move... you are just intensing up degradation of yourself. That is not independence. I give it like 200 years and humanity will go to extinction. We are wasting potential from ancestors, aplousing ourself doing it, thinking how to do it even "better and faster". We already create gmo plants, forcing plants to have fruit while having impotent seed in it, ignoring behavioral abilities of plants- forcing plants to change their reproduction policy soon. And that means we will vanish, or , make nature vanish along with us, so even normal people will pay for our miserable selfisness and lazines.
