I feel so much like a Generalist so when I heard Adam Savage talking about it, his message deeply resonated with me. It gave me the keys to understand why I am like this and how it can be a strength. I’m very grateful to have stumbled upon this video to start 2022 more serenely. Before that, I would feel bad not sticking to / digging into one domain of competence, but the time passing I started to understand what Adam Savage explains in his AMA video: the transversality of skills and knowledge create unexpected connections that allow to think, solve and execute in a faster and more efficient way.
There is a difference between dumbness and stupidity. Stupidity ‘’occurs when you don’t have the right conceptual tools for the job. The result is an inability to make sense of what is happening and a resulting tendency to force phenomena into crude, distorting pigeonholes.’’ According to Sacha Golob, two features make stupidity particularly dangerous when compared with other vices. First, stupidity is primarily a property of groups or traditions, not individuals. This makes it particularly hard to eradicate. Second, stupidity begets more stupidity. Someone can use stupidity on purpose to serve their interests when they need it. For example, in politics, stupidity can be extremely effective. Let’s be honest, it can be pretty easy to become stupid. Even in domains that we mastered we can become some kind of dick head. Because we rested on our laurels for too long, we became averse to change and continue to see our discipline in a way that does not match the reality anymore. I think starting by stopping being condescending and aggressive can help fight stupidity at the individual level and by consequence also neutralize its natural spread at the group level.
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1. Being a Generalist
I feel so much like a Generalist so when I heard Adam Savage talking about it, his message deeply resonated with me. It gave me the keys to understand why I am like this and how it can be a strength. I’m very grateful to have stumbled upon this video to start 2022 more serenely. Before that, I would feel bad not sticking to / digging into one domain of competence, but the time passing I started to understand what Adam Savage explains in his AMA video: the transversality of skills and knowledge create unexpected connections that allow to think, solve and execute in a faster and more efficient way.