David Epstein Knows Something About Almost Everything
- jeanne7629
- Oct 6
- 1 min read
I’ve often thought of being a generalist as a weakness (even in hobbies, I’ve never had one clear favourite!!) Epstein’s take was refreshing: generalists can spot patterns, carry insights across fields, and make the ordinary in one place extraordinary in another. Specialists go deep, generalists connect the dots, and we need both.
Another idea I took away: real learning comes with frustration. If it feels too easy, you’re probably not learning. He spoke about the pain of sifting through research and reshaping it for his book but also acknowledges that that’s exactly how he learns (and how I feel writing these commentaries 😅).
Loved his closing words : “Being willing to learn from my critics is both a competitive advantage and a more satisfying approach. If there’s anything identified with being a good generalist, it’s epistemic humility. You have to be humble and ready to update your models.”
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