polymathic

"We doctor our CVs to make it look as if all we ever wanted to do was sell mobile homes or Nespresso machines. It’s common sense, isn’t it, to try to create the impression that we are entirely focused on the job we want?" - Robert Twigger 

Recently I've been reading more, because frankly there isn't much to do when I come home. My mom tells me I should be practicing my expertise; I guess I'm considered an expert at computer science now, but I'd rather do other things. Video games are fun and have their place, but reading is discovery and enlightenment...and I don't feel guilty when I read too much.

Anyway, I came across this article, talking about polymaths - people of wide-ranging knowledge, and how people with much breadth to their knowledge were the ones who pushed the edges of technology. But not so anymore. I think college students know this to be especially true. If you want to know how to get an internship in college, honest the answer is "fake it until you make it." Whenever you start your internship search, whether freshmen or sophomore year, just gear your entire fucking resume like all you ever wanted to do in your life is _____. Design, program, practice medicine, whatever you want to land your internship in.

Like you're suppose to know what you want out of life when you're 19. Truly, there are 50 and 60 year olds asking themselves what they want, but these people want teens who know they are sure. The author of the article names some examples: Francis Crick, who worked out the structure of DNA, was a physicist. Studies done by UCSB show that dancing, music and acting actually improve learning more than anything else.

I remember when Billy and I used to say that it takes a genuine genius to be a criminal mastermind, and I still stand by that statement. When you're trying to commit a high crime, it takes a lot to commit it successfully. A multitude of aggregated little bits of knowledge here and mastery of multiple arts and trades -- they don't teach you how to rob a casino in college.

But don't just pick up a hobby. Polymaths are masters of multiple areas. The author provides some encouragement, saying he was originally behind the belief that people stop learning after a certain age, but even studies show that this is false.

"Deep down I was pessimistic that I could actually learn a martial art. I thought you were either a ‘natural’ or nothing. Then I saw natural athletes fall behind when they didn’t practice enough. This, shamefully, was a great morale booster."

(basically just read this instead of this post.)