Trite phrases and proverbs often lose their better halves as they’re passed down through generations and cultures. Sure, curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back! Or, like this article’s title, being “a jack of all trades, master of none” is sometimes seen as an insult. But the whole phrase was originally meant as a compliment: “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
William Shakespeare is credited as being the first “jack of all trades,” learning to do everything on the Elizabethan backstage from set design and costuming to directing before going on to be a world-famous playwright. The skills he learned behind the curtain could be what made him so successful.
The concept of a “renaissance man” (or woman) is a similar notion born from 13th century humanism. A renaissance person “should try to embrace all knowledge and develop their own capacities as fully as possible,” says Britannica. Like Leonardo da Vinci and Leon Battista Alberti, a renaissance person is gifted in science, math, art, poetry, writing and physical development.
These renaissance ideals have lost their popularity, however. In today’s highly specialized society, where one’s career is expected to take a narrow and linear path, being a jack of all trades or a renaissance person can be seen as futile. But once, being competent in multiple disciplines was a mark of accomplishment.
There is still value today in diversifying your interests.
“Diversification” is a word tossed around in economic spheres. For a company to diversify its investment portfolio is to minimize financial risk. The same argument could apply to diversifying your expertise, and there are countless business-forward articles espousing the pragmatic reasons to be a jack of all trades.
Jodie Cook from Forbes wrote on the benefits of diversifying from an entrepreneurial angle, saying, “Holding good working knowledge of a lot of areas is desirable, and those who hire you might feel like they have hit the jackpot.” Being a jack of all trades in the workplace is a path to self-discovery, allows greater job flexibility and may be increasingly required in an evolving workplace.
More importantly, though, diversified interests create a well-rounded person. There’s a reason Asbury requires Foundation classes in a variety of disciplines. Multidisciplinary instruction is the hallmark of a liberal arts degree! Like the humanist movement of the Renaissance period, someone well-versed in many different disciplines is civically engaged, practicing both insight and action. Derived from the concept of “humanitas,” diversified interests aid in the development of human virtues to their fullest extent – benevolence, compassion, judgment, prudence, eloquence and more.
For the ancient philosophers, living virtuously through multidisciplinary expertise was the key to their concept of happiness, deemed “eudemonia.”
According to Britannica, “Aristotle held that eudaimonia consists of philosophical or scientific contemplation” of “the intellectual virtues of (theoretical) wisdom and understanding.” Secondary to intellectual virtues are political action and practical wisdom, like justice and temperance.
Historical philosophers regarded competency in varying disciplines as the key to happiness, but today, Western society touts specialization as the pathway to success.
There is an argument for career specialization, and specialization in a specific discipline is necessary for industries like medicine and engineering, where patients and employers expect a higher level of expertise.
Surgeon-turned-CEO Dr. Eric George is a proponent of career specialization, writing for Forbes, “If you want to increase your chances of success in your career, find what you can become the best in the world at, where interest and exceptional performance intersect.”
George argues that specialization creates a professional foothold and establishes important connections, while also providing a salary that helps afford you options (specialized careers in medicine, engineering and technology consistently pay six-figure salaries).
But for many of us in college, we have a long road ahead to reach specialization. At this point in our lives, it is important to explore as many disciplines as possible – as many that interest us.
Underlying both arguments for diversification and specialization is epistomephilia, or the love of learning. While sometimes carrying negative connotations, the heart of being an epistomephile is to constantly seek knowledge. Whether that knowledge is in many disciplines or just one, a cultivated mind is the key to a fulfilling life.
So pick up another hobby, take a class in an intriguing subject or ask your friend to explain their essay to you. Remember from Colossians 3 that in “whatever you do” – whether your motivations are pragmatic or epistemophilic – “work at it with all your heart.”
