Comments on: Great Work Quotes #11

By: Rosetta Thurman » Quote of the Day

Rosetta Thurman » Quote of the Day — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:29:38 +0000

[...] tip to Michael Bungay Stanier for this great [...]

By: Trisha Dodson

Trisha Dodson — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:31:32 +0000

I have always wanted to be a jack of all trades because focusing in on only one aspect of something makes you miss out on the many different opportunities and experiences in this wide world. I have pushed to not specialize in any one thing. Now I may not have ever butchered a hog or set a bone but I would be more than willing to do it if the circumstances called for it. I am an open person that is willing to try anything once (or twice for that matter). I read this quote and it automatically reminded me of the many roles that I play in a given day in my professional and personal life. I was even more thrilled to see that it was said by Mr. Heinlein himself, I love all of his stuff and find him to be a very intriguing man. Thank you for finding this quote, I have not seen it before and always enjoy bits like this.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:18:17 +0000

If you are in wilderness survival mode then, yeah, there isn’t much room for specialization. Perhaps in a post apocalyptic world the survival of the species may be determined by the ability to do everything you need to survive without help. However, in society you will quickly end up on the bottom of the earnings ladder if you don’t find something specialized to do and do it well.

By: Richard Downes

Richard Downes — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:06:24 +0000

I agree with Jennifer; the last one is hard to claim. Actually it’s a macho list, invading, butchering, dying gallantly. When Heinlein says “a human being” being he’s clearly thinking “bloke.” But then, that’s how us blokes work. In fact I have done most of this list, excluding the invading, fighting, dying and hardest of all, balancing accounts. Never done it. Don’t believe I ever will. But I take heart from a billboard I saw out on the Western Plains on a recent trip: picture of a huge Mack truck rumbling out of a sunlit dust haze, with the slogan “They don’t write songs about accountants.”
Specialists have more facts. Generalists like us have more fun. Look forward to your Sydney session in Decmber Michael.

By: Jennifer Louden

Jennifer Louden — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:21:18 +0000

I am clearly an insect. Butcher a hog??? How about a chicken? Roasted, that is. I’ll get back to you on the last one. Is this the science fiction writer – he was my fav when I was a kid.

Love the Blog, Michael!