You’ve probably heard of the 10,000 hour rule, which was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell‘s blockbuster book “Outliers.” As Gladwell tells it, the rule goes like this: it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of complex skills and materials, like playing the violin or getting as good as Bill Gates.
There is also the famous Bruce Lee quote which goes like this ” I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times “.
The above alludes to the common perception that specialists are having a field day and they are the ones most successful, while the generalists are getting the wrong end of the snakes and ladders game. Yet, here’s another perspective worth considering- “A provocative generalization,” is what Anders Ericsson calls the 10,000 hour rule made famous by Gladwell. The first flaw of the 10,000 Hour Rule: It focuses on the quantity of time practicing, not the quality of the practice – and not all practice is equally helpful. More here on Debunking The 10,000 Hour Practice Myth .
Focusing intensely, racking up hours of deliberate practice, starting early, are the de facto calling cards for anyone wanting to develop a skill, play an instrument or be a leader in their chosen field. But what is more evident through research and real life examples of the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists is the fact that generalists, in most fields are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.
This might sound blasphemous but David Epstein in his seminal book Range makes a compelling case for inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.
A recent meta-analysis by Case Western Reserve University psychologist Brooke Macnamara and her colleagues found that deliberate practice and skill are related – but far from perfectly related. You can do a deep dive here to know more about the research conducted.
A specialist’s mind is a slave to his specialization. Intellectually curious men become generalists. Intellectually lazy men settle for being specialists- Mokokoma Mokhonoana