This is so true, my father was the most educated guy in his family, whereas my uncle who wasn't interested in education tried a bunch of things. Everyone in the family thought my uncle's a loser, he'll never amount to anything big as he never went to a college. However after working a dozen of jobs(whereas my father stuck to only one job) and trying half a dozen of business ideas finally one of his business idea worked and today my uncle is a multi-millionaire. What my father has earned in his entire life, my uncle maybe could earn in a month. Specialization is good but it narrows down the perspective. One should be curious about everything in life.

"It is important to draw wisdom from many places. If we take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale." - Gen. (ret.) Iroh

This fills me up with a burst of confidence about my career.

As a 21 y/o who is very frustrated with his scattered skills, I really needed this video. Never been happy about being a generlist. Thank you for this great insight, Ted-Talk

This is probably the best tedtalk I've ever encountered

I've always felt I had to choose my career far too early. "Right, you're 15 now, what do you want to do with your entire life then?" lol

Why making comments early doesn’t always mean instant likes

“When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible

Procrastinators are proud after watching this

Success is defined to us by society and if you don't come to the expectation then you are labeled as a failure, they rush you to specialize at an early age before you learn how to think, try to make you narrow expert and the problem is that we fell for these notions. There is no definition of success and head starts are overrated. Explore diverse expertise and broaden your horizons. As it is said, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

Very cool talk, actually changed my perspective on this topic. I've always thought that specialising in one area early was the best way to form a career, and it's what I did personally, starting video-game development and animation at 13, and doing it professionally by 18. I'm 30 now and feeling very bored of my work, despite being successful and making a lot of money. Maybe it's time for me to start trying other things.

Guess we can share this to people who ask why we learn things in school that we apparently will never need in our future fields.

Best Ted talk I ever watched. It's so much relatable to everyone of us.

I got a degree in finance, worked in sales, and ended up a software engineer. People seem to think that's crazy. I'm glad this video exists, I feel a lot better about my drastically meandering career path now.

Phew 😅 this makes me feel so much better about things. I’m 33, am on my 6th field, and getting educated in a 7th field. Currently I’m in a role that is at the intersection of my previous experience and am pulling out ahead of my peers. My multi-disciplinary background/being well rounded opens up a lot more opportunities for me as I am eligible for a wider variety of roles. I honestly wouldn’t change it for the world. I think it is important to try different things to learn about yourself and what is important to you!

This was so much needed . So glad to hear the stories of great people and to realise 'oh i wasn't the only one who felt this way' and this way is good on a long run!

Inspiring speech. I specialised early and became a chartered accountant at 23, and now at 25 I feel like it's too late to change and do something I actually like. It's easy to get hooked on a decent income and not want to retrain or change direction.

I've struggled with specializing my entire life. Only found out recently I've got ADD, without the hyperactive part. I'm doing pretty well in tech consulting with a degree and certificates in biochemistry, finance and accounting. The message is that generalist should be encouraged as much as specialists. I always struggled to stay up in class because of my attention issues. And I've lost my train of thought. Update 2 years later: I'm in banking now 😂

Exactly, like during ancient times All Greek philosophers were not specialized in any of the subjects, they were interested and were good in Arts, zoology, astronomy, mathematics, anatomy etc They were polymaths, that's the reason behind their genius minds We are made to have multiple interests rather than just one like this wicked world :) If you agree just hit the like button ;)

This makes me feel good as a liberal arts student.

I think it's very important to not undermine or even think that generals are better than specialized people. The world needs both of them. This Ted talk just shows that it's okay to take slow, meandering path before you reach success and never give up even though your friends or colleagues that started specializing way early than you already way more successful than you're.

I didn't think I needed to hear this TedTalk, but it's so nice to see scientific prove that trying a range of things is, in many cases, a great option. I personally never liked the idea of sticking to one job or one creative outlet, I have always felt the urge and desire to try many different things, which felt like I was lost on my path since everyone else already had figured life out for themselves. Deep down I knew I'm making the right choice for myself anyway, nice to have a little backup support talking about it in a more success-driven way as well.

It’s amazing when we realize that everything can be different only with a new perspective. Astonishing talk !!

This talk is so comforting because I feel like I have been aimlessly wandering through life. It's nice to know that something good can come out of not being able to settle down to just one specific thing right now.

Thank you very much for uploading this inspirational video. I'm planning to pursue my education again after taking a degree that my parents forced me into and landing in a job that I didn't enjoy at all. I'll continue my education two years later as I still need to settle many of my parents' problems. Better late than never.

Very true. I specialized early and got my PhD at age 27. Then I quit that field altogether and became a nurse.

With a billion perspectives of the world, this one surely zooms out on a lot we don't know but could learn. Thank you for this engaging and curiosity building talk.

Wow. This is such a great TED talk. I feel like sometimes society makes me think that the only way to succeed is to hyper specialize in one area in order to get good and look good to employers. I guess this may not be the only way/best way to think about how to educate a person.

Really well thought out, researched and well presented talk. One of he best I've seen. Kudos

Thank you so much for this one. I've been feeling like the one left behind. 4 years into college and I still don't know what I want to do and still no where close to a graduation. But I'm still hopeful!

This is so relieving to hear. It brings back some memories, actually. I was put in this group of "great thinkers" back in elementary school and everyone seemed to all have a niche that they mainly specialized in, whether it be math, coding, or design. They were praised all the time and I would just sit there and overhear things that I had no idea about -- the specifics of coding procedures and all that. I felt like I was an imposter amid all these great people who were already so talented at a targeted subject. I had spent most of my childhood reading a wide variety of books and I was decent at writing, but not good enough to have been considered a champion at it. I lost interest in math because I was absolutely horrible at it in a group of kids that specialized in it. Fast forward to middle school -- I'd returned to China and was now enrolled in an international school (since my Chinese wasn't good enough to attend a regular bilingual school). Because it was a foreign country, I obviously had an advantage when it came to English (given I spent most of my childhood there), so I ascended the ranks pretty fast in that subject. However, I continued to put no effort into math or science and only focused on the subjects I was particularly good at (history and English). After all, that's what I was told as a child: that specializing in a particular niche would take you further in the long run. Consequently, my GPA lowered with my scores in basically every other class, and I grew increasingly anxious and depressed. High school. I'm currently 16, so I'm still in the middle of it, but I feel as if a lot less pressure is on my shoulders. There is a myriad of super successful people around me -- people who have scored incredibly high on their SATs and PSATs, earned notable awards for their contributions to technology, written and illustrated published books, played in junior NBA league sports, and currently possess high grades. I have found my passion for math once more through a teacher who uses abstract learning models rather than straight ones and reignited my interest in the sciences. I acknowledge the fact that I can't achieve mastery in subjects that I simply can't bring myself to like, and that's okay. I've found that I can adapt to some wild on-the-spot situations and lead a group despite having no previous experience with the topic we're supposed to be researching. I don't have a set goal but I'm driven to do my best whenever I want to. I've had people around me open me up to new experiences I'd never considered trying before, only to find that potential to do well skyrocketing if I really put in the effort to pursue it. My point is: you don't have to do well at all when it comes to any subject. That isn't what determines your success. Your ability to dabble in things and adapt to them is what makes you (arguably) more valuable than any specialized learner. It's better to leave yourself open to a wide range of possibilities rather than solely relying on one curriculum to get you everywhere. You don't even need potential to do well. You just need experience. That's how it goes in the real world, from what I've been told. I'm just a teenager with no specific plans on what to do or what to major in since I'm not beamingly outstanding at any particular subject, but my scattered skills make success just as possible to reach, if not more.

Totally agree, we are constantly changing and evolving!

Thank you. Needed this.

I suppose that the real definition of an intellectual is when someone has the urges to master every new fields of discipline out of his/her specialization. Let's say a doctor, we might say that doctors are intellect because of the knowledge on what they're doing, but no, thats what they professional demands. But when a doctor mastering a new discipline like economy, philosophy, law, etc. and thats my friend is an intellectual.

Honestly and candidly, that last words are wonderful with beautiful metaphors 🤩🤩

This gave me goosebumps. Thank you for this.

This is one of the most underrated and underwatched TED talk ever. People these days need this type of talk to get some understanding and insight of their lives.

I really needed this video , in a time when I have been thinking i am already late to try something new for a career.

He talks with a commanding, respectful tone. I love it

The timing of this is amazing.

A brilliant and inspiration talk. The speaker elaborates that although it might seems that early specialization is the path to success, the road is not a clear cut and often the "search" period is omitted.

What an amazingly well put together speech, love the visuals he tossed in there

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and ideas. I will keep in mind that 😌

This was Gold. Thank you. I couldn't think of ANYTHING better

really glad I caught this talk. eye opening

This talk might have just significantly changed my life for the better

I was so insecure about my own self. I always thought of myself as a slow racer, wasting time with sampling in my science career. I am so glad this got recommended to me or even was presented on Ted. Life saver indeed.

One of the best Ted talk I have ever watched, sounds like it should be common sense but no one ever had illustrated it’s importance. Thank you!

This talk has been given me so much hope and joy!

I needed this. Thank you

Thank you so much for this

Thank you! Very astonishing!

Excellent ted talk! One of my favourites

Whatever the vantage point, the capacity of a human is limitless. Such a wonderful gift.

Thank you for sharing this. All my life so far, although I'm still young and in high school, I've never really stuck to one thing. I kept doing things all over the place. I had a bunch of different short-term hobbies. And now there's a lot of talk about universities and careers coming up, and I always felt like I was behind everyone because I wasn't able to say what I want to do in the future nor what I want to study in university. This always stressed me out, I would talk to my parents about it and that didn't help either. I'm very glad I found videos like these, as they give me hope that I don't need to know exactly what I want to do, and I can keep dabbling around in a bunch of different areas.

Best TEDtalk I've ever seen. Very much underrated.

I have been thinking the other way about this for a long time. Thanks for making me consider a new perspective!

One of the most enlightening talks I've seen.

I couldn't agree more My working in many different fields of Engineering and many different jobs has done wonders for me.... Learning how to fix things tends to give the person an intricate understanding of how things work.... Food for thought 🙂

Wonderful TED talk. Thanks.

This was so true, it felt like he was voicing my feelings.

Really pleased with the recent topics they're releasing

Such a great presentation and narration

That was one of the best Ted Talks I’ve ever seen.

Man, this is fantastic insight, especially for me just about to start my career. For the short future I suppose I'm in the clear, but its still something to keep in mind.

This is the TED that I know and love!!!! 💖 When I think of specializing in one thing, it gives me anxiety. I was meant to do all kinds of stuff, I honestly never cared for being the best at what I do. I only want to do everything that I like, and I like lot's of things.

I read his book which is translated into Japanese. I’m so glad to see you twice today by this video. I totally agree with his thoughts and I’m gonna focus on exploring new fields and not decide to do early only one thing. From 21 old student 👩‍🎓 🇯🇵 Thank you so much for great video 🤍

facing a rut in my career now. currently in a new job in a new industry and I'm struggling. Thanks for this video for the motivation i need to push forward into new unknowns.

I thought I know what he was going to say so I didn't intend to watch it. But fortunately I decided to make it. And it turned out to be one of the most inspirational ted talks I have ever seen. Made me less worrying and continue trying :)

Wonderful speech, thank you sir

Man, this was totally totally totally inspiring, buffing, and just... thank you, man.

I love a TEDtalk worth watching.

This is very encouraging.

Very good knowledge. It was a learning and reflection with this excellent video. Congratulations!

Ausome, thanks it really opened my eyes

What an interesting presentation! Definitely going to be a Professor favorite for years to come

Thank you for helping me not feel ashamed of trying different things besides my university major

great perspective and great book anyway. I'm currently reading his book called 'Range'

Oh, God. This is such a relief!

very insightful and interesting thank you

Very well said...

I needed to hear this now.

Thank you so much

this is a really good talk because i am trying to chose the right career for myself and it hard, it is good to know that i am not alone

Narrowing field of view is definitely there if you've been working on only one thing all your life. Good video

that was really well done. good work! i liked it

Thank you! amazing!!!

i really needed to hear this

Wow, now I feel like my stumbling around and going with the flow might amount to something... or not

Great Topic. I specialized early and I'm know longer in that field but it did let me know where I am on the food chain!

This made me feel a little better. I'm 27yo and until today, I've only "jumped" (don't know how to say that in English) from career to career. Started out as an English teacher at a small language course, then I started working as a recepcionist, in the meantime I also took theater classes, in 2017 I started my Marketing graduation but up to today, don't know exactly what I'm doing. But this video made me feel a little more confident about the future :)

Reminds me of "rich dad poor dad" in a way. And yet, here I am, about to finish my masters before starting my PhD next year. And while a part of me really likes this path (and I think during your time as a PhD student you learn much more than what you are working on, many many soft skills etc) another part of me doesn't know whether that's a good idea and whether I am not missing out on something

One of the best TedTalks ever. Not an easy title to earn.

This might have been the most important TED talk for me to watch.

Informative speech

This video was much needed.

A well spoken orator is magnetic.

I just find this video! 😊 I ever questioned myself of this idea because of the society's ideal planning

Glad to be convinced that I'm on the right track.

I spent almost 20 years as a mechanic. Many certificates, much knowledge. My last job title was engineer but now I am a preschool teacher and am making half as much being twice as happy! As I pursue my career in early childhood development I feel as if it's all common knowledge so far. Really does seem to make things easier even know the knowledge gained seems irrelavant.