Liz Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) If you had the chance to pick, would you rather be: a well-rounded individual reasonably talented in all areas, but not excelling in any. a savant excelling in one area, but being relatively weak in the all the others Provide your reasons and all that. Edited February 9, 2009 by Persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bohemund Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Well-rounded. It is what I am afterall. I'd rather not be like Einstein, in order to keep the ability to tie my own shoes. Edited February 8, 2009 by Bohemund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wist Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Were I in the position to make such a choice, I would choose the former without hesitation. The prospect of excelling in one skill or discipline to the exclusion of all else is very unappealing to me. With an open mind and no obstructive disabilities, one can further one's own goals with well directed study or deliberate practice. I have a fairly broad spectrum of interests and hobbies. Giving up a time investment to exceed in a particular area in exchange for reduced flexibility overall wouldn't be an advantageous exchange for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 A prodigy - especially because beign so doesn't mean you're a retard who can't tie your own shoes. It helps focusing efforts on what really matters. What use is flexibility if it makes you indecisive and lost about what you're to do with your life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I am generally well-rounded. It's alright this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 A prodigy - especially because beign so doesn't mean you're a retard who can't tie your own shoes. It helps focusing efforts on what really matters. What use is flexibility if it makes you indecisive and lost about what you're to do with your life? But what if your talent/field of expertise is something quite useless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 But what if your talent/field of expertise is something quite useless? Like composing music or drawing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 For example art or music, yes. Talent can't always save you from becoming a starving artist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erk Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I would rather be good with a bow, axe, lance, or sword than just good with a sword. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 For example art or music, yes. Talent can't always save you from becoming a starving artist. Well-roundedness can't always save you from becoming a starving mediocre person, either. However, If All You Have Is A Sword, you know what to do - if you're good with computers and bad with athletics, you aren't going to try being a professional swimmer, for instance. You know where to focus, instead of risking being lost among all the possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Yes, but in many cases you still need social skills, business sense, luck etc to get somewhere. Talent alone isn't enough. Edited February 8, 2009 by Tamara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metal Rabbit Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 You're only a prodigy until you become a master. By then you should have lessened your weaknesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noremaC Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I would rather be a prodigy, I would know exactly what to do with make life which is one less decision i have to make. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kintenbo Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 I try to keep myself as well rounded as possible. I try to be my best physically, mentally, and spiritually as much as possible. I have weak spots in each area, of course, but it never hurts to improve weaks points. (for example, physically, I have a very strong upper body, but I'm slow and can't swim for my life) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noremaC Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (for example, physically, I have a very strong upper body, but I'm slow and can't swim for my life) I am compete opposite, I have very strong legs and can swim fast, but for some reason i can't run for shit....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Yes, but in many cases you still need social skills, business sense, luck etc to get somewhere. Talent alone isn't enough. Welcome to life? Also, being a prodigy in one area doesn't mean you're a complete cripple in all others, you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edorian Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Well-roundedness can't always save you from becoming a starving mediocre person, either.However, If All You Have Is A Sword, you know what to do - if you're good with computers and bad with athletics, you aren't going to try being a professional swimmer, for instance. You know where to focus, instead of risking being lost among all the possibilities. Being good at something does narrow your possibilities, but that isn't a good thing, you are bound to use the sword not because you like it or chose it but because is the only thing you are good at. When you have possibilities, if you are intelligent enough you will be able to choose the one appropriate to the situation, and not get lost among the possibilities. Nowadays you have to be well-rounded, more versatile, Even if you are the best at something you need of more things. Still with the sword example, you may be the best swordsman in the world, but someday your target will be out of range and you'll think "boy if I knew how to use a bow" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamara Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Welcome to life?Also, being a prodigy in one area doesn't mean you're a complete cripple in all others, you know. I know, it's not as if I don't have any experience on the subject. I mean, the subscores from the last IQ test I had to ranged from 80 to 150+. Those high scores a nice, but the low scores form a bottleneck for many tasks. And that's just my IQ. My social skills are poor, so that doesn't help either. Well, atleast I'm motivated. I know several gifted people who can't motivate themselves to do anything productive. I'm glad I'm not like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 Being good at something does narrow your possibilities, but that isn't a good thing, you are bound to use the sword not because you like it or chose it but because is the only thing you are good at. When you have possibilities, if you are intelligent enough you will be able to choose the one appropriate to the situation, and not get lost among the possibilities. People with many possibilities can get lost even if they aren't retarded. Nowadays you have to be well-rounded, more versatile, Even if you are the best at something you need of more things. Still with the sword example, you may be the best swordsman in the world, but someday your target will be out of range and you'll think "boy if I knew how to use a bow" That, sir, is solved with maturity. One must accept the facty he can't do everything, and that's alright. Life isn't soloable. If the best swordsman can't hit a target out of range, then he should leave that to the archers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edorian Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 People with many possibilities can get lost even if they aren't retarded. Yeah that's why I said "if you are intelligent enough" Also, prodigy may be able to read, write, tie his shoes by himself and exceed at his specialty, but having only one talent will make him just do that, he will of course do what he is good at and this will make him only focus in his specialty and thus will get worse in the other areas. That, sir, is solved with maturity. One must accept the facty he can't do everything, and that's alright. Life isn't soloable. If the best swordsman can't hit a target out of range, then he should leave that to the archers. But if a well rounded guy came he might not be the best swordsman or archer but he could try to hit the target, maybe he'll miss some shots before hitting only a leg or an arm, but he will do more than the best swordsman, and maybe the best archer will hit at the first shot but in close combat he is dead, while the well rounded guy will be able to defend himself. (please try not to stick to this example and think out of it, apply it to other stuff) I agree that no one will be excellent at everything but it is better to be somewhat good at almost everything than being "perfect" in only one. A prodigy may not be a retard in other things out of his specialty, but he wont be as good as the well rounded guy. What Im saying is that if the best swordsman leaves everything he is not good at to the ones that are, he will just be good when a sword is needed, and eventually make him kinda useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEnd Posted February 8, 2009 Share Posted February 8, 2009 (edited) Yeah that's why I said "if you are intelligent enough" Also, prodigy may be able to read, write, tie his shoes by himself and exceed at his specialty, but having only one talent will make him just do that, he will of course do what he is good at and this will make him only focus in his specialty and thus will get worse in the other areas. But if a well rounded guy came he might not be the best swordsman or archer but he could try to hit the target, maybe he'll miss some shots before hitting only a leg or an arm, but he will do more than the best swordsman, and maybe the best archer will hit at the first shot but in close combat he is dead, while the well rounded guy will be able to defend himself. (please try not to stick to this example and think out of it, apply it to other stuff) I agree that no one will be excellent at everything but it is better to be somewhat good at almost everything than being "perfect" in only one. A prodigy may not be a retard in other things out of his specialty, but he wont be as good as the well rounded guy. What Im saying is that if the best swordsman leaves everything he is not good at to the ones that are, he will just be good when a sword is needed, and eventually make him kinda useless. You know we're talking about reality here, right? It isn't like you're making a RPG character and putting all your points in Intelligence and Writing. Likewise, being well-rounded doesn't realistically mean being "good at everything" - it means being average Joe. Edited February 8, 2009 by Anborn Arsar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edorian Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 You know we're talking about reality here, right? It isn't like you're making a RPG character and putting all your points in Intelligence and Writing. Likewise, being well-rounded doesn't realistically mean being "good at everything" - it means being average Joe. Yes yes I know, that is why I said that you should think of what I say and apply it in other stuff. For instance, you are a prodigy with computers, you go ask for a job, but oh you don't get it because apart from being good with computers you needed to know how to speak french. So someone not so good with computers and with average french gets the job. Of course the prodigy knows other stuff other than computers but alas french wasn't some of those things. The poll says "A well-rounded individual reasonably talented in all areas" (IE computers, french and lets say playing violin) VS "A prodigy who excels in one area at the expense of the others" (meaning that he is the best with computer but lacks the ability to play violin and be fluent with his french) Now your points are valid and I do get them (I think) still following the poll, I think it is better to be the well rounded guy than being the prodigy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defeatist Elitist Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 I think you'd have been better saying "savant" instead of prodigy, since prodigy tends to entail just being good, whereas a savant is much more specialized. As for this, I'd be a savant of being AWESOME! But really, I don't know... I think that barring mental conditions its not unreasonable to be pretty damn good at several things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YokaiKnight Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) The poll says "A well-rounded individual reasonably talented in all areas" (IE computers, french and lets say playing violin) VS "A prodigy who excels in one area at the expense of the others" (meaning that he is the best with computer but lacks the ability to play violin and be fluent with his french) Like someone said before, it's not an RPG--just because you "excel in one area at the expense of others" doesn't mean you're bad at the others. Your prodigy could be very good at French and violin, and even better at computers. Everyone doesn't draw from the same "pool of stats," so to horribly speak--some people are good at just about everything. EDIT: Though now that I think about it, the poll may be flawed. Except in cases like savants, as Revan said, being good at something does not necessarily take away your ability from other areas, meaning that it's not always at the expense of others. Apologies if I'm nitpicking. Edited February 9, 2009 by YokaiKnight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lolDeath Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Someone who is well-rounded will perform at average levels in most areas of life, a prodigy may suffer a setback or two, but if they use their talent well enough compensation is not a big leap. Prodigy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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