Heads up Steemians!
Be proud that you are one!
In the first part of this post, I shared my background as why I thought I might be a multipotentialite. As a recap, a multipotentialite is someone with many interests and creative pursuits. A multipotentialite is sometimes referred as polymath or Renaissance man. Renaissance man because in the Renaissance Period, it is considered as a ideal trait. A notable multipotentialite was Leonardo da Vinci. He's a painter, a scientist, a philosopher, and a musician among others.
If you haven't read about my background yet, please refer to this post. I would appreciate it if you will read it first because it sets the tone of this post. Dropping your comment on that post will surely make me grateful. Thank you in advance.
In this post, I will be discussing the technicalities of being a multipotentialite and what the future holds for us. I will also continue to share my thoughts as we go on.
Let's dig in!
Multipotentialites vs. Specialists
Before I will compare the two, I would like to emphasize that what I'm tackling here was best explained by Emilie Wapnick in her TedTalk. You can check out the video in this link. If you're interested in this area, you can also check out her site puttylike.com. To make things clear, she doesn't know me and I was not paid in this. I was just hooked with idea that I should share it with you.
Okay! Done with the disclaimers! Let's move on to the topic to be discussed.
A specialist is a person who is an expert on a specific field. That person concentrates on a certain activity and is considered to be an authority when it comes to knowledge and skills of the restricted field or activity. An example for that is a physician who is adept in a certain branch of medicine.
As opposed to specialists, multipotentialites don't have that they call as "one true calling". Multipotentialites surf in the surface while specialists dive deeper into their field of expertise. It should be noted however, that one is not superior over the other. Both have important roles to fill in the society.
In any field of endeavor, Emilie noted that it would be a strength if there's a presence of both specialist and multipotentialite in a team. A specialist would immediately find a solution to the problem based on his current understanding of the situation, while a multipotentialite would provide a different approach. In that scenario, the multipotentialite would think out of the box and direct a different angle of attack; perhaps based on his knowledge in a completely different field.
Multipotentialite Abilities
In the Ted video, Emilie called these abilities of multipotentialites as Superpowers. I don't know if it's fitting to call it that way, but if it's not inherent in an ordinary person, then Superpowers is just appropriate. Here, I will discuss them in detail based on my current understanding. So, here are the Superpowers of multipotentialites:
Idea Synthesis
Idea synthesis is one's ability to merge different ideas in different fields to form one coherent and simpler notion. Emilie emphasized that this is critical in innovation. As innovation happens at the intersection of two different fields, a multipotentialite who knows something in those two different fields can provide an out-of-the-box concepts. Those concepts are the seed of innovation. Also, if there are problems to be solved, a multipotentialite can provide sound judgment based on the collection of knowledge and skills from varied fields of endeavor.
This kind of superpower is really helpful when dealing with complex situations encompassing different disciplines. A multipotentialite would be able to find a common ground, strike a balance, and generate a win-win solution.
Rapid Learning
A multipotentialite seems to lack focus and have a scattered mindset because he easily gets bored with one discipline. As a result, he would jump to another field of expertise or artistic pursuit. This is where rapid learning comes in. Because the new field is fresh to his mind, a multipotentialite would be so engrossed in learning everything about that field in a short period of time. When he thinks that he has learned enough, he would then jump another interest. In this case, multipotentialites are willing to jump out of their comfort zones and venture into a new field of endeavor.
If multipotentialites venture into another field, they're not really clueless of that new field because most of the basic knowledge and learning from another field are transferable across different disciplines. So when the next time you venture into a new pursuit, remember that you're not really starting from scratch.
Adaptability
Adaptability is the the ability to transform yourself into the anything you want yourself to be in a given circumstance. Since multipotentialites are armed with different skills from varied fields of expertise, they were able to morph themselves into something that is appropriate for a particular situation. They will likely to survive and thrive in any situation because adaptive behavior is crucial in excelling any pursuits in life.
Final Encouragements
As what Emilie Wapnick did, I would like to encourage every multipotentialite like me to embrace their true nature. Sometimes you might feel that you're scattered or you don't have focus and concentration, I would like you to know that it's perfectly normal. I have felt like that also. I thought that I should suppress my plural nature and focus on one field, but it became harder for me. Just continue in doing what you love to do.
If pursuing a different field meant that you should abandon your academic background, then so be it. As what Emilie stressed, you're not throwing away your education because you can still apply what you learned in college in the new field that you choose to pursue. Examples of these learnings are analytical thinking and social skills. You might be solving a lengthy mathematical problem in your new field, but you will surely use your analytical skills in solving real and complex problems.
To add, remember that you have superpowers. Superpowers that could be used to your advantage in the world arena. Just be true to yourself and you'll never be wrong with it. They future is even brighter for you!
I guess I have already exhausted everything there is to say. To my fellow multipotentialites and to the specialists, continue with your passion and do the things that could make you happy. Moreover, keep on dreaming and steeming!
