Knowledge

[bertine]

[Poll #1169597]
I am pretty sure you all can guess what my answer is.

Comments

[ctakahara.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna guess breadth... but I peeked.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

I should have had a contest to see who could pick mine. Ha!

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

What exactly does that mean?

[bertine.livejournal.com]

Do you like to know everything about a few subjects or do you like to know a little about a lot of subjects?

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

Depends on the subject (:

Story of my life - I am the missing Option 3.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

Well... There are a few things that I know more about than others (web pages) but I don't study that to the exclusion of everything else. Take me, I get completely obsessed with learning everything about a subject but I know that will last about six months before something else becomes interesting to me. I won't spend 10 years learn how to do one thing really well.

I would bet you are breadth, most people are.

[sterlingphoenix.livejournal.com]

I like to think I know a some stuff about a lot of things. But it's more that there's a few things I know a lot about, and some things I'm way too specialised in, and a whole lot of things I have passing knowledge of.

I think that's probably true for most people, except I really am way too specialised in what I do. As Heinlein said, specialisation is for insects!

[avecvu.livejournal.com]

I am in the minority.

It's nice to have a broad range of topics, I guess, but I tend to focus on things obsessively and it's hard to do that unless you pick and choose.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I don't like to choose, I want to have a basic understanding of a lot of things.

[patrickwonders.livejournal.com]

I actually wasn't sure at all which side you'd be on.... I suspected Breadth only because it seemed more plausible that a Breadth person would assume everyone knew where they stood on the question.... I'm not sure why.... but it seemed more plausible....

Anyhow, reminds me of the Heinlein quote:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

I don't agree with Heinlein (on much of anything, let alone this quote). I think there's lots of room for Depth-ers. But, I'm a Breadth man, myself.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

Very good point, I didn't think about how Breadth people would be more likely to know how they like to gain knowledge. This is why I don't write scientific polls, only livejournal ones.

I agree with you, I think there is a lot of room for "Depth-ers". I have known and respected quite a few of them, part of me is envious of how focused they can be but to learn about many things you can't spend a lot of time on any one thing.

[seattleforge.livejournal.com]

Depth of knowledge is for do-ers. I'm a delegator.

[bertine.livejournal.com]

You're my idol.

[seattleforge.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA!

[eyelikebigbutts.livejournal.com]

what's wrong with just "knowing" and feeling comfortable with that?
I mean, whether you know a little about alot or alot about a little (I think there's a country song that has that line in it) just having the ability to know things and reatin some of it for future use is an achievemnt right?