Reading A Book That Contradicts Life Purpose

[Twega]

The book is Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, written by David Epstein.

It does not directly contradict LP, but it challenges the 10000-hour rule. It challenges many of the books Leo recommends, like So Good They Can't Ignore You and the concept of deliberate practice. As well as Talent Is Overrated.  I watched and read so many videos about mastery. My dabbling in different fields definitely made me feel insecure because those books always send a clear message: focus on one thing, practice, don't dable, repeat for 10 years. This book gave me a new perspective on mastery. It is much more complicated, and HOW you learn is more important than WHEN you learn. The book argues that professionals in different fields are more likely to dabble when they are young, and this gives them more flexibility and durability in how they use their minds,

 

 

To be honest, this book has been a godsend. I recommend Leo and anyone interested to read the book and share their thoughts. The book is a game-changer, especially if one's life purpose is more abstract and intellectual. Where it is not as easy to apply the 10,000 hours of deliberate practice rule as it is for Sports, for example.

[Michal__]

Thanks for the recommendation.

For me it's always about finding a good system that makes you progress faster than the general population, not so much about how many hours I put into it.

For example with lifting, if you choose the right program you will become advanced within a few years of training only ~200 hours a year. (Concurrent periodization)

Or with spirituality if you combine retreats, psychadelics & other techniques (all day awareness, fasting etc.) you too can cut the 10 000 hours by a considerable amount. At least in theory, I'm not advanced with spirituality yet.

My point is that deliberate practice should be combined with techniques that cut the learning curve. It's not enough just to do the emotionally hard thing, it must also be done in a fashion that's as smart as possible.

And finding a very good teacher also removes a few thousand hours from the rule.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Michal__

[tsuki]

Having a broad spectrum of interests is not just about cutting the learning time.

It's more about having the mental capacity to develop new ways of thinking and quickly exploring uncharted territory. That is a domain of mastery in of itself. The problem is that in order to actually make an impact, you have to have experience with concrete examples, having done enough work in a specific field. Learning how to learn and learning to ask the right questions may eventually lead you to understand how to model domains effectively, but does not equal mastery of these domains.

I do agree though, that it is much more important nowadays to adapt to the environment quickly. The rate in which technology replaces human work will only accelerate and job security isn't really there anymore. Even creative fields are at risk.

[Preety_India]

Self development is a very arduous process. Are you kidding me? It's the most difficult thing ever. 

Yes you need to combine both. 

Both mastery and variety. It not only cuts learning time but makes you very efficient at picking what you want. 

But remember there's just no substitute for practice