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Do you find yourself being a jack of all, master of none?

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Khalifa Jayy

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I guess it'd be more connoisseur of all, master of none, really. These days, though, nothing really interests me in a captivating way. Back in grade school, I was into math. In high school I really got into government and economics. Now, I don't really have a passion for any damn thing. I'm kind of just here. I enjoy graphic design, but I'm too apathetic to take my skills beyond "decent" in any way.

I'm realizing: I'm not great at anything. I'm good at a lot of stuff. Competent. But I'm not great at any one thing of merit.

Are you like this? Is it a generational thing? I sort of wish my parents would have told me "you're going to be a __________ when you grow up" and instructed me down that path from a young age.

I could've been an architect -_______-
 
Khalifa Jayy said:
I guess it'd be more connoisseur of all, master of none, really. These days, though, nothing really interests me in a captivating way. Back in grade school, I was into math. In high school I really got into government and economics. Now, I don't really have a passion for any damn thing. I'm kind of just here. I enjoy graphic design, but I'm too apathetic to take my skills beyond "decent" in any way.

I'm realizing: I'm not great at anything. I'm good at a lot of stuff. Competent. But I'm not great at any one thing of merit.

Are you like this? Is it a generational thing? I sort of wish my parents would have told me "you're going to be a __________ when you grow up" and instructed me down that path from a young age.

I could've been an architect -_______-
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There are very few "masters" of anything.
 
My profs like to say they are training us to be jack's of all trades so... I guess that's what I am going to school for.
 
Yep, I'm pretty good at everything, but not great at anything.

Maybe I should apply myself and get great at something...
 
Great things can come from being competent in multiple areas. My knowledge of photography has informed my portrait-drawing, for example. Connecting seemingly disparate pieces of information is actually a semi-decent definition of intelligence.

It is also quite possible to be great at a lot of things, it simply requires a lot of work.

To quote Robert Heinlein: "Specialisation is for insects."
 
Yeah and it's sad that I can't translate it into a job somewhere. I love knowing the basics of everything but I hate focusing into deep stuff except for things I really enjoy.
 
i used to joke that i was jack of none trades...

but in reality i think that being able to morph your skill set around is way more valuable than specialising. or to put it another way the categories are getting more and more broad so instead of mastering one thing you need to know a little about lots to "master" the new jobs.

I'm an animator, film maker, programmer, set builder, director, technician, lighting designer, roadie depending on the job and instead of that being a limiting factor it seems to be a way a lot of industries are going - being able to see the problems of teams around you makes you more valuable than just learning the way it was done years ago fuck everyone else. That said you do have to be alright at each thing you can't just be shit but being good at lots of things means your skill set is kinda unique.

stay interested and you will be ok
 
I'm not really supergood at something, but I know a lot of stuff in almost every department I'm interested in and I can talk my way around if something I made sucks.

@Frith: Ah, we're kinda similar... I do want to specialize on one thing though... Only by that you can truly shine IMO
 
Jacobi said:
I'm not really supergood at something, but I know a lot of stuff in almost every department I'm interested in and I can talk my way around if something I made sucks.

@Frith: Ah, we're kinda similar... I do want to specialize on one thing though... Only by that you can truly shine IMO
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Yea I'm the same way I guess. I think I just wish I had a real PASSION or thing I'm passionate about.
 
yea I find myself at least decent in a lot of things, but not amazing at anything in particular. Except being a great friend!
 
Khalifa Jayy said:
Yea I'm the same way I guess. I think I just wish I had a real PASSION or thing I'm passionate about.
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Hm, I got a lot of stuff I'm interested in, games development, philosophy, politics, travel... There's a lot of interesting stuff going on in the world, you just gotta find it.

Maybe you are depressed? Had some episodes where I was apathetic because of that. Alc or weed or molly can do the same to you...
 
terrisus said:
So, do you jack off all, but mastur none?
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aaaHLTc.jpg
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awgh yeagh
 
Are you me OP?!

Fell the same way exactly, even the graphic design part as it's what I studied and what I'm gonna do, but I find it hard to take my skills to the next level due to a lack of motivation.

I went through a lot of other stuff before finding graphic design. Nothing really clicked with me, even graphic design but at some point you have to choose and start to work.

I like graphic design but I could do it so much better with more enthusiasm, like improving my interest in art and graphic design per say, look at what other people do, museum and stuff, do some personal work for my portfolio...but it's hard to find the motivation.
 
Bossun said:
Are you me OP?!

Fell the same way exactly, even the graphic design part as it's what I studied and what I'm gonna do, but I find it hard to take my skills to the next level due to a lack of motivation.

I went through a lot of other stuff before finding graphic design. Nothing really clicked with me, even graphic design but at some point you have to choose and start to work.

I like graphic design but I could do it so much better with more enthusiasm, like improving my interest in art and graphic design per say, look at what other people do, museum and stuff, do some personal work for my portfolio...but it's hard to find the motivation.
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Do you think this is an indicator that Graphic design, while fun for you, might not be the thing that really really speaks to you?

If we need to be motivated do we really give enough of a shit in the first place? If most people can get really good at anything if they just stick with it, and have fun with it, no motivation is needed, because the want is in doing the thing itself.

Its like that advice for most creative folks - do it for yourself. dont make music to get famous or write to get read. just fucking do it because you enjoy it. When you truly let go, you will unleash what is inside of you but that comes after you have killed all the material, shallow things and achievements you want out of it.

I think many of us are so conditioned to just do things because it needs to lead to something. only the village idiot will sit down and do something for no reason. just for your enjoyment? yeah, okay slacker.
But in reality the things we want to do without accumulating anything from it, is probably the things we are supposed to do as our main thing, because that is what really speaks to us. It's just extremely difficult for many people to make those things their thing later. and then the necessarily grind-your-life-away things like paying your mortgage takes precedent, and then one day you are about as interesting as your excel spreadsheets!
 
I think so, mainly because I did well in all of my schooling up until college and am doing poorly in college (not because of lack of trying or laziness). I'm not really good at what I'm majoring in but I don't really see myself being successful in another major either :\.
 
Side note, but being a master at something doesn't preclude you from being a "jack" at many other things as well.

It's not like AD&D point distribution, where you're pulling all of your points out of Strength and Charisma to pour them into Wisdom and Intelligence or something.
 
Bossun said:
Are you me OP?!

Fell the same way exactly, even the graphic design part as it's what I studied and what I'm gonna do, but I find it hard to take my skills to the next level due to a lack of motivation.

I went through a lot of other stuff before finding graphic design. Nothing really clicked with me, even graphic design but at some point you have to choose and start to work.

I like graphic design but I could do it so much better with more enthusiasm, like improving my interest in art and graphic design per say, look at what other people do, museum and stuff, do some personal work for my portfolio...but it's hard to find the motivation.
Click to expand...
Just find the time and do some stuff in your free time. 1h a day won't hurt you. You'll have to get enthused by yourself though. You might be caught in a negative way of thinking...
And I think graphic design is a great starting point, it's incorporated in so many things.
 
Hey OP, we could *almost* be twins.

Studied architecture in college, then did environmental design for my Bachelor. Applied for a Master in architecture, got a no.

Currently studying in modern architecture and heritage (which is more related to art history, actually) and I'm really struggling. I feel like I'm gonna fail non-stop, even though I'm getting pretty good grades. Everyone seems better at this than me.

Gonna try again next year for the Master program. I love architecture even tho I'm not sure if it's my place. There's nothing else I can really do.

I also like Graphic Design but I felt like I wouldn't belong in that field.
 
Jacobi said:
I'm not really supergood at something, but I know a lot of stuff in almost every department I'm interested in and I can talk my way around if something I made sucks.

@Frith: Ah, we're kinda similar... I do want to specialize on one thing though... Only by that you can truly shine IMO
Click to expand...

I suppose I've been taking inspiration from great directors they are managers scientists artists and writers all at once you may or may not like Jim Cameron's work but he is fascinated by many things and is deeply technical he's none of the specialised trade jobs in film alone he's a bit of a jack of all trades but that makes the director. If you learn more things it only improves you every one I respect is that way, they bring skills together in an interesting way, they are into in things outside their specialism.
 
Necromanti said:
Punctuation, on the other hand...
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Yup, as I've said elsewhere, despite it not being proper punctuation, if I end a sentence with an emoticon, I generally have that stand in place of a period, when that would otherwise be the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence :þ

I also sometimes leave a period off of the last sentence of a post - something my 8th-grade English teacher said she would deduct a full-letter grade from any time someone ended a paper without a punctuation mark
 
All the time. But I realized that it was only because I didn't stick with things. The things that I have continued to do (like gaming) I'm extremely competent at. If you put enough time into anything you will become a master. After all, sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.
 
I describe myself as a jack of all trades when it comes to technology. I pick things up fast, learn how to use it quickly, then go to the next thing before spending the time to master it.

Jack of all trades, master of none. Oftentimes better than a master of one.
 
Jack of all trades can be good but no good if you use it an excuse as to why you suck.

I do believe everyone is a master of something though. They just don't know it or are too humble to believe so.
 
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