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. -Robert A. Heinlein
I sometimes worry that I am trying to tackle to many things. That in my mad rage to gain more knowledge about every topic I learn, I am losing key pieces from unique and special topics I like to consider my favorite. I’ve written about mental obesity before, but seem to have misdirected my anger. Becoming something of a renaissance man is a laudable goal, but being judged permanently on your temporanry rate of success is damaging. I was looking at my bookshelf today, wondering why I didn’t have a cohesive set of books focusing a small range of important topics. In one of them I read this, and I just didn’t care any more.