I think it was Robert A. Heinlein who wrote:
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.
That's 20 things, and I guess I could manage... probably 11 pretty well, three more with some competence, another four slightly shambolically, and I could at least guess at the last two.
I don't think that's bad going.
My own skill set is eclectic - mostly because I'm very privileged to have two very intelligent parents who have huge skill sets.
My mother draws, paints, teaches ICT and astronomy, touch types, has a degree in linguistics, cooks, speaks three extra languages (French, Spanish & Welsh) to a reasonable degree of competence, amongst so many other things that I forget.
My father used to work in computing. Unlike my mother he didn't tend to work with things like Office, so his skills there are a little limited - but if you want someone to work to fix a computer, no matter what is wrong with the software, he can fix it. He used to repair databases the world over for BP - at the time, he was amongst the world's best. (Which is part of what caused his depression. Going from there to redundancy and sorting socks in drawers can do that)
He also has impressive mechanical skills (although not the equal of mine!), can fix electronics & electrics, good with finances, and again, loads of stuff I forget.
So that's where I've learnt my wide skill sets - Art, mechanics, some computing, maths... all of it basically.
Except spudding and ballistics, those are self-taught.
There are more skills I would like though. I would personally love to be able to play the guitar, but I don't have the time or money to learn.
DYI wrote:It's really nice to live in a rural setting sometimes, it helps you forget how the population in general is being converted into a herd of cowardly, brainless sheep...
Being on this forum and at university tends to help - but equally, it means I often over estimate people's intelligence elsewhere.
