“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin
When Paul, a 6-year-old boy, was asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he said, “A dentist, a pilot, a policeman, and a talking toys maker.”
While this might be confusing, to some, it is a rational choice for Paul.
Some people recognize their purpose from an early age. They are clear about their career path and are passionate, focused, and driven to reach their goal.
They eventually become specialists or experts in their area of choice. But some, like Paul, have lots of interests and prefer not to choose one.
Society has over-glorified the idea that we each have one purpose. We are required to master it by doing it repeatedly throughout our lives.
This cultural bias puts us in a box. It denies us the ability to experience the extensive range of possibilities we have as human beings.
This article analyzes the advantages that Multipotentialites have over the ‘conventional specialists.’
1. Adaptability
According to the author, entrepreneur, and artist Emilie Wapnicka (and coiner of the term Multipotentialite), in her viral and thought-provoking TEDxBend talk, a Multipotentialite is a person who does not have ‘one true calling the way that specialists do.’ They thrive on learning, exploring, and mastering new skills.
As a result, their extensive experience in many roles ensures that they can swiftly switch into whatever they need to be in any given situation.
This is a highly sort-after quality by employers as candidates who wear many hats are valuable assets to the company.
2. Rapid Learners
Multipotentialites always approach things with a beginners’ mind and are always excited to learn new concepts. They love to immerse themselves in new information and ideas.
As a result, they are the best trainees and often become masters of intense learning. They understand new concepts quickly. Once they gain momentum, they easily exceed expectations and surpass others in the same field.
3. Innovative
Multipotentialites combine ideas and skills from different fields to create new solutions. Their assorted interests see problems in one field and find good ideas from another to solve the problems.
Great innovations throughout history happened this way. Da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo are great examples of people who had multi-interests, and their creations are still celebrated many years after they’re gone.
Conclusion
In summary, society insists on narrowing down your interests and concentrating on a single thing to succeed.
However, there are many reasons why having multiple abilities will give us a competitive edge in today’s world. Most of the change-makers of our times have various interests, and it was the pursuit of those different interests that led them to extraordinary success.
Multipotentiality can be unconventional in a society that emphasizes a single interest. But why be conventional when we can be extraordinary?
