The Quest to Be Good at Everything
I’ve had a feeling for a while that getting to the 80th percentile in everything I do should be my goal.<p>Imagine a person that is the 80th percentile in distance running, powerlifting, swimming, basketball and Nordic skiing.<p>That person would be the best all-around athlete you’d likely meet.<p>The opportunity cost of getting beyond the 80th percentile is so high you should spend that time getting some other skill up to the 80th.<p>That may feel like being a <i>master of none</i> but the trade off is that you’re pretty decent at everything.<p>I know enough about surfing, politics, world travel, programming and music(among other things) that I can hold a conversation with anyone even though I’m not the best at any of them.<p>This has felt like a huge advantage over people who focus on one thing at the expense of being more well rounded.