Valuable Skills of Multipotentialites & Steve Jobs

Did you ever think that you might have been better at something else? Do you have multiple interests? In Emilie Wapnick’s interesting TED Presentation about her many interests she makes a persuasive presentation about the value of having multiple interests. In this presentation, those with multiple interests are called Multipotentialites.

In a very convincing way she points out that being multipotentialite leads to the development of super powers. The specific super powers developed include:

1. Idea Synthesis – the ability to synthesize multiple concepts and ideas from different areas
2. Rapid Learning – as noted in previous posts, being able to learn fast is a sign of high intelligence (See here). Rapid learning becomes a super power because of how many times multipotentialites are beginners and endeavor to learn something new. These repeated learning experiences help multipotentialites become rapid learners as repeated exercises become habitual.
3. Adaptability – ability to morph into what is needed because of the ability to take on different roles as needed for each endeavor. Of course new skills are needed for these roles and this enhances ones capacity and potential.

Interestingly, it is the3 skills developed by multipotentialites that  can help us be successful in the 21st century thus validating pursuing and developing multiple interests and related skills. These skills are valuable because today we need innovators and creative thinkers to make tomorrow better. Being able to use idea synthesis, becoing a rapid learner and being adaptable means we can more quickly generate comprehensive improvements by creating interactions so everyone and everything benefits (which is the practice of paneugenesis).

I encourage you to watch her TED Presentation:

As I listened to EmilieWapnick’s presentation it kept reminding me of Steve Jobs amazing Stanford Commencement speech. In this speech he shared 3 stories, one was about the ability to connect the dots. He related this to when he went to Reed College and took a calligraphy class because he found it interesting, beautiful and amazing. He then related it to how that then later led to the Mac having multiple fonts and beautiful typography (which Windows and the whole computing world copied) highlighting the value of following his interest and being a multipotentialite.

After all, it was the ability of pulling together multiple interests that made the modern computing world and most advanced living ideas possible. Below is his Stanford presentation. If you have never seen it or even if you have I encourage you to watch it and share the overlap you see or don’t see. I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy.