Master of None? Rubbish. Why Being a Jack (or Jill) of All Trades is Your Superpower Now

Ever feel that nagging voice? The one whispering (or sometimes shouting) that you really need to pick a lane? That you've got to become the expert, the go-to guru for that one specific thing? Yeah, me too. For years, I wrestled with this idea, this pressure to specialise, to drill down so deep into one subject that daylight seemed like a distant memory.

We’ve all heard it, haven’t we? "Jack of all trades, master of none." It’s usually trotted out with a knowing sigh, a cautionary tale against spreading yourself too thin. But here’s a fascinating little tidbit: that’s not the whole story. Not even close.

The full saying, the one that somehow got brutally chopped in half, actually goes: “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

Read that again. Oftentimes better than a master of one.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Why did we lop off the ending? Was it inconvenient? Did it challenge the industrial-age obsession with putting everyone neatly into specialised boxes? Maybe. What I reckon is that we lost something important – the value of breadth, curiosity, and simply being interested in lots of different things.

Right, here’s a little story about me. Apparently, I have ADHD – or so the teachers always said, and they were probably onto something. It means my brain latches onto new things with the intensity of a heat-seeking missile. One minute I'm deep in philosophy at university, convinced I'll unravel the secrets of existence. The next, I've packed my bags and moved to Berlin, determined to make it as a DJ, living and breathing music. Then, suddenly, I'm training to be a counsellor, fascinated by the human mind. All the while, I’m devouring books on cooking science, just nerding out on the 'why' behind a perfect sear. Then came coding – obsessed, truly obsessed, to the point where I chased it into a tech job. Got the job… and surprise, surprise, the restlessness kicked in again. So now I’m starting my own business, realising I bloody love design too, on top of everything else. And through all this hopping about, people kept saying, "Focus! You need to focus!" But the truth? I wasn't just flitting. I was exploring, gathering, trying to figure out how to create some kind of synergy between all these things I genuinely cared about. Was I a master of none, or was I building something broader?

The world’s spinning faster than ever, isn't it? Technology shifts, industries morph, and the idea that you can learn one skill and dine out on it for 40 years feels… well, quaint. Like owning a fax machine.

And here’s where the research starts to back up that longer, forgotten quote. Studies and analyses are showing that in today's workplace, adaptability and versatility are gold dust. Generalists, the folks who can connect dots across different fields, solve problems from multiple angles, and learn quickly, are becoming increasingly valuable, particularly in dynamic settings or roles requiring collaboration. Think about it: when everything’s changing, the ability to learn and adapt might just be the most crucial skill of all. Lifelong learning isn't just a nice-to-have; it's pretty much essential for staying relevant in a rapidly evolving job market. In fact, research from the Pew Research Center found a large majority of adults believe lifelong learning is essential to their career success, and other studies link it to numerous benefits including cognitive health and job satisfaction.

It seems the ability to be an enthusiastic beginner, again and again, is actually an advantage. It keeps you flexible, open, and resilient. It stops you from becoming that person who only has a hammer and sees every problem as a nail. When you've dabbled, you've got a whole toolkit.

Now, I’m not saying deep expertise is worthless. Of course not. If I need brain surgery, I want the specialist who’s done it a thousand times, not the bloke who ‘had a go’ last Tuesday. Deep focus and mastery have their place, and immense value.

But what I am saying is that we should stop devaluing the other side of the coin. Let's appreciate the power of being malleable, of embracing the beginner's mind, of having the curiosity to fall down rabbit holes just because they look interesting. Let's value the ability to love many things, care about many things, and connect them in ways a hyper-specialist might miss.

Maybe the real skill in this modern dance isn't just about mastering one thing. Maybe it’s about mastering the balance – the art of diving deep when needed, but always keeping your peripheral vision wide open, ready for the next spark, the next obsession, the next chance to learn something new.

Perhaps being a "master of none" wasn't the insult we thought it was. Perhaps it just means you're open to mastering anything. And in a world that refuses to stand still, that sounds pretty damn masterful to me.