lifeshifting #5 - niche world

We live in a world that rewards specialists and deplores generalists. This acts as a subtle message to avoid your mutiple self. “Jack of all trades and master of none.” Deep down, though, everyone is proud of multiple competence. No one really wants to be a nerdy rocket scientist who can’t change a car tyre. Richard Feynman, possibly the greatest physicist of the late 20^thcentury (he revolutionised quantum electro dynamics (QED), got a nobel prize and found out why the space shuttle exploded) was also an expert drummer, prided himself on being both a dab hand at picking locks and picking up women, even developing his own pick-up method he tested in bars.(For the actual technique go to the blogroll list at the side and look for 'richard feynman's pick-up technique')

Feynman had a niche, a main job, physics- but he honoured his multiple nature with lots of other dissimilar activities. Lifeshifting aims to find you a niche, but not one that precludes other selves.

A friend of mine, Paul, is a highly placed executive in a multinational company based in Paris. He is also a keen martial artist and musician. But though he has told me about his interest in martial arts it’s a secret from those at work. He knows they will think he isn’t giving everything to the job- it pays to be thought a workaholic even if it isn’t true. Jobs suck in that way.