Why It's Better To Be A Generalist

hey guys! i recently read Range, a book about why being a generalist might be better in a specialised world. If you feel like an all-rounder, you don't know what to study at school or university, you don't know what job you want to have or you've gone through a career pivot, I hope this video inspires you to see it as... a good thing? 😌✨

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro: I never knew what to study
02:17 breadth first, specialise later
05:15 trenches of knowledge
07:28 the type of problem matters
10:34 critiques

all thoughts are my own! i recommend reading the book to form your own opinion. and, as i mentioned in the critiques section, the book's not perfect. i still have lots of Qs ;)

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Instagram - @unjadedjade
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Casual Magic of the Day: texting my mum and her replying within seconds. i feel so grateful for parents who love + support me so much!
Song of the Day: alltiedup by Parcels
Currently Reading: Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
What are YOU grateful for today?

FAQ:
How old are you? ~ 22
Where are you from? ~ The UK! Near London.
Where do you go to university? ~ Minerva Schools at KGI
One of the best decisions you ever made? ~ Taking a gap year!

CURRENT FAVOURITES — things I love recently (these are all affiliate links):

if no one has told you today, you are enough. 💛

[thayuwainaina]

I love the way Jade makes life look like a privilege to have!! It's interesting because people often look at life as a chaotic, miserable, depressing situation, because if all the bills and family stress and insecurities, however Jade turns those venarable aspects into possibilities and encouragement around making life amazing for every individual watching her videos! ✨ We live you Jade!! 2 year anniversary since I subscribed! 🙏✨❤️

[emilyrose]

Ugh honestly so refreshing to see a video like this. I definitely identify with this problem and as a student one of my major concerns has been “shutting doors” and closing off opportunities. Thank you jade ❤️🔑

[mydearestangelica]

I felt exactly the same in high school. I loved science, history, philosophy, literature, languages, performing arts. So many things! I ended up studying international management with languages. Ironically, business was the one field I knew nothing about from high school and I wasn't even very much into it, and I loved the languages part instead. But I would have been too scared to pursue a language-only path. I'm at the end of my bachelor and I'm about to start a very similar master degree, I would say I'm happy with my choice after all and I'm optimistic about my future, but often find myself thinking "what if I had studied biology or chemistry, it was so interesting and I was so good at it " or "what if I had pursued an artistic path like my friends always tell me I should have". It's annoying but you eventually realise that you have just one life and you will always like other things outside of your studies, your personality cannot be limited to it. I bet all of my passionate, aspiring doctors friends have these moments too

[khalilahd.]

I never saw myself as a generalist but I’m starting to understand the value in it and branch out ☺️ I went to college for a bilingual degree to go to medical school but doing so made me push aside my passion for learning languages and now I’m just trying to find a balance of the two 💛

[deezbeanz]

I am so much a generalist and it's such a strange struggle as everybody else seems to be so focused whereas I like to "know everything". Or as other people say "be the jack of all trades". Its annoying as I feel like I can't specialise in one thing as I'm curious about everything but it's also good because I can be flexible and learn a lot and then, as you have said, apply that to an eventual speciality which can revolutionise an area of study as you will have such a different mind and view due to your wealth of experience in all different areas

Edit: I am currently finishing (and failing paha) in a levels, the amount of pressure to know what you want to do, have your career sorted out and have loads and loads of money in order to be acceptable in society and to be stable in your life is insanity. Part of the reason why I'm failing my a levels is because my mind is constantly going against this belief as it is so pushed, therefore any time i actually try to revise my mental health DECLINES. It feels so out of my control, hence why I haven't revised as much but that's only part of being a generalist. You really can't change it even if you try without damaging yourself and your soul

[princetate]

I found it REALLY hard to specialise... i liked science as well as the arts... They complete each other. Which is why i found it harder in A level now only doing the four sciences. Felt more like a chore. 🔑

[thatgirlwiththecrazyhair]

I think I've been trying to fight my generalism my entire life. Due certain traumas and thought patterns, I pushed myself into a corner and didn't know why I couldn't breathe. I've never liked doing just one thing, I love the novelty of jumping around new ideas and careers and people. I want to experience new things so badly and I'm SURE other people can relate to being held back by finances or things seemingly out of their control. That's me too. But I have the want to keep going and take experience from the smaller things. I would never miss an opportunity for that, even if I'm not where I'd rather be at this point in time.
I can't wait to keep expanding my world and thanks to your channel its pushed that desire further.

[majaep]

I find it quite frustrating to be a generalist, as the education system is 100% aimed at specialization. I really like to study but studying one subject for years is just not motivating for me.
Thank you for this video and for focusing on the advantages of being a generalist!

[HannahlovesStories]

Ah I feel so validated! I majored in Interdisciplinary Humanities in uni (which is just a fancy way of saying I couldn’t decide what art to study so I decided to study all of them). I loved it but as I got closer to graduating I started to get nervous because I wasn’t a specialist in any one field. It’s been a little over a year since I graduated and honestly I still get nervous sometimes but being a generalist has worked out pretty well. This was a great video! Thanks Jade! 🔑

[acrookwithabook]

Thank you so much for this! As someone who is studying sciences in school but absolutely loves literature, reading and writing as well! I didn't have to choose subjects in school bc we have to do final exams in 12 subjects....

[elenamariadalsanto]

🔑🧡 I'm almost 30 and still convinced I don't know yet what I want to be when I grow up... And why do we have to choose btw? I studied latin and ancient greek in high school, then graduated in Maths, I went to a professional drama school and now I'm a software developer... In my free time I write, I sing, I solve sudokus, I do sports, I'm studying to become a sommelier...
This video resonated with me so much Jade, I'm actually going to buy and read it! I'll probably never be able to specialize in one thing only, and that's OK! It took me years to accept it, but know I love being able to do all these different things!

[feliciagasparini]

I also looked for a university that offered a more generalist approach, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I made. The way of looking at problems is unique, and all the knowledge you acquire from different areas contributes to a more complete and inclusive decision-making process.
Thank you Jade, I loved the video, and I already want to read the book hahah 🔑

[emilyencapsulated]

Great discussion, as always✨ I started university as an English major → then switched to business school & worked with start-ups → graduated, but then decided to pursue a second degree to become a nurse and then a nurse practitioner.... So lots of pivots along the way! In addition to providing patient care, I'm able to view healthcare system issues through my "business school lens." In the future, I can see myself contributing to organizational and system-level change initiatives to make healthcare suck less 😉 Or perhaps working with healthcare start-ups to improve patient experiences and outcomes. So many opportunities are out there for jack-of-all trades 🌈

[megankaram]

I’m so glad to see this being spoken about! I’ve struggled so much with deciding what to study. I love physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, literature, visual arts, languages, business, essentially everything but in my dream life I’d be a ballet dancer!

I’d like to see career changes becoming normalised a bit more because I can’t stand the stigma people hold against it.
Every time i tell people that I may not stay in architecture after studying it, they always look at me like I’m absolutely insane!

[kirali]

This definitely changed my perspective. I struggled a lot trying to figure out what I want to study and I still don't have a set career path, and I saw this as a negative thing, that I was just too indecisive and not passionate enough about any certain subject. But really, combining knowledge and skills from multiple different domains is exciting, and is what moves the world forward. Thanks for a great video, Jade! 🔑

[bl]

this is such a comforting video, because I am very much the same way. thank you so much!

[emily]

As a teen who still doesn’t have an idea of what I want to do when I’m older and also having a lot of pressure by society and school to “hurry up and figure it out” this video has helped me a lot. I too hate dropping subjects and choosing electives but this has really showed me and the rest of your videos that I don’t actually need to know now so thank you! 🔑🔑💛

[galiaa]

as a fellow generalist this was very validating- thank you :)

per your critique about the book saying being a generalist earlier on will help you to specialize more later, you might like the book How to be Everything! It looks at different ways to design a career which reflects your multiple interests, where you don’t necessarily have to pick just one thing eventually. I found it really helpful when I was panicking about what to study lol 🔑

[elnbw]

I really needed this today!! I am doing a bachelor in sociology with a minor in psychology and I would like to do a master in public health science after I'm done. I find all of these subjects so fascinating and actually enjoy learning at uni!! The only thing that has worried me is that I won't have a clear-cut profession that I can use to search for jobs. At least in Sweden there aren't many job descriptions that say "We need a sociologist" or a "public health specialist" unless it's for a university or research. However, everything I have learned so far I have had so much use for in everyday life and I can only imagine how this broad knowledge of theories and analytical skills might help me in many different professions! So I hope it will be worth it in the end <3

[lithiyana]

I also think that its better to be an all rounder! (and try not to stress it) I was always stressed when I needed to choose my highschool classes for the next year because of this but now I realise its okay with whatever I choose because I will get to study something new. Good luck everyone! And thank you Jade for all of the amazing videos you post 🦋