Are you a master of none? Or master of one?
There are a lot of opinions around this, and recently, I read somewhere that being a jack of all trades and master of none was better than being a specialist in one subject or skill.
I used to think about it the opposite way — that it’s better to excel at one thing than to know so many different things.
But my opinion has been changing slowly over the time.
The more I learned about Ayurveda since last year and the integrated way that each system of body works, I came to opine that our medical system of specializations isn’t that great.
Why? Because the specialist doctor doesn’t know much about other systems of the human body. They don’t think in a way that integrates all the systems of the body.
Yes, sure they learn about general anatomy and physiology in their early doctor years but what about during their specialisation? They only focus on that particular area and everything related to that area.
Whereas, Ayurveda (from what I have learnt, my knowledge is still limited) has completely different concepts. If any of the three doshas is in imbalance, it will create a cluster of diseases, which can be healed by balancing that dosha.
Let me give an example.
Dandruff is a skin/scalp condition. They give antifungals etc as medications, and it works, but only on the surface. The dandruff returns back again because the root cause isn’t healed/balanced. Now, in Ayurveda, dandruff is caused by an imbalance of all three doshas, but primarily, Vata and Pitta. Kapha too, upto some extent. So, until these are balanced, dandruff will continue to recur. The balance is to be done by some herbs and diet.
Does the skin specialist know this? Maybe, I don’t know. They tell to not eat oily foods, not to stress etc. But do they know why not to eat oily foods, or why not to stress? I doubt it.
Anyways, I didn’t start today’s post to debate on Medicine vs Ayurveda.
Coming back to my change of opinion.
So, since last year, my opinion has been changing about specializations — not just in the medical field, but in all fields.
And then today I suddenly realized that I’m a jack of all trades.
And I think I always have been.
I studied dentistry and oral medicine. I self-studied photography, some psychology texts, spiritual texts, blogging, fiction writing, stock market investing, personal finance and now I am learning programming!
I was learning Python today and I realized I still want to learn so many different things.
I am a jack of all these trades and master of none, and somehow I feel good (and a little pride, tbh) to be a master of none.
Because… isn’t Life like that?
So vast, deep and still mysterious.
Interconnected with everything.
We can study the whole universe and still not really understand Life.
So instead of running after just one area of Life, why not learn a little about the Whole of it?
(Philosophical, right? Oh yes, I still have a history of philosophy text to read.)
And may be we can complete the puzzle of Life when we are finally able to put all the little pieces together!
I’ve learned only one thing till now as a jack of so many trades.
Life is limitless, boundless. And so is knowledge.
Can we try and understand Life with as much knowledge and learning as possible?
Maybe, maybe not.
aditi premankit 