Comments on: On Specialization http://moscowcoffeereview.com/carpecakem/2008/08/21/on-specialization/ A scrapbook of thoughts on arts, culture and the Christian life. Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:58:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Erin J http://moscowcoffeereview.com/carpecakem/2008/08/21/on-specialization/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Erin J Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:52:10 +0000 http://moscowcoffeereview.com/carpecakem/?p=127#comment-108 I think that when you get studying the biography of many of these "greats" they actually did more than you realize. Thomas Edison dabbled in many different disciplines. Many of the great composers played multiple instruments. CS Lewis kept a very demanding secret home life with Mrs. Moore all during the building of his brilliant career. For some men it is their wives who give them the encouraging push to go excel. I used to think that greatness required specialization. No longer. Now I am convinced that greatness requires passion. If you care enough about a subject, you will bring it to the world no matter how many "distractions" lie in the way of achieving that end. A few lucky ones do this at age 25. But most were between 40 and 60. They had passion and also persistence. I think that when you get studying the biography of many of these “greats” they actually did more than you realize. Thomas Edison dabbled in many different disciplines. Many of the great composers played multiple instruments. CS Lewis kept a very demanding secret home life with Mrs. Moore all during the building of his brilliant career. For some men it is their wives who give them the encouraging push to go excel.

I used to think that greatness required specialization. No longer. Now I am convinced that greatness requires passion. If you care enough about a subject, you will bring it to the world no matter how many “distractions” lie in the way of achieving that end. A few lucky ones do this at age 25. But most were between 40 and 60. They had passion and also persistence.

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