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! 🙏✨❤️
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 ❤️🔑
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
I am in my last year of pre med and i often find myself thinking about stuff completely unrelated like Coding. I wanna learn it. I'm also interested in learning Italian these days but im also very busy so no time for my "hobbies".
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!
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
@@khalilahd. it truly is an amazing gift as long as its used in an effective way, like to increase your health such as to do intermittent fasting. Or to learn how to do basic plumbing to save you money if there is a minor problem in the system.
that's totally understandable the pressure we young people face is immense and I don't understand how we're supposed to have everything figured out. But you can only do your best, and we're proud of you whatever happens!
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. 🔑
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.
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 💛
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! 🔑
hi hi omg may I know what type of classes/ modules you took for your course? I’m about to start a degree in general studies and I’ve barely found anyone online who studies something similar to me as a young adult haha
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 🔑
Heyy, I’m applying for uni really soon and has been so overwhelmed by the whole thing and struggling to find more generalist unis. I would so appreciate if you could pleasee share if you know any
@@lx9414 hi Ive been having the same problems with choosing a specific degree to study at uni but found out that Scottish unis (ik st Andrews for sure) do more flexible degrees where you choose you major/degree after two years of being able to explore different modules from different subjects! This sounds good for me and hope it helps might be something to consider!
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....
🔑🧡 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!
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! 🔑
I also have no Idea what career I want to take but I have decided not to go University (for many reasons). Mainly because I don't want to study something just because I'm doing it now , I would probably end up hating everything and still have no idea of what I want to do. Especially, since I go to a college where most people go to the top Uni's.
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 🌈
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!
Jade you are such a beautiful person. I love your content because it provides comfort and love, yet simultaneously questions every argument put forward: not to just agree but also prove why. This way of thinking reminds me to be more open minded, and that there are always two sides to something. I am an extremely indecisive person when it comes to career aspects so I chose a degree that hopefully will give me experience in many areas as I am not sure of my future career and doubt comes in, which is why starting off as a generalist is definitely great for me. But thank you for reminding me not to just "nod my head" at statements given but search and find proof on my own. Sendjng you tons and tons and tons of love. Thank you 🖤🖤🖤
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 🔑
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! 🔑🔑💛
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
I'm doing a postgraduate in law and honestly I've lived as a generalist myself for years now I've studied so many different areas completely not related to law and I feel like it broadens your options and experiences so much more 🔑
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 🦋
At the beginning I was feeling "oh yes I need to read this book" cause I've always been a generalist but it is so sad as sometimes you lose perspective. I'm from Egypt and in my culture it's not favoured to have knowledge in everything meaning you'll always get this comment "stop knowing one thing about everything and get to know everything about one thing" I believe here is the point you mentioned is missing, when should we specialize and focus, how to choose it from all these things you're interested in and actually build a road map to link all interesting things to your brain. I wish I can find a book that tackles deeply into this. Loved the review, thanks ❤
🔑 wow this is really what I needed to hear. I am currently in my first year at uni and I'm doing a history degree. Before, I studied Latin and Maths so everyone expected me to do something in the hard sciences, and all my science teachers looked really confused when I told them I wanted to do a history degree. The reason I chose history, is because it was the only subject I felt I didn't know enough about. Now at uni I feel soooo much imposter syndrome because there are people there who have been interested in history since childhood and know so much already, while I'm just out here with no preknowledge trying to learn new things. Next year I will need to choose two subjects to specialize in, but I was really dreading it because I met so many professors who are really good at their subject, but if you ask them something about a related subject they will not be able to answer you. For example, you ask a professor who specializes in Athens in the Classical period something about Rome in the first century BC and they will not know it. Or ask a Medievalist something about the French revolution and they will not have an answer. I didn't want to become someone like that, but this semester I had a subject called 'world history' and it is all about generalism. It teaches you to look at the history of the world with a wide perspective in time and place to overcome western biases that are ingrained in the education system and western thinking in general and I LOVE IT. It is so refreshing to have a subject that doesn't agree with the specialization of most uni subjects.
I know that imposter feeling! After high-school I went to study maths because I found it mildly interesting and suddenly I was in with people who dreamt only about maths and physics. It was hard, but it also helped me not get sunk into the field and keep a healthy distance.
i'm going to start studying politics and international relations in uni this year and i've never studied politics in my life, i also picked it bc it's smth i know so little about and it's such an important topic that i absolutely must study it, i've been prepping for the sense of imposter syndrome too tho bc it's definitelyyyy the type of subject that would attract very opinionated, intelligent, well-read people that know the ins and outs of everything already and have their eyes set on clear-cut goals, whereas for me i can just as easily see myself in activism as i can see myself in documentaries, nature conservation, writing novels, archaeology and a million other things, the potential imposter syndrome daunted me at first but now i take pride in the fact that i'm going into the course somewhat blind and only with my never-ending interests to back me, bc anyone can study hard and catch up w everyone's knowledge but only i have my unique insights and ideals and opinions, which are all the more well-developed bc of how many different sources they've been built from
Jade's videos are such breaths of fresh air, they are things that ground me and strip back SO many of these mindsets that society has slapped on to me. I really appreciate you
heyy jade!! just want to say- thank you! this video is literally the answer to all my doubts and fears at the moment. I am currently pursuing a degree in opera singing, but i also love so many other discilplines across arts, maths and science. Right now, i am just accepting the fact, that I am the only one who needs to 'approve' of my life- as long as what im currently pursuing is aligned in my heart, i know everything will be fine. wishing you a rejuvenating and expansive summer x sending love from aus 💖🔑🌻
Yes yes yes! I am absolutely convinced of this! I even wrote a piece about indecision at uni this year (3rd year engineering) explaining why indecision was an advantage in lots of fields!
I've always felt this way. When I was in high school, I literally loved so many subjects and it was so hard for me when I had to choose one major at uni! Follow your heart, but take your brain with you! Maybe being a generalist is the exact right path for many of us❤️🔑
this video is exactly what I needed, I'm currently in the process of deciding what to do at university and I really don't want to limit myself to one or even just two subjects, so thank you for shedding light on this, as it is something I'm sure more people than I'd imagine struggle with
@@zahraachohan8157 have a look at Liberal Arts courses if they offer it wherever you are. I came across it and realised it is the perfect degree for generalists who don't want to specialise so soon
I really needed this video! I'm going to be doing Liberal Arts at uni in September but have been so worried about not specialising- but deep down I know I want to learn as much of everything as I can :) thanks for this!
I am definitely a generalist. Now I have found my passion late in life for Philosophy, but I still dabble in other subjects and I have learned so much along the way! BTW love your Vlogs Jade!
Loved the critiques section of this video! I read this book awhile back and completely agree with your points on it. I've always found myself wildly interested in a wide range of topics and it was really nice to read a perspective that didn't view that as a bad thing, and in fact highlighted it's benefits, but this book definitely left me with a lot of unanswered questions as well.
This video is what I'm searching for, Jade you are amazing as ever. I'll try to read that book. It's not rly easy being a genralist while your society and family are saying, I "must" find something that specialized career which would make me more successful. THANK YOU
loved this video- grew up such a jack of all trades and learning that I had to specialize in one field in college to succeed was horrible... turns out that's not the case! 🔑
ah this was honestly so inspiring and comforting! i dont have the patience to read a non fiction book right now so im so grateful for these videos! love how we get so much value along with your insights 🤍🦋
The past few days i have a breakdown and sleepless nights just dreading that high school has ended and now I'm at a place where I have to choose. I don't want to give up on any of my passions but the environment around me is not favorable to such concepts at all. It is seen as too risky or a sign of commitment issues and indecisive mindset. This was weighing on me so baddllyyy and there is such less time to decide and so much to do if i choose a path. Amidst all of this mess, i found something called a multipotentialist and i researched more about it and sort of calmed down and realised i don't have to give up on anything just because people expect me to . And then this video comes up ✨. I think it's truly a sign , thank you so much for making videos. It means a lot to some people and i just wanted you to know that. 💕
The way you speak is so captivating, you know exactly what you want to say and how to express it. Books are my passion and I really enjoy your book reviews!
I would love to hear your take on Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm not sure if I'm a generalist or not, but I certainly haven't narrowed my focus down to one specific discipline. I've always loved storytelling, so I want to take some film, acting, and creative writing classes. I've also always had a knack for languages so I'd like to become reasonably fluent in a few and work as a digital nomad for a while. There are a lot of classes I want to take and sports I want to try, but the field that gets me most excited is storytelling.🔑
While at uni I‘ve recently figured out that I wanna do a Bio major with a Physics minor to then do Neuroscience as my master and this plan is constantly changing & I love it 💜
I relate heavily to not knowing what exactly I want to do and the book that helped me accept that is So good they cant ignore you by Cal Newport which explores the passion mindset and how it can do more harm than good
I so loved this video! Like all I want to do is build new businesses while travelling the world and writing song lyrics and creating content! Also, I love how you mention the book critiques (especially the one about this book being unnecessarily long, makes it such a drag) 🔑
I'm going through my final school exams this week so have been thinking about what I want to do after school all day every day! I really resonated with what you said about loving all your subjects and I'm finding it suuuper difficult to choose any area to specialise in, so this helped and I'm def going to pick up a copy of that book :) thanks jade!
aaahh I love this :) I think you might like these two ted talks, they are also about generalism and the beauty of it: 'how falling behind can get you ahead' and 'why some of us don't have one true calling'. I hope you like them just as much as I did❤🔑
🔑 I had so much issue choosing a levels because I love so much, im into science, I like history, I like art and I like studying religion! I was seen as weird when I did science with history and art because I was suppose to be either a science person doing all science or doing all humanities. I just wanted to do what I enjoyed. I was then so indecisive with my degree choice, I constantly questioned if it was the right choice. I just like learning about things and creating, I have no clue what jobs I'll do but if it sounds interesting I'll give it a go!
I’m so glad you have made this, I love it. I love learning new things. I ended up studying English lit at uni but really love discovering stuff about sciences and languages and history. It’s so cool
🔑 So appreciate this video. I think people outside my field would think that my experience/goals is very specialist (marine science, following a very typical academic career path) however I personally see myself as a generalist. My undergrad was in marine science with Oceanography and Robotics, but I did a tonne of marine biology. My research experience includes deep sea corals, developing robotics, whale surveys, marine acoustics, phytoplankton, and I'm soon to start my PhD in fisheries modelling/climate change/food security. All of that different knowledge has been super helpful-even though my PhD is strongly in marine bio, my supervisor took me on because of my varied experience. Some advice for people wanting to follow a scientific career-be interdisciplinary in your interests (a.k.a be a generalist). There are far more unanswered research questions that require multiple disciplines than ones which fit neatly within a field.
👌🏻🔑🔥 Definitely reassured an indecisive weirdo with decision fatigue. Loved this! The upbeat outro music really set off a positive vibe for my study weekend.
Lots of younger people in the comments so oldie graduate here saying don't stress about specialising! Don't lose hope and just study things that get you excited. I completed a foundation in life sciences, thought I'd go into nutrition but went into animal biology and conservation. Did modules in coding, business, practical fieldwork, conservation psychology, geology. Worked in my uni's IT services, as a campus warden, developed business skills by helping a startup, I write a lot, dabble in music, run ultramarathons and have fun trying sailings, climbing and lifting. I have spent a couple of years successfully working in wildlife film (I don't have particularly epic camera skills but am good with gimbles for cars, writing scripts, finding music etc). I have now turned 180 again and am working in the field doing island restoration work. While my current CV seems a little all over the place and some jobs just don't fit for this reason, I now see I have the skillset and attitude to work in a management or coordinator role much more successfully than specialist friends as I have already learnt greater problem solving skills, budgeting, working with stakeholders, dealing with press and keeping ahead of all new technology 💃
Are you me?? I'm always that person who wants to study everything!! I can't even think to study one thing at college like how people do that? Don't they get bore studying same thing for 4 years? I chose Business because it is just so diverse! This semester Spring 2023 I'm taking a programming class, a corporate/tax law class, an ethics class AND I'm also taking a masters level course as an undergrad which is International HRM! Pros of being a generalist: 1) You don't get bore, as I told I JUST CAN'T THINK OF STUDYING ANYTHING FOR STRAIGHT 4 YEARS. Even that I love psychology a lot but 1 to 3 courses are enough! I can't study psych like every semester lol... 2) Plenty of options, you just study everything so you've like huge bunch of options open to you. 3) You are the most knowledgeable person, without being bias... generalists people knows everything! Many people appreciate specialized people but its a reality, generalists people are the most knowledgeable ones.
I think the most interesting generalist I know of is Noam Chomsky, and he is a great example of how you can be a generalist and good in your domain, as he studied politics and history and then build a path for Cognitive Science and lastly is the linguist who laid the groundwork for most theories currently existing :) I always wanted to be a specialist, but accidentally took a generalist pathway and I think it is one of the best things that ever happened to me :)
Thank you so much Jade for making this video. I am 100% a person who loves and is interested in everything and stresses a lot about having to decide what to study/do. You helped me realise that it’s ok to not know exactly what career I want and that it doesn’t have to be set in stone 💗🔑
It’s nice to have a label «generalism» for something I struggled with and theorised A LOT about -since i was 14 til now, i’m 20-. I’ve always been fascinated by and talented in various artistic fields -graphic and fashion design (and design research in general), filmmaking, writing, photography, conceptualisation and analogic/artisanal techniques- as well as into gardening as a hobbie. Now i’m contemplating a choice, which nurtures all of my passions: Art Direction (for films and other visuals, not advertising). But it’s a field really hard to get into, you need contacts and lots of audiovisual work behind you to get into a Master. Rn i’m doing graphic design, so i don’t have time to do a Art direction portfolio. Not even have time to touch the other fields i’m into. Also, i’ve been having issues with -i wouldn’t say taking care of myself, cause i’m really compassive and relativistic- but priorising myself over external and “productive” stuff like getting great grades at graphic design just because i’m a perfectionist (ew). My goal for this summer is to Rest. But also, do small proyects -for example, a top that i’m designing in colab w a friend- and also use that multidisciplinary things for Portfolio Proyects -such as a photoshoot of the top, with curated art direction-. I know i’m in the right path, but i feel like an outsider. it’s rough to not have my directions already decided. 🤍 I trust myself and life.
🔑 I completely agree with the Critiques you mentioned, especially about generalising and then specialising. That's confusing for me. I recommend a book called 'Fluid' by Ashish Jaiswal which I liked better. Having read both Range and Fluid, I think Fluid is more straightforward, clear and you actually feel like the book rang a bell. And there are no loose ends once you finish. It's perfectly wrapped.
I think the world needs both specialists and generalists. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The way I see it is that, as you said, both well-defined and ill-defined problems exist in our world, so having people who can solve each of these types of problems is important. And I like that you mentioned the gray area between specialism and generalism. I don't think anyone can or should be 100% specialist or 100% generalist. I think both overspecialisation and overgeneralisation are bad, because I don't think it's good to be so specialised that you become too narrow-minded, or to become too general in how we study or look at things to the point where we don't know any details about any subject either. So I would say it depends on the individual to decide the balance between specialism and generalism in their life according to what they're interested in and considering the advantages and disadvantages of both. Personally, I didn't like having to choose between maths and biology in my last year of high school and I've always been interested in so many things and wanted to have so many hobbies, but I also didn't mind choosing a specific major as long as I maintain my interest in and keep learning about different things outside my specialty. I feel like that's where I personally found my balance, other people could be different of course. Lastly, I would like to say that I love your videos, they remind me of how beautiful life can be and remind me to be grateful for the little things, so thank you ❤️🔑
I want to be a doctor but sadly am not able to pursue that for various reasons but I am happy I did my best to attempt to and learnt a lot about myself along the way. I could try to pursue a career close to being a doctor, or I could pursue my other interests and dreams because I have so many but not necessarily enough time to do them all or do them all at once. So in that way I am a generalist :) great video!
Thank you for the video! I love the book reviews you do! Adding to the discussion, I wanted to bring in the question of why being a generalist is usually seen as having to branch out a lot in your career. I feel as though we have been taught to view each interest and each partiality as something to monetise and use in a professional capacity. I don't have a clear stance on wether that is good or not, but for me a lot of pressure fell away once I decided my career does not have to cater to all my interests. Now I view my career as a development of skills that allow me to engage meaningfully in the world . I've been studying law for five years and am 23 years old and it is beautiful to see a skill start to deepen and expand. Then again lawyers are probably the chess players of the world and not the innovators.
Having to take most of the available classes in the German school system, it sure is annoying that you have to do maths even if you want a creative career, but I’ve personally found that knowledge from one class can be applicable to other classes! Same with learning languages, since a lot of languages are similar and even if you’re German and you’re learning Chinese or Korean, there are a few things about these examples that are easier to grasp with a German background
I also used to be and still am a generalist. I am 24 right now and studying in Germany for my master's degree (public policy) with my own finances as an international student, and pretty much confused everyday which path to take and it is so torturing. While I worked at the same company for 1.5 years after my undergraduate studies and decided to go to Europe for the first time (just because) cause y not, I wish I knew some of these things. If you don't want to be in the same boat as me when you are 24, here is what I think: - Choose a few specializations, and be brave enough to stick with them: We think we are not enough for anything, we think (in a world full of competition) more skills we have = better, thus more learning > actually implementing it in the real world. Anything is way simpler (but not easy) when you just decide what you want out of life. Do you want to have a comfortable living, never-ending learning, and don't mind working out your brain all the time, quite disciplined and make logical decisions all the time? Then engineering or math fields (like data science, computer science, biology, genomics etc) could be right for you. etc. You can combine your favorite subjects as well. Mine was English and Social science, so I decided to pursue international public policy but (I still have to choose which policy research would be best for me, like I am interested in healthcare, climate change, renewable energy, labor policies, digitalization, AI, poverty, children development, military pretty much everything, and I just have to bravely choose 2-3 specializations out of these), and now I suddenly realized I don't like to read lots of articles to write a final paper all the time (but out of curiosity, I end up reading a lot), but interested in statistics. - Choose your suffering: Would you be okay with comitting yourself to work so that you can become someone influential or create something, or wants to have a balance between work, family, and hobby. For me, I realized I like to work/learn more than spend time and chilling with my friends. I like creating, being creative, and being stressed out, cause of all the possibilities I can have. But overstimulated thoughts only lead to no work, just searching.
I've always been such a generalist and this makes me feel sooo much better!! Here in France we also have quite a lot of pressure to specialise at a really young age and yet at 21 i still have no idea where i'm going with my life 😅 By the way i connect with you so much jade as i'm now studying psychology and cognitive science after having studied philosophy for 3 years ;) i love both subjects a lot and i do see a lot of links between them so hopefully i'll find a way to use all this knowledge in whatever i end up doing haha 🔑🌼 Lots of love 💛
Thank you for this video Jade!! It really struck a chord with me 😊🔑 Being a generalist was very difficult during both IGCSEs and IB. For the IB Diploma Program my higher level subjects were Chem, Maths, and Film (a choice some ppl questioned). I struggled to apply to UK unis because I couldn’t pick a course, and there were many times I wished I was more decisive. But I realized I like being interested in so many things, and with my broad skills, I could go into any career I’d like. And I’ll be studying in the US, so I’ll get to explore my interests before choosing! This video felt like a good sign and made me feel better about my future, so thanks again :)
Hellooo love! This whole video is about my thoughts, that have been with me for such a long time... Tbh, I was afraid of it, I was afraid of not knowing my passions, I was afraid of not taking a certain path in life. I felt like I was the only one who felt this confusion. Now you gave me hope ❤️, btw i'm about to read this book, i believe it's gonna inspire me to continue my journey in this life :) I send u some love
I read this book a while ago and yes executionwise it could be improved. Despite this, I found the thesis so refreshing and different from the general perception. I've always been stressed about wanting to do so many different things, especially at university (and that's why I've also chosen economics), but this book changed my perception. Love your take on it ❤ Sending much love from Italy 🔑
Finally! I am so happy that someone is talking about this! Soon I need to choose subjects for EGSE And it’s so difficult for me( also choosing what to study in university…uuuhhh I still can’t decide cuz I like so much things like: economics, business, architecture, psychology, chemistry, art. Btw thank you so much Jade for the video!!! ☀️🕊💕
As someone working in IT. Generalism is handy. Not only to learn all the aspect of IT but also I make Apps for marketing, logistics, accounting,... where you also need to learn and understand the workflow.
I love this when I was younger I like nothing so I pretty much did not want to learn anything. Now I like everything so now I would like to learn everything. But I can see now that if I moved to quickly between one thing and the next I would not learn enough for the skills to be useful. So now even when I can’t help myself being directed everywhere. I try to learn the skill well enough first before learning other skills.
Hey 👋🏼 such an amazing viedeo. I finished school about one year ago and had good grades, so the world offered me to do anything I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to have a passion so strong that I knew exactly where I want to be. But here comes the tricky part, I wanted to work in the art department of Game development, it's not important which game tho. So I found my speciality, so I thought, Art. But How wrong I was to think that, I started internships at game companies and filled my portfolio to apply at a uni additionally. It was extremely stressful but I'm thankful that I did so because it taught me one important thing. No company is like the other and in the end Specialisms isn't the way to get into the game art industry, It's specialised generalism. You need to be a 3D artist, Concept artist, Illustrator and story teller if you want to make it in the industry, because if you work whith a lot of people you should know what and how they need you to do your job so they can do theirs.
I've always known I wanted to study linguistics and I've never regretted my decision. As I will graduate this summer, I'm now thinking of jobs I might want to apply for and the direction I want my career to go to. In this however, I am trying to be very open and creative and see where life takes me :)
Hi, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one!! In high school I've always loved so many subjects. That's why I found it so hard to choose just one of them to study at university. I've decided to study biology, because it is a very broad study, with many elements of other subjects :) I live in the Netherlands btw, and I think the university system is pretty much the same as in the UK
🔑 honestly this came out at the right time because im a generalist and i'm having to choose one degree, so i'm gonna go for natural sciences cuz while it isnt the best best degree it is broad for the first 1/2 years and eases into specialisation over the few years (thank god). it's given me a lot of grief but i'm really trying to get past it rn
uhh I relate to the "all-rounder being", sometimes I think I like a little bit of everything and there's almost nothing I truuly love and that makes me feel like I constantly have to figure myself out and make the absolute right choices that will lead me to my place in the world.But it's nice to hear from her that experiencing different fields and diving into many aspects of reality might actually be a good thing ☀️
I appreciate this video. I gave up on the idea of university because I just did not know what I truly wanted to study for 3 years, and did not want to waste that time and money and take someone's place. So I opted out of the university route and went into full time work. That was the best decision I ever made because I found out that I'm an all-rounder and if/when I become infatuated with a subject or career path, I will study it if I please.
🔑 (hehe) oh absolutely!! even though i knew i wanted to study nursing in the future, i loved so many academic areas like, i adore science but history and literature is so fascinating and i love music, visual arts, and theater too and people were so adamant on me choosing between humanities, science, and art like, why can't i love all of it? if hermione can do all the subjects so can i? and when picking my IBDP subjects, i did two sciences and english lit for my higher level classes, and so many teachers were like, "you're doing science in the future so all your HLs should be STEM ahhh" even though i was fulfilling all my uni requirements and it meant i enjoyed learning these subjects. i ignored them though and i loved it. :)
Really wished that your videos exist when I was still in school. 🤧 I've recently changed careers and some of my relatives are giving me eye rolls because "I don't have big dreams" = become a doctor, a lawyer, etc. And they therefore have concluded amongst themselves that I'm a lost cause and someone that they shouldn't be involved with. I admit I am lost (and at a loss), but your videos have been very kind reminders to stay and continue to show up. Thank you so much really. 🔑
i think another factor is the praise of ambition, i have a much too long list of interests and hobbies with dreams related to each one, whether i end up achieving them or not doesn't bother me a lot because i love leaving doors open in life and seeing where my heart takes me, but that openness to experience isn't praised anywhere as much as having a near-impossible specific goal and a plan that will almost inevitably get you there, both methods are perfectly valid but when society keeps praising specialists not just for their skills but their *future* it can make generalists and our (often) open-ended life paths seem inadequate, especially when we can be just as ambitious as a specialist, just in a more eclectic way
This video came at a perfect time , i am 16 and i have to choose where i want to persue my education and which degree to choose . I am absolutely a generalist and a side hustler who is interested in everything and want to do everything at the same time
This is exactly what I needed! I am currently choosing my university course after last year choosing my A levels was practically torture. I do physics, maths, drama, English and an EPQ- and I don't view this as a weakness. It's hard but I find all of them interesting and have also been looking at the American system! Learning is just so fun and I don't want to close off the knowledge I could gain at 17 years old just because I am told to apply for one course and that's it. I am literally looking at either physics or English literature, not exactly the same lol.n
There are so many time where my weakest subject became my strength subjects and my stronger subjects became my weaker points later, where personality and interests all kinda link but also felt like they've pulled a 180. Basically planning to stay in one area more than 1-5 years into the future doesn't really work because don't know what opportunities are going to hit ya. Also have fallen into so many different odd jobs that really has upped the range of my skill and ability to talk on transferable skills. Like constantly changing so don't fully know especially early on in life what will matter to you later.
with sixth form coming up my offer is for maths, further maths bio and chem and while i love all those subjects it pains me to have to move away from languages (especially as a bilingual who speaks portuguese and also loves learning chinese and german) and also english as an avid reader who loves to have class discussions about books. hopefully i can continue to broaden my interests and still pursue art and language learning and my interests in literature in the future🔑💛
Being able to have an understanding of different things and learning more about different things really engages me and its just nice to keep life interesting 😌 🔑
🔑 definitely listening to this as an audiobook while traveling back and forth between my internship, writing my BA thesis and doing content creation on the side 😂 thanks for the review!
✨ 🔑 thank you so much jade! i am in the college-search process, and find it stressful to restrict myself to one major. your videos always inspire me and give such thoughtful insight!
I love you bringing this up Jade, I know many will disapprove of the being a jack of all trades but master of none, but I LOVE dipping into everything. The world is so big and so much to learn, it’s amazing we can learn that, so being a generalist is the way to go 🙌🏽
such a well timed video for me! thanks! i have just started a new job and they were pushing to become a spealist in one of the areas but i kinda want to learn about them all first then possbily start to 'specialise' in one area. for they very reason tht ai want a more well rounded knowlage on all the aspects so i know hte importance of what i am doing in that one field
i think an artist/ creator is the ultimate generalist activist. i mean: Musicians, film makers, TV show producers ( writers and the whole crew) is a world full of specialized people ( music is a craft for instance, so is filming and special effects) under the umbrella of content creation, presenting ideas to the world. A bit what you do on Unjaded Jade. Your writing, filming are all specialized skills that are getting better with every video, yet your topics are general and touch many worlds. ;-)
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! 🙏✨❤️
Yeess!💘
Exactly!✨️
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 ❤️🔑
So so glad it resonates !! 🦋🦋🔑
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
I am in my last year of pre med and i often find myself thinking about stuff completely unrelated like Coding. I wanna learn it. I'm also interested in learning Italian these days but im also very busy so no time for my "hobbies".
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!
Same! I can't study anything for 4 years straight. I want diversity and that's why I'm studying business.
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
I never saw myself as a generalist but I’m starting to understand the value in it and branch out ☺️
@@khalilahd. it truly is an amazing gift as long as its used in an effective way, like to increase your health such as to do intermittent fasting. Or to learn how to do basic plumbing to save you money if there is a minor problem in the system.
that's totally understandable the pressure we young people face is immense and I don't understand how we're supposed to have everything figured out. But you can only do your best, and we're proud of you whatever happens!
@@gabih7525 thank you so much Gabi that's so sweet
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. 🔑
I feel exactly the same!
AGREEEEED
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.
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 💛
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! 🔑
hi hi omg may I know what type of classes/ modules you took for your course? I’m about to start a degree in general studies and I’ve barely found anyone online who studies something similar to me as a young adult haha
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 🔑
Hi! do you mind to spill the uni and the program? currently trying to find one like this rn, so any help would be highly appreciated :D
@@sanchiasehan1083 agreed
do you have some recommendations foe where to start looking?
Heyy, I’m applying for uni really soon and has been so overwhelmed by the whole thing and struggling to find more generalist unis. I would so appreciate if you could pleasee share if you know any
@@lx9414 hi Ive been having the same problems with choosing a specific degree to study at uni but found out that Scottish unis (ik st Andrews for sure) do more flexible degrees where you choose you major/degree after two years of being able to explore different modules from different subjects! This sounds good for me and hope it helps might be something to consider!
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....
I’m in the same boat 😅
@@khalilahd. haha let's try not to sink together
🔑🧡 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!
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! 🔑
I also have no Idea what career I want to take but I have decided not to go University (for many reasons). Mainly because I don't want to study something just because I'm doing it now , I would probably end up hating everything and still have no idea of what I want to do. Especially, since I go to a college where most people go to the top Uni's.
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 🌈
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!
oooohh why did u end up choosing architecture although you liked so many sciences? i’m in the same situation rn!
Jade you are such a beautiful person. I love your content because it provides comfort and love, yet simultaneously questions every argument put forward: not to just agree but also prove why. This way of thinking reminds me to be more open minded, and that there are always two sides to something. I am an extremely indecisive person when it comes to career aspects so I chose a degree that hopefully will give me experience in many areas as I am not sure of my future career and doubt comes in, which is why starting off as a generalist is definitely great for me. But thank you for reminding me not to just "nod my head" at statements given but search and find proof on my own. Sendjng you tons and tons and tons of love. Thank you 🖤🖤🖤
🔑🔑🔑🔑 forgot to add the key! xxx
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 🔑
Ooh thank you!! I’ll look into it :)
this is such a comforting video, because I am very much the same way. thank you so much!
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! 🔑🔑💛
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
I'm doing a postgraduate in law and honestly I've lived as a generalist myself for years now I've studied so many different areas completely not related to law and I feel like it broadens your options and experiences so much more 🔑
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 🦋
At the beginning I was feeling "oh yes I need to read this book" cause I've always been a generalist but it is so sad as sometimes you lose perspective. I'm from Egypt and in my culture it's not favoured to have knowledge in everything meaning you'll always get this comment "stop knowing one thing about everything and get to know everything about one thing" I believe here is the point you mentioned is missing, when should we specialize and focus, how to choose it from all these things you're interested in and actually build a road map to link all interesting things to your brain. I wish I can find a book that tackles deeply into this. Loved the review, thanks ❤
🔑 wow this is really what I needed to hear. I am currently in my first year at uni and I'm doing a history degree. Before, I studied Latin and Maths so everyone expected me to do something in the hard sciences, and all my science teachers looked really confused when I told them I wanted to do a history degree. The reason I chose history, is because it was the only subject I felt I didn't know enough about. Now at uni I feel soooo much imposter syndrome because there are people there who have been interested in history since childhood and know so much already, while I'm just out here with no preknowledge trying to learn new things. Next year I will need to choose two subjects to specialize in, but I was really dreading it because I met so many professors who are really good at their subject, but if you ask them something about a related subject they will not be able to answer you. For example, you ask a professor who specializes in Athens in the Classical period something about Rome in the first century BC and they will not know it. Or ask a Medievalist something about the French revolution and they will not have an answer. I didn't want to become someone like that, but this semester I had a subject called 'world history' and it is all about generalism. It teaches you to look at the history of the world with a wide perspective in time and place to overcome western biases that are ingrained in the education system and western thinking in general and I LOVE IT. It is so refreshing to have a subject that doesn't agree with the specialization of most uni subjects.
I know that imposter feeling! After high-school I went to study maths because I found it mildly interesting and suddenly I was in with people who dreamt only about maths and physics. It was hard, but it also helped me not get sunk into the field and keep a healthy distance.
i'm going to start studying politics and international relations in uni this year and i've never studied politics in my life, i also picked it bc it's smth i know so little about and it's such an important topic that i absolutely must study it, i've been prepping for the sense of imposter syndrome too tho bc it's definitelyyyy the type of subject that would attract very opinionated, intelligent, well-read people that know the ins and outs of everything already and have their eyes set on clear-cut goals, whereas for me i can just as easily see myself in activism as i can see myself in documentaries, nature conservation, writing novels, archaeology and a million other things, the potential imposter syndrome daunted me at first but now i take pride in the fact that i'm going into the course somewhat blind and only with my never-ending interests to back me, bc anyone can study hard and catch up w everyone's knowledge but only i have my unique insights and ideals and opinions, which are all the more well-developed bc of how many different sources they've been built from
Jade's videos are such breaths of fresh air, they are things that ground me and strip back SO many of these mindsets that society has slapped on to me. I really appreciate you
omg this means so much 🥺✨
heyy jade!! just want to say- thank you! this video is literally the answer to all my doubts and fears at the moment. I am currently pursuing a degree in opera singing, but i also love so many other discilplines across arts, maths and science. Right now, i am just accepting the fact, that I am the only one who needs to 'approve' of my life- as long as what im currently pursuing is aligned in my heart, i know everything will be fine. wishing you a rejuvenating and expansive summer x sending love from aus 💖🔑🌻
Yes yes yes! I am absolutely convinced of this! I even wrote a piece about indecision at uni this year (3rd year engineering) explaining why indecision was an advantage in lots of fields!
I've always felt this way. When I was in high school, I literally loved so many subjects and it was so hard for me when I had to choose one major at uni! Follow your heart, but take your brain with you! Maybe being a generalist is the exact right path for many of us❤️🔑
this video is exactly what I needed, I'm currently in the process of deciding what to do at university and I really don't want to limit myself to one or even just two subjects, so thank you for shedding light on this, as it is something I'm sure more people than I'd imagine struggle with
I'm in the exact same boat and I have absolutely no idea what I want to study atm lol it's actually really hard 🥲
same!!
@@zahraachohan8157 have a look at Liberal Arts courses if they offer it wherever you are. I came across it and realised it is the perfect degree for generalists who don't want to specialise so soon
I really needed this video! I'm going to be doing Liberal Arts at uni in September but have been so worried about not specialising- but deep down I know I want to learn as much of everything as I can :) thanks for this!
I am definitely a generalist. Now I have found my passion late in life for Philosophy, but I still dabble in other subjects and I have learned so much along the way! BTW love your Vlogs Jade!
Loved the critiques section of this video! I read this book awhile back and completely agree with your points on it. I've always found myself wildly interested in a wide range of topics and it was really nice to read a perspective that didn't view that as a bad thing, and in fact highlighted it's benefits, but this book definitely left me with a lot of unanswered questions as well.
This video is what I'm searching for, Jade you are amazing as ever. I'll try to read that book. It's not rly easy being a genralist while your society and family are saying, I "must" find something that specialized career which would make me more successful. THANK YOU
wow ur videos are so mature and well rounded recently thanks for being you
loved this video- grew up such a jack of all trades and learning that I had to specialize in one field in college to succeed was horrible... turns out that's not the case! 🔑
ah this was honestly so inspiring and comforting! i dont have the patience to read a non fiction book right now so im so grateful for these videos! love how we get so much value along with your insights 🤍🦋
The past few days i have a breakdown and sleepless nights just dreading that high school has ended and now I'm at a place where I have to choose. I don't want to give up on any of my passions but the environment around me is not favorable to such concepts at all. It is seen as too risky or a sign of commitment issues and indecisive mindset. This was weighing on me so baddllyyy and there is such less time to decide and so much to do if i choose a path. Amidst all of this mess, i found something called a multipotentialist and i researched more about it and sort of calmed down and realised i don't have to give up on anything just because people expect me to . And then this video comes up ✨. I think it's truly a sign , thank you so much for making videos. It means a lot to some people and i just wanted you to know that. 💕
The way you speak is so captivating, you know exactly what you want to say and how to express it. Books are my passion and I really enjoy your book reviews!
I would love to hear your take on Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm not sure if I'm a generalist or not, but I certainly haven't narrowed my focus down to one specific discipline. I've always loved storytelling, so I want to take some film, acting, and creative writing classes. I've also always had a knack for languages so I'd like to become reasonably fluent in a few and work as a digital nomad for a while. There are a lot of classes I want to take and sports I want to try, but the field that gets me most excited is storytelling.🔑
While at uni I‘ve recently figured out that I wanna do a Bio major with a Physics minor to then do Neuroscience as my master and this plan is constantly changing & I love it 💜
This is HOPE. Thanks so much Jade xx ❤️ 🔑
I relate heavily to not knowing what exactly I want to do and the book that helped me accept that is So good they cant ignore you by Cal Newport which explores the passion mindset and how it can do more harm than good
I so loved this video! Like all I want to do is build new businesses while travelling the world and writing song lyrics and creating content! Also, I love how you mention the book critiques (especially the one about this book being unnecessarily long, makes it such a drag) 🔑
I'm going through my final school exams this week so have been thinking about what I want to do after school all day every day! I really resonated with what you said about loving all your subjects and I'm finding it suuuper difficult to choose any area to specialise in, so this helped and I'm def going to pick up a copy of that book :) thanks jade!
Changed my major 4 times already… i’m in my first year of college 🤠
Too many interests! I can related to this video so much. Thanks Jade :)
aaahh I love this :) I think you might like these two ted talks, they are also about generalism and the beauty of it: 'how falling behind can get you ahead' and 'why some of us don't have one true calling'. I hope you like them just as much as I did❤🔑
🔑 I had so much issue choosing a levels because I love so much, im into science, I like history, I like art and I like studying religion! I was seen as weird when I did science with history and art because I was suppose to be either a science person doing all science or doing all humanities. I just wanted to do what I enjoyed.
I was then so indecisive with my degree choice, I constantly questioned if it was the right choice.
I just like learning about things and creating, I have no clue what jobs I'll do but if it sounds interesting I'll give it a go!
I’m so glad you have made this, I love it. I love learning new things. I ended up studying English lit at uni but really love discovering stuff about sciences and languages and history. It’s so cool
🔑 So appreciate this video. I think people outside my field would think that my experience/goals is very specialist (marine science, following a very typical academic career path) however I personally see myself as a generalist. My undergrad was in marine science with Oceanography and Robotics, but I did a tonne of marine biology. My research experience includes deep sea corals, developing robotics, whale surveys, marine acoustics, phytoplankton, and I'm soon to start my PhD in fisheries modelling/climate change/food security. All of that different knowledge has been super helpful-even though my PhD is strongly in marine bio, my supervisor took me on because of my varied experience. Some advice for people wanting to follow a scientific career-be interdisciplinary in your interests (a.k.a be a generalist). There are far more unanswered research questions that require multiple disciplines than ones which fit neatly within a field.
👌🏻🔑🔥 Definitely reassured an indecisive weirdo with decision fatigue. Loved this! The upbeat outro music really set off a positive vibe for my study weekend.
🗝 thank you for this video jade! I feel like I’ve been a generalist my whole life, I just wanna be a marine bio marketing singer who travels the world
this is such a vibe 🤧💌
Lots of younger people in the comments so oldie graduate here saying don't stress about specialising! Don't lose hope and just study things that get you excited. I completed a foundation in life sciences, thought I'd go into nutrition but went into animal biology and conservation. Did modules in coding, business, practical fieldwork, conservation psychology, geology. Worked in my uni's IT services, as a campus warden, developed business skills by helping a startup, I write a lot, dabble in music, run ultramarathons and have fun trying sailings, climbing and lifting. I have spent a couple of years successfully working in wildlife film (I don't have particularly epic camera skills but am good with gimbles for cars, writing scripts, finding music etc). I have now turned 180 again and am working in the field doing island restoration work. While my current CV seems a little all over the place and some jobs just don't fit for this reason, I now see I have the skillset and attitude to work in a management or coordinator role much more successfully than specialist friends as I have already learnt greater problem solving skills, budgeting, working with stakeholders, dealing with press and keeping ahead of all new technology 💃
Are you me?? I'm always that person who wants to study everything!! I can't even think to study one thing at college like how people do that? Don't they get bore studying same thing for 4 years? I chose Business because it is just so diverse! This semester Spring 2023 I'm taking a programming class, a corporate/tax law class, an ethics class AND I'm also taking a masters level course as an undergrad which is International HRM!
Pros of being a generalist:
1) You don't get bore, as I told I JUST CAN'T THINK OF STUDYING ANYTHING FOR STRAIGHT 4 YEARS. Even that I love psychology a lot but 1 to 3 courses are enough! I can't study psych like every semester lol...
2) Plenty of options, you just study everything so you've like huge bunch of options open to you.
3) You are the most knowledgeable person, without being bias... generalists people knows everything! Many people appreciate specialized people but its a reality, generalists people are the most knowledgeable ones.
I think the most interesting generalist I know of is Noam Chomsky, and he is a great example of how you can be a generalist and good in your domain, as he studied politics and history and then build a path for Cognitive Science and lastly is the linguist who laid the groundwork for most theories currently existing :) I always wanted to be a specialist, but accidentally took a generalist pathway and I think it is one of the best things that ever happened to me :)
Thank you so much Jade for making this video. I am 100% a person who loves and is interested in everything and stresses a lot about having to decide what to study/do. You helped me realise that it’s ok to not know exactly what career I want and that it doesn’t have to be set in stone 💗🔑
Oh lord I was just searching all over RUclips for a video about this topic i was surprised when I saw the title hahaha- Can't wait to watch it 💖✨
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this Jade!!! i thought i was alone on this one
It’s nice to have a label «generalism» for something I struggled with and theorised A LOT about -since i was 14 til now, i’m 20-.
I’ve always been fascinated by and talented in various artistic fields -graphic and fashion design (and design research in general), filmmaking, writing, photography, conceptualisation and analogic/artisanal techniques- as well as into gardening as a hobbie.
Now i’m contemplating a choice, which nurtures all of my passions: Art Direction (for films and other visuals, not advertising). But it’s a field really hard to get into, you need contacts and lots of audiovisual work behind you to get into a Master.
Rn i’m doing graphic design, so i don’t have time to do a Art direction portfolio. Not even have time to touch the other fields i’m into.
Also, i’ve been having issues with -i wouldn’t say taking care of myself, cause i’m really compassive and relativistic- but priorising myself over external and “productive” stuff like getting great grades at graphic design just because i’m a perfectionist (ew).
My goal for this summer is to Rest. But also, do small proyects -for example, a top that i’m designing in colab w a friend- and also use that multidisciplinary things for Portfolio Proyects -such as a photoshoot of the top, with curated art direction-.
I know i’m in the right path, but i feel like an outsider. it’s rough to not have my directions already decided.
🤍
I trust myself and life.
🔑
I completely agree with the Critiques you mentioned, especially about generalising and then specialising. That's confusing for me. I recommend a book called 'Fluid' by Ashish Jaiswal which I liked better. Having read both Range and Fluid, I think Fluid is more straightforward, clear and you actually feel like the book rang a bell. And there are no loose ends once you finish. It's perfectly wrapped.
I think the world needs both specialists and generalists. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The way I see it is that, as you said, both well-defined and ill-defined problems exist in our world, so having people who can solve each of these types of problems is important. And I like that you mentioned the gray area between specialism and generalism. I don't think anyone can or should be 100% specialist or 100% generalist. I think both overspecialisation and overgeneralisation are bad, because I don't think it's good to be so specialised that you become too narrow-minded, or to become too general in how we study or look at things to the point where we don't know any details about any subject either. So I would say it depends on the individual to decide the balance between specialism and generalism in their life according to what they're interested in and considering the advantages and disadvantages of both.
Personally, I didn't like having to choose between maths and biology in my last year of high school and I've always been interested in so many things and wanted to have so many hobbies, but I also didn't mind choosing a specific major as long as I maintain my interest in and keep learning about different things outside my specialty. I feel like that's where I personally found my balance, other people could be different of course.
Lastly, I would like to say that I love your videos, they remind me of how beautiful life can be and remind me to be grateful for the little things, so thank you ❤️🔑
I want to be a doctor but sadly am not able to pursue that for various reasons but I am happy I did my best to attempt to and learnt a lot about myself along the way. I could try to pursue a career close to being a doctor, or I could pursue my other interests and dreams because I have so many but not necessarily enough time to do them all or do them all at once. So in that way I am a generalist :) great video!
Thank you for the video! I love the book reviews you do! Adding to the discussion, I wanted to bring in the question of why being a generalist is usually seen as having to branch out a lot in your career. I feel as though we have been taught to view each interest and each partiality as something to monetise and use in a professional capacity. I don't have a clear stance on wether that is good or not, but for me a lot of pressure fell away once I decided my career does not have to cater to all my interests. Now I view my career as a development of skills that allow me to engage meaningfully in the world . I've been studying law for five years and am 23 years old and it is beautiful to see a skill start to deepen and expand. Then again lawyers are probably the chess players of the world and not the innovators.
Having to take most of the available classes in the German school system, it sure is annoying that you have to do maths even if you want a creative career, but I’ve personally found that knowledge from one class can be applicable to other classes! Same with learning languages, since a lot of languages are similar and even if you’re German and you’re learning Chinese or Korean, there are a few things about these examples that are easier to grasp with a German background
I also used to be and still am a generalist. I am 24 right now and studying in Germany for my master's degree (public policy) with my own finances as an international student, and pretty much confused everyday which path to take and it is so torturing. While I worked at the same company for 1.5 years after my undergraduate studies and decided to go to Europe for the first time (just because) cause y not, I wish I knew some of these things. If you don't want to be in the same boat as me when you are 24, here is what I think:
- Choose a few specializations, and be brave enough to stick with them: We think we are not enough for anything, we think (in a world full of competition) more skills we have = better, thus more learning > actually implementing it in the real world. Anything is way simpler (but not easy) when you just decide what you want out of life. Do you want to have a comfortable living, never-ending learning, and don't mind working out your brain all the time, quite disciplined and make logical decisions all the time? Then engineering or math fields (like data science, computer science, biology, genomics etc) could be right for you. etc. You can combine your favorite subjects as well. Mine was English and Social science, so I decided to pursue international public policy but (I still have to choose which policy research would be best for me, like I am interested in healthcare, climate change, renewable energy, labor policies, digitalization, AI, poverty, children development, military pretty much everything, and I just have to bravely choose 2-3 specializations out of these), and now I suddenly realized I don't like to read lots of articles to write a final paper all the time (but out of curiosity, I end up reading a lot), but interested in statistics.
- Choose your suffering: Would you be okay with comitting yourself to work so that you can become someone influential or create something, or wants to have a balance between work, family, and hobby. For me, I realized I like to work/learn more than spend time and chilling with my friends. I like creating, being creative, and being stressed out, cause of all the possibilities I can have. But overstimulated thoughts only lead to no work, just searching.
Spain’s academic system is basically the same, focused on grades and choosing your future at 16, so saaad :( the video was amazing thank uuu❤️
I've always been such a generalist and this makes me feel sooo much better!! Here in France we also have quite a lot of pressure to specialise at a really young age and yet at 21 i still have no idea where i'm going with my life 😅 By the way i connect with you so much jade as i'm now studying psychology and cognitive science after having studied philosophy for 3 years ;) i love both subjects a lot and i do see a lot of links between them so hopefully i'll find a way to use all this knowledge in whatever i end up doing haha 🔑🌼 Lots of love 💛
Thank you for this video Jade!! It really struck a chord with me 😊🔑
Being a generalist was very difficult during both IGCSEs and IB. For the IB Diploma Program my higher level subjects were Chem, Maths, and Film (a choice some ppl questioned). I struggled to apply to UK unis because I couldn’t pick a course, and there were many times I wished I was more decisive. But I realized I like being interested in so many things, and with my broad skills, I could go into any career I’d like. And I’ll be studying in the US, so I’ll get to explore my interests before choosing! This video felt like a good sign and made me feel better about my future, so thanks again :)
I'm kind of a generalist within a specialised field of study, and to me, that's the best of both worlds :D
🔑 Es ist echt schön zu hören, dass es okay ist, wenn man sich nicht sofort spezialisiert und viele Interessen hat
Hellooo love! This whole video is about my thoughts, that have been with me for such a long time... Tbh, I was afraid of it, I was afraid of not knowing my passions, I was afraid of not taking a certain path in life. I felt like I was the only one who felt this confusion. Now you gave me hope ❤️, btw i'm about to read this book, i believe it's gonna inspire me to continue my journey in this life :) I send u some love
This fits very well with the idea of the T-shaped individuals. Have a generalist understanding of many things and a deep speciality in one thing.
I read this book a while ago and yes executionwise it could be improved. Despite this, I found the thesis so refreshing and different from the general perception. I've always been stressed about wanting to do so many different things, especially at university (and that's why I've also chosen economics), but this book changed my perception. Love your take on it ❤
Sending much love from Italy 🔑
Finally! I am so happy that someone is talking about this! Soon I need to choose subjects for EGSE
And it’s so difficult for me( also choosing what to study in university…uuuhhh I still can’t decide cuz I like so much things like: economics, business, architecture, psychology, chemistry, art. Btw thank you so much Jade for the video!!! ☀️🕊💕
As someone working in IT. Generalism is handy. Not only to learn all the aspect of IT but also I make Apps for marketing, logistics, accounting,... where you also need to learn and understand the workflow.
I love this when I was younger I like nothing so I pretty much did not want to learn anything. Now I like everything so now I would like to learn everything. But I can see now that if I moved to quickly between one thing and the next I would not learn enough for the skills to be useful. So now even when I can’t help myself being directed everywhere. I try to learn the skill well enough first before learning other skills.
Hey 👋🏼 such an amazing viedeo. I finished school about one year ago and had good grades, so the world offered me to do anything I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to have a passion so strong that I knew exactly where I want to be. But here comes the tricky part, I wanted to work in the art department of Game development, it's not important which game tho. So I found my speciality, so I thought, Art. But How wrong I was to think that, I started internships at game companies and filled my portfolio to apply at a uni additionally. It was extremely stressful but I'm thankful that I did so because it taught me one important thing. No company is like the other and in the end Specialisms isn't the way to get into the game art industry, It's specialised generalism. You need to be a 3D artist, Concept artist, Illustrator and story teller if you want to make it in the industry, because if you work whith a lot of people you should know what and how they need you to do your job so they can do theirs.
I've always known I wanted to study linguistics and I've never regretted my decision. As I will graduate this summer, I'm now thinking of jobs I might want to apply for and the direction I want my career to go to. In this however, I am trying to be very open and creative and see where life takes me :)
Hi, I'm so glad that I'm not the only one!! In high school I've always loved so many subjects. That's why I found it so hard to choose just one of them to study at university. I've decided to study biology, because it is a very broad study, with many elements of other subjects :)
I live in the Netherlands btw, and I think the university system is pretty much the same as in the UK
🔑 honestly this came out at the right time because im a generalist and i'm having to choose one degree, so i'm gonna go for natural sciences cuz while it isnt the best best degree it is broad for the first 1/2 years and eases into specialisation over the few years (thank god). it's given me a lot of grief but i'm really trying to get past it rn
uhh I relate to the "all-rounder being", sometimes I think I like a little bit of everything and there's almost nothing I truuly love and that makes me feel like I constantly have to figure myself out and make the absolute right choices that will lead me to my place in the world.But it's nice to hear from her that experiencing different fields and diving into many aspects of reality might actually be a good thing ☀️
I appreciate this video. I gave up on the idea of university because I just did not know what I truly wanted to study for 3 years, and did not want to waste that time and money and take someone's place. So I opted out of the university route and went into full time work. That was the best decision I ever made because I found out that I'm an all-rounder and if/when I become infatuated with a subject or career path, I will study it if I please.
I find your videos SO helpful, informative, uplifting and exciting ALL IN 1
🔑 (hehe) oh absolutely!! even though i knew i wanted to study nursing in the future, i loved so many academic areas like, i adore science but history and literature is so fascinating and i love music, visual arts, and theater too and people were so adamant on me choosing between humanities, science, and art like, why can't i love all of it? if hermione can do all the subjects so can i?
and when picking my IBDP subjects, i did two sciences and english lit for my higher level classes, and so many teachers were like, "you're doing science in the future so all your HLs should be STEM ahhh" even though i was fulfilling all my uni requirements and it meant i enjoyed learning these subjects. i ignored them though and i loved it. :)
Really wished that your videos exist when I was still in school. 🤧 I've recently changed careers and some of my relatives are giving me eye rolls because "I don't have big dreams" = become a doctor, a lawyer, etc. And they therefore have concluded amongst themselves that I'm a lost cause and someone that they shouldn't be involved with.
I admit I am lost (and at a loss), but your videos have been very kind reminders to stay and continue to show up. Thank you so much really. 🔑
🔑 this is exactly what i needed to hear right now, i'm 16 and have so many wildly different interests so i have no idea what i want a career in.
i think another factor is the praise of ambition, i have a much too long list of interests and hobbies with dreams related to each one, whether i end up achieving them or not doesn't bother me a lot because i love leaving doors open in life and seeing where my heart takes me, but that openness to experience isn't praised anywhere as much as having a near-impossible specific goal and a plan that will almost inevitably get you there, both methods are perfectly valid but when society keeps praising specialists not just for their skills but their *future* it can make generalists and our (often) open-ended life paths seem inadequate, especially when we can be just as ambitious as a specialist, just in a more eclectic way
This video came at a perfect time , i am 16 and i have to choose where i want to persue my education and which degree to choose . I am absolutely a generalist and a side hustler who is interested in everything and want to do everything at the same time
This is exactly what I needed! I am currently choosing my university course after last year choosing my A levels was practically torture. I do physics, maths, drama, English and an EPQ- and I don't view this as a weakness. It's hard but I find all of them interesting and have also been looking at the American system! Learning is just so fun and I don't want to close off the knowledge I could gain at 17 years old just because I am told to apply for one course and that's it. I am literally looking at either physics or English literature, not exactly the same lol.n
thank u because this has made a level history worth it to me 4 days before my last exam
my life changed from the first video i watched from u. thank u
There are so many time where my weakest subject became my strength subjects and my stronger subjects became my weaker points later, where personality and interests all kinda link but also felt like they've pulled a 180. Basically planning to stay in one area more than 1-5 years into the future doesn't really work because don't know what opportunities are going to hit ya. Also have fallen into so many different odd jobs that really has upped the range of my skill and ability to talk on transferable skills. Like constantly changing so don't fully know especially early on in life what will matter to you later.
As someone who is graduating tomorrow and doesn't know what kind of job she wants, this video was very nice!
with sixth form coming up my offer is for maths, further maths bio and chem and while i love all those subjects it pains me to have to move away from languages (especially as a bilingual who speaks portuguese and also loves learning chinese and german) and also english as an avid reader who loves to have class discussions about books. hopefully i can continue to broaden my interests and still pursue art and language learning and my interests in literature in the future🔑💛
Being able to have an understanding of different things and learning more about different things really engages me and its just nice to keep life interesting 😌 🔑
🔑 definitely listening to this as an audiobook while traveling back and forth between my internship, writing my BA thesis and doing content creation on the side 😂 thanks for the review!
✨ 🔑 thank you so much jade! i am in the college-search process, and find it stressful to restrict myself to one major. your videos always inspire me and give such thoughtful insight!
I love you bringing this up Jade, I know many will disapprove of the being a jack of all trades but master of none, but I LOVE dipping into everything. The world is so big and so much to learn, it’s amazing we can learn that, so being a generalist is the way to go 🙌🏽
such a well timed video for me! thanks! i have just started a new job and they were pushing to become a spealist in one of the areas but i kinda want to learn about them all first then possbily start to 'specialise' in one area. for they very reason tht ai want a more well rounded knowlage on all the aspects so i know hte importance of what i am doing in that one field
Jade,
I don’t know if you’ll ever see this! But i hope you reach 1M subscribers before the year ends!! 🤞good-luck mate❤️
i think an artist/ creator is the ultimate generalist activist. i mean: Musicians, film makers, TV show producers ( writers and the whole crew) is a world full of specialized people ( music is a craft for instance, so is filming and special effects) under the umbrella of content creation, presenting ideas to the world. A bit what you do on Unjaded Jade. Your writing, filming are all specialized skills that are getting better with every video, yet your topics are general and touch many worlds. ;-)