Jack of all Trades Master of None

 

Parul Aggarwal

 

Assistant Professor, Khalsa College of Education, GT Road, Amritsar

 

ABSTRACT:

Stating that we commence our cognitive development with a broad base and narrow it down to a limited area of specialization, the author avers that one can gain mastery only in a limited area of interrelated disciplines.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

~ Albert Einstein

It is not difficult to complete the sentence. We all are familiar with this epigram. I do not know whether to take this as a complement or otherwise. Life is too short to be knowledgeable in several areas. Are we to dissipate our energy in several pursuits or should we remain focused?

We may agree or disagree with John Locke who said that we all commence life with a “blank-slate”. Yes! When I was dispatched to a primary school with a “blank slate” my teacher held my wrist to draw the figures of ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’. It wasn’t that easy for me to manipulate my fingers to reproduce the letters of the alphabet. However, I had to abide by the dictates of my teachers and parents. I was asked to name each letter while writing on my slate. It was difficult for my tiny brain to know that all knowledge one would acquire could be compressed to just “twenty-six” letters of the alphabet. I could speak my mother tongue much earlier than learning to master the written form. What an enormous patience must my teachers has had to help me in correct calligraphy.

 

I had to learn to pronounce each letter, meekly imitating my teacher. During those days, we used to carry slate and slate-pencils to schools. Only a few years later, we could enjoy the luxury of using notebooks and pencils. I had to cajole my parents to provide me with a fountain pen when I crossed the age often.Ballpoint pens were not even conceived. By assiduous practice and through trial and error, I could gain mastery to be able to express my thoughts in meaningful prose.

 

As years passed, I got exposed to a variety of subjects that constitute the core curriculum of the grades in sequence. I learnt to distinguish among animals, birds and reptiles through pictures as well as live experiences. I could identify trees, plants, creepers and classify them as fruit-bearing ones and herbal varieties. I was taught in geography class continents, islands, mountains, volcanoes, tides, waves etc. It wasn’t difficult for me to understand the properties of solids, liquids and gases. In fact, the school curriculum has been designed to help students understand a little of several subjects. Cognitive development that originates as a kind of General Mental Ability would give birth to a few special mental abilities. Why should some students choose Physics, others Biology and the rest develop an aptitude for History or Literature? Perhaps the teacher must have aroused the interest and motivated students to branch off into several interrelated areas. Both interest and aptitude must have influenced Sir C.V. Raman to choose Physics, Rabindranath Tagore Poetry and Raja Ravi Verma Painting.

 

We commence our cognitive development with a broad base; gradually it gets narrowed down to a limited area of specialization. Even in a professional course such as Engineering, one could be specialized in Computer Science, Electronics, Instrumentation, Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering and so on. In Medicine, through MBBS course, one has to study Human Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology; later one could be specialized in Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Neurology, ENT, Ophthalmology and soon.

 

One can gain mastery only in a limited area of interrelated disciplines. We need the contribution of specialists. If, on the other hand, we were to dissipate one’s attention, we would become a “Jack of all trades but master of none.”

 

REFERENCES:

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Accepted on 30.03.2018            © A&V Publications All right reserved