Specialization is for Insects

Off Topic
1

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

�¢?? Robert A. Heinlein

AC posted this quote in a thread over in PWI. I liked it and thought it may warrant a discussion of its own and perhaps a few respectful additions.

I’m generally opposed to arbitrary lists of shoulds, but what do folks think of as required skills for today’s “competent man” (or competent person if you prefer)? I mean legitimate skills that anyone would benefit from and which a person of sound mind, able body and modest means could reasonably expect to acquire in the course of his life.

I’ll start (in no particular order).

Tie a tie, speak a second language, catch/clean a fish, write a formal letter, sharpen a knife, play poker, play chess, fell a tree, tell a joke, shoot straight, drive stick, change your oil, change a tire, ride a motorcycle, saddle/ride a horse, throw a punch, read a map, use a compass, make a fire, make amends, play an instrument, resolve a dispute, mend a button, last the night outdoors in winter, hand write legibly, hold your liquor, hold your tongue, speak your mind, fix a toilet flapper, have a civil debate, touch type, shine shoes, prepare personal income tax to name a few…

…and be able to do so without an internet connection.

I have deliberately omitted physical feats.

2

[quote]batman730 wrote:
I have deliberately omitted physical feats.
[/quote]
I won’t.

Deadlift 500

3

[quote]batman730 wrote:
…and be able to do so without an internet connection.
[/quote]
There’s the catch.

4

[quote]csulli wrote:

[quote]batman730 wrote:
I have deliberately omitted physical feats.
[/quote]
I won’t.

Deadlift 500[/quote]

Don’t forget take on a pack of African hunting dogs with your bare hands…

5

[quote]TheJonty wrote:

[quote]batman730 wrote:
…and be able to do so without an internet connection.
[/quote]
There’s the catch.[/quote]

Yep.

6

[quote]batman730 wrote:
I have deliberately omitted physical feats.
[/quote]

oh really?

[quote]batman730 wrote:
shoot straight
throw a punch
make a fire
play an instrument
hand write legibly
[/quote]

even things that you may not think are “physical feats” at first, still are.

I’ll add a few;
sync/connect a modem and router and prepare* for setting up wireless internet.
perform basic plumbing work
perform basic electrical work
be able to build a structure (vague I know, but there are simple concepts here that one should know)
Clean a gun and load/rack it.
be able to lift a large tree that has fallen onto someoneâ?¦.or dead lift 500lbs
10 pull-ups (could easily be necessary for survival)

  • This doesn’t require internet, you are merely preparing for internet.
7

[quote]carbiduis wrote:

[quote]batman730 wrote:
I have deliberately omitted physical feats.
[/quote]

oh really?

[quote]batman730 wrote:
shoot straight
throw a punch
make a fire
play an instrument
hand write legibly
[/quote]

even things that you may not think are “physical feats” at first, still are.

I’ll add a few;
sync/connect a modem and router and prepare* for setting up wireless internet.
perform basic plumbing work
perform basic electrical work
be able to build a structure (vague I know, but there are simple concepts here that one should know)
Clean a gun and load/rack it.
be able to lift a large tree that has fallen onto someone�??�?�¢?�??�?�¦.or dead lift 500lbs
10 pull-ups (could easily be necessary for survival)

  • This doesn’t require internet, you are merely preparing for internet.[/quote]

Fair enough, you are correct about “physical feats”. It would have been more accurate had I written “I’ve deliberately omitted specific strength/fitness benchmarks”.

I’ve done so not because I think they aren’t important in the development of a well-rounded individual and potentially essential survival skills, they decidedly are. Rather, I glossed over this area because; a.) given the nature of this site, I felt it had been covered amply elsewhere, b.) I didn’t want to start arguments about what are/aren’t relevant, adequate benchmarks etc. and c.) I was thinking more in terms of the general populace than those of us especially concerned with training for it’s own sake.

I support wholeheartedly all your additions.

Here are a few more:

Sell something (an idea, a product or service, yourself) effectively, host a social and/or business gathering, play at least one sport passably well, make a girl blush, a child laugh, an elder smile, sail a small boat, swim in open water, be a good lover, dress for an occasion, perform first aid, question authority intelligently, lose an argument graciously, use cutlery correctly, care for an animal, care for a plant, grow food, tell a story, listen intently, remember a kindness, forgive an insult…

Edit: I can also think of no fewer than 6 knots every person should know by heart

8

Jack of all trades; master of none.

9

[quote]SexMachine wrote:
Jack of all trades; master of none.[/quote]

I don’t know, realize that it may seem that way at first glance. I would personally hesitate to claim “mastery” in any area, regardless of my proficiency. Obviously no normal person could aspire to expertise in all areas.

However what’s to say that a person can’t have intimate knowledge in one or two areas (say, their chosen profession and one or two most of their passionate extracurriculars) and basic proficiency in a broad range of worthwhile pursuits? Many of these pursuits alone could take a lifetime of study to master, but how long to become competent enough for them to be useful and/or enjoyable?

Why couldn’t a person be say, a top tier forensic accountant and avid recreational athlete but still be able to perform a range of basic manual labour and/or maintenance tasks, be conversant about an range of topics, have read a few of the great books, possess some basic marksmanship, bushcraft, self protection skills and social graces? Is it so far fetched? Would it diminish his mastery of his chosen field? I think not. It would require effort, will, passion, and disciplined use of time, attention and resources but it is not so unrealistic.

You don’t really need to be an expert to be able to solve many common problems and enjoy a little self reliance. You don’t need to be an electrician to install a light fixture in your house, a plumber to fix your leaky faucet, a carpenter to bang together serviceable garden shed, an IT guy to make a spreadsheet, or a mechanic to change a tire or do some basic troubleshooting.

Similarly, You don’t need to be elite to enjoy a sport. If you don’t need to be elite, you can play more than one. Since most of will never be truly elite, this strikes me as good news.

It seems to me that we are moving in a direction of hyper-specialization where we know everything about one thing and next to nothing (or are google smart at best) about everything else. I’m not sure that this is an improvement.

10

"… paint a picture … "
“… build a house …”

First person to name the source wins 100 internet points.

11

Some good skills listed so far. I will add…

Bring a woman to orgasm
Perform first aid
Cook a steak to medium rare
Tie effective knots

13

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Bring a woman to orgasm
[/quote]

Which one. You need to be specific.

14

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Tie effective knots[/quote]

I can tie a few effective knots–enough to get by in life–but I’m always shamed when I’m around my dad, who was both a recreational sailor and a Bosen’s Mate in the coast guard. Everything he ties to a trailer always stays there, never shifts, and all the knots simply disappear when he pulls on one end.

You are not a real man unless you can tie a bowline knot.

15

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Bring a woman to orgasm
[/quote]

Which one. You need to be specific.[/quote]

The second orgasm, to be more precise.

16

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Tie effective knots[/quote]

I can tie a few effective knots–enough to get by in life–but I’m always shamed when I’m around my dad, who was both a recreational sailor and a Bosen’s Mate in the coast guard. Everything he ties to a trailer always stays there, never shifts, and all the knots simply disappear when he pulls on one end.

You are not a real man unless you can tie a bowline knot.

Required knots IMHO:

Half Hitch
Clove Hitch
Square Knot
Sheet Bend
Bowline Variations
Figure “8” Family
Alpine Butterfly
Prusik Knot
Timber Hitch
Poor man’s come along/Z drag*

*Not really a knot per se, but a simple mechanical advantage rope configuration. A minimalist version can be improvised from a single continuous length of decent hauling line if need be, but ideally you’d have a hauling line, an anchor line a few lengths of prusik line and 2 or more carabiners and pulleys. A bit complex at first, but extremely handy once you’ve got it down.

Edit: We take knots very seriously in my profession and one maxim that bears remembering is that a knot is never almost right. It is either exactly right or disastrously wrong.

17

I’ll be the naysayer in this thread and say that half of these abilities are almost useless, and the time used in learning some of these activities can be better spent specializing in your field.

18

Skills are important. 20 - 30 years ago, it used to be taken for granted that a “man” would know how to fix things. I will say that down south, men still know how to fix things, up north and in urban/suburban (YUPPIE) areas, not so much.

I came across that quote many years ago, while I was in prison (I worked in the library). In the past 20 years, I’ve always had a “curriculum” of interests that I pursue. I organize it every New Years as part of my goal setting and resolutions. I set aside X hours per week for each subject. The building and construction skills are easy for me - I’m a commercial electrician by trade and I’m confident that I can build just about anything. Earlier on I mastered areas of Koryu martial arts. Now I don’t really focus on that as much as I do sailing. I played rugby for ten years, spent six years working in mortgage banking and developed a context for and an understanding of finance and business. I’ve spent time and energy on a variety of things that I find useful. I’ve made investments of time and money that were genius and investments that were risky and stupid and ultimately failed. I’ve studied many of the great books as well as modern and classical literature. I put a lot of time and energy into figuring out the fairer sex and how we relate (or more often than not, FAIL to relate) to them.

One of my hobbies is being a “prepper”. LOTS of low tech skill sets to develop in that area.

But it all boils down to one thing: being responsible. As in, “having the ability to respond”… To life. Life is an unforgiving BITCH. She never let’s you rest and just when you think you have it all figured out, she’ll rip the carpet out from under you. Being able to quickly adapt to whatever she throws at you will set you apart from other men, raise your status and survival value. It comes down to problem solving. My brain automatically comes up with angles and possibilities to just about ANYTHING I encounter as I move through my day. I’ve had to adapt and overcome adversity my whole life. I think that’s the key to being useful. Just seeing the situation you are in and realizing it’s potential - both positive and negative - and taking the proper course of action.

We live in a civilization, and we fool ourselves into thinking we are safe. We make assumptions, take liberties and get careless. But I will bet that each and every one of you will find yourself on potentially deadly ground at least several times per week. Every time you get into a car, for instance… Or walk into a bar… There are situations that can go from zero to dead in seconds. Learning how to spot them and avoid them is the most valuable skill, IMHO.

19

[quote]LankyMofo wrote:
I’ll be the naysayer in this thread and say that half of these abilities are almost useless, and the time used in learning some of these activities can be better spent specializing in your field. [/quote]

Agreed on the first part, but I can see over a dozen here that one could passably execute after a long weekend’s worth of practice, so if someone is nervous about their man card being revoked, they needn’t worry.

20

[quote]batman730 wrote:

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:
Tie effective knots[/quote]

I can tie a few effective knots–enough to get by in life–but I’m always shamed when I’m around my dad, who was both a recreational sailor and a Bosen’s Mate in the coast guard. Everything he ties to a trailer always stays there, never shifts, and all the knots simply disappear when he pulls on one end.

You are not a real man unless you can tie a bowline knot.

Required knots IMHO:

Half Hitch
Clove Hitch
Square Knot
Sheet Bend
Bowline Variations
Figure “8” Family
Alpine Butterfly
Prusik Knot
Timber Hitch
Poor man’s come along/Z drag*

*Not really a knot per se, but a simple mechanical advantage rope configuration. A minimalist version can be improvised from a single continuous length of decent hauling line if need be, but ideally you’d have a hauling line, an anchor line a few lengths of prusik line and 2 or more carabiners and pulleys. A bit complex at first, but extremely handy once you’ve got it down.

Edit: We take knots very seriously in my profession and one maxim that bears remembering is that a knot is never almost right. It is either exactly right or disastrously wrong.[/quote]

Great list.

I’ve never liked the alpine butterfly compared to a figure 8 on a bite.

z-line drag or a truckers hitch as we call them in south are great too. Love the mechanical advantage.