One of the most wonderful things about the times we live in is that the variety of things we have available to us is as diverse as it has ever been in the history of our species. It is also, arguably, one of the worst things. I know that just for me personally, having so many options leaves me with analysis paralysis, so I end up doing nothing a lot of the time. But at the same time, I can’t help but want to do so many different things because my mind feeds off the diversity and the idea that I can do anything I devote my time to. Yet, in recent months, I have found that this is not always the best course of action. This post is going to be about the difference I’ve found between going broad and diving deep.
Breadth vs Depth
In essence, the distinction between breadth and depth is that breadth is shallow and random while depth is narrow and focused. For example, if you are having dinner, you can eat your food in two different ways. The first, breadth, is to take a bite or two of your steak, then take a bite of your mashed potatoes, then a bite of salad, or you could mix two or more items together in one bite, and you continually go back and forth between each food item. This has the advantage of knowing how the whole meal works together because the flavors get mixed up. The second, depth, is to take one food item and just keep eating it until it is gone, then move onto the next one, so you might start with a food you don’t like as much to get it out of the way, then onto the next least favorite food, and finally finish with your favorite item. This has the advantage of really being able to savor and fully experience each piece of food since your taste buds aren’t getting confused by the other foods.
This applies to all areas of life, though when it comes to things we want to do, the dinner plate is endless. I will use myself as an example here. When I am at home, I have a lot of things that I like to do. I can read a book, play a video game, watch a movie or TV show, surf the Internet, practice playing music, spend some time writing (like I’m doing right now), or just have a nice chat with my fiancee. And those are just the categories. When you take the choices in each category into play, my options increase exponentially. Not to mention these all need to fight against the things that I have to do, like apartment upkeep, cooking, and exercising. This can often be confusing and leave me not knowing what to do, but, at the end of the day, I love having so many options.
Where this distinction between breadth and depth becomes important is when it comes to skills. I think most people fall more on the breadth side of the spectrum when it comes to skills. I know I certainly do. People who take a breadth approach to skills end up being a jack-of-all-trades. They have some skill in multiple areas, but they will never be great at any of them. In order to be an expert in something, you really have to take a depth approach. This is simply because you have to devote time to something in order to become great at it. It goes back to the 10,000 hour rule, popularized by Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers. Most experts become experts because they focus on one skill and do it for years. There are few people who have that kind of focus, which is why true experts are so rare and valued.
Depth is Important; Breadth is Fun
The reason I bring this up is because I have recently experienced, for the first time really, the drawbacks to having a broad knowledge base instead of a deep one. Over the course of my career, I have prided myself on being an incredibly diverse worker. In all of my jobs, I have had to adapt to things quickly, constantly having to learn new frameworks and languages to get the job done, and I have been recognized and praised for that ability. But I have come to the realization that if I actually want to advance beyond where I’m at, I need depth too. Most companies are not inclined to advance people who are not experts in their domain, though it does depend on the company and its needs. Smaller companies are more inclined to want people with a broad skill set since they can’t hire as many people to do all the things they need done. While I personally think that versatility is a better trait to have than being an expert in only one or two fields, my industry doesn’t think so. Thus, I will have to make a compromise somewhere. And in truth, it’s not a bad thing to try to be an expert in a field, just as long as I don’t get myself pigeon-holed into that field. As I said before, I thrive on variety.
So, as a piece of advice, even to myself, it is vital to have deep knowledge where you intend to work. Not doing so runs the risk of being blockaded by other people. But when it comes to hobbies and doing what you want, I feel like having breadth is more fun. I understand that there are people out there who find it easier to go deep in a hobby, like becoming a hardcore marathon runner, or a crafts artist on Etsy, or a professional video game player. And they get lots of enjoyment out of those pursuits. But for me, the world just has so much to offer, and I love learning new things all the time, so dabbling a bit in everything tends to make me more happy than focusing in just one area. Sure, I may never be more than above average in any of those hobbies, but I don’t have to be. They are hobbies. If I want to be an expert, I should do it in my work, since that is where it really counts.
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Bit of a short one this time, but it’s not a very broad topic. It was just something that I discovered late last year and felt that I needed to speak on it. I have also been working on putting a little bit of writing in each day, so this was a nice break from the other stuff I’ve been working on. I wouldn’t hold my breath on those projects coming out any time soon, but I am aiming to have some actual projects completed this year. My best friend has been really pushing me lately to actually get some progress on my various ideas, so I’m getting there. See you again!