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David Epstein

David Epstein

@david-epstein · 4 positions · 0 changes of mind

Writer on generalists and how people learn; author of Range (2019) and The Sports Gene (2013) and the Range Widely newsletter; formerly a senior writer at Sports Illustrated.

Everything they publish, on ppll ↗ Their mental models

Cites Dashun Wang

David Epstein did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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  1. Our reading

    Career zig-zaggers are more likely to feel unappreciated while building a broad skill set, and also more likely, eventually, to reach the top of their work.

    Their wordsIn other words: career zig-zaggers are more likely to feel unappreciated while on the path to developing a broad skill set, but also more likely (eventually) to ascend to the highest echelon in their work.

    ↗Excerpt from the New Range Foreworddavidepstein.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  3. Our reading

    In pursuit of a head start, people often skip exploring and jump straight to narrowly exploiting what they already know.

    Their words“Exploit” means digging into what you already know and maximizing the benefit from it. Getting the balance right is crucial. The trouble is, in pursuit of a head start, we often skip “explore” and jump right to the more narrow “exploit.”

    ↗Excerpt from the New Range Foreworddavidepstein.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece

  4. 3 years earlier

  5. Our reading

    Broad interests and diverse experience are hallmarks of the typical path to fulfilment and achievement, from athletes and artists to inventors and scientists.

    Their wordsResearching athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters, scientists, and more, I found that broad interests and diverse experience were hallmarks of the typical path to fulfillment and achievement.

    ↗Welcome to RANGE WIDELYdavidepstein.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  7. Our reading

    Nobel laureates are far more likely than other scientists to have a hobby unrelated to their work and tend to do more multidisciplinary work, as elite athletes sample widely before they specialise.

    Their wordsCompared to other scientists, for instance, Nobel laureates are at least twenty-two times more likely to have a hobby (usually artistic) unrelated to their work. They also tend to do more multidisciplinary work and progress more slowly early in their careers — a pattern mirrored by elite athletes, who usually go through a “sampling period” of diverse experience, and delay narrow specialization.

    ↗Welcome to RANGE WIDELYdavidepstein.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece