Are you a generalist?

How you think about problems

Some people excel within clearly defined boundaries, optimising known systems and deepening existing expertise. Others instinctively step back and ask how the parts fit together.

If you tend toward the second pattern, you may be a generalist, as identified by David Epstein, in his book Range.

You may recognise yourself if:

1. You look for patterns across fields
When you encounter a new issue, you ask what it resembles. You compare economic incentives with psychological behaviour, technology with culture, politics with history.

2. You’re drawn to problem definition
You’re often less interested in solving a problem quickly than in asking whether it has been framed correctly.

3. You’re comfortable with incomplete information
You don’t need perfect data to form a provisional view. You’re willing to revise your thinking as new information arrives.

4. You become useful when systems are unsettled
In stable times, specialists dominate. In moments of disruption, you’re often the person who can step back and connect what others see in isolation.

5. You resist simple explanations
You’re wary of single causes and total certainty. You expect consequences to ripple outward in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.

6. Your understanding compounds over time
Your perspective today draws on experiences gathered across years and across fields. It’s cumulative rather than immediate.

What being a generalist does not mean

It does not mean knowing a little about everything and nothing in depth.
It does not mean avoiding expertise.
It does not mean being indecisive.

It means your strength lies in integration.

In complex, fast-changing environments, the ability to connect domains and anticipate consequences becomes increasingly valuable.