- Child prodigies, especially in the YouTube age,
- Child prodigies, especially in the YouTube age,

are sort of like human cat videos.
are sort of like human cat videos.

Whether they're playing classical music
Whether they're playing classical music

or they're in a sport or playing chess,
or they're in a sport or playing chess,

you can't look away from them,
you can't look away from them,

they're so entertaining.
they're so entertaining.

We think of that as a trajectory.
We think of that as a trajectory.

If they're this good at age five or age 10,
If they're this good at age five or age 10,

they're gonna be so good at age 20 or 30 or 40.
they're gonna be so good at age 20 or 30 or 40.

And I think the idea that parents tend to take from them
And I think the idea that parents tend to take from them

is that if I just give my kid this very narrowly focused,
is that if I just give my kid this very narrowly focused,

early, technical training, my kids will be ahead
early, technical training, my kids will be ahead

and they'll stay ahead forever.
and they'll stay ahead forever.

It's just the problem is that turns out not to be the case.
It's just the problem is that turns out not to be the case.

I'm David Epstein, author of
I'm David Epstein, author of

"Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World."
"Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World."

(climactic synthetic music)
(climactic synthetic music)

- [Cameraman] Nice, bro!
- [Cameraman] Nice, bro!

(scribbling)
(scribbling)

- Okay, so even if you don't know
- Okay, so even if you don't know

the details of Tiger Woods' story,
the details of Tiger Woods' story,

it's probably the most powerful modern story of development.
it's probably the most powerful modern story of development.

His father gave him a putter when he was seven months old.
His father gave him a putter when he was seven months old.

At two years old, he was on national television
At two years old, he was on national television

showing off his swing in front of Bobe Hope.
showing off his swing in front of Bobe Hope.

At three, he was learning how to play out of a "sand twap,"
At three, he was learning how to play out of a "sand twap,"

as he put it at the time
as he put it at the time

and saying, "I'm gonna be the next great golfer.
and saying, "I'm gonna be the next great golfer.

"I'm gonna be the next Jack Nicholas."
"I'm gonna be the next Jack Nicholas."

By the time he's a teenager, he's famous.
By the time he's a teenager, he's famous.

And you fast forward to age 21
And you fast forward to age 21

and he's the greatest golfer in the world.
and he's the greatest golfer in the world.

I think one of the reasons
I think one of the reasons

that prodigy stories are so attractive
that prodigy stories are so attractive

is because we're used to thinking of everything
is because we're used to thinking of everything

as being a trajectory, right?
as being a trajectory, right?

It's intuitive to want to give a kid a headstart.
It's intuitive to want to give a kid a headstart.

In sports, that might be something
In sports, that might be something

like learning how to run certain types of plays
like learning how to run certain types of plays

or very specific techniques.
or very specific techniques.

Or in music, how to play the same piece
Or in music, how to play the same piece

over and over and over again.
over and over and over again.

Or in academics, tricks for working out math problems.
Or in academics, tricks for working out math problems.

The problem is, we don't follow linear progressions.
The problem is, we don't follow linear progressions.

We are not wired correctly
We are not wired correctly

to interpret our own development, necessarily,
to interpret our own development, necessarily,

'cause we just want what comes the fastest
'cause we just want what comes the fastest

when, in many cases, slower development
when, in many cases, slower development

is actually the best in the long run.
is actually the best in the long run.

One way to think about the world is to think of it
One way to think about the world is to think of it

as a learning environment,
as a learning environment,

and the milieu in which you have to develop
and the milieu in which you have to develop

some kind of skill.
some kind of skill.

They run on a spectrum from kind learning environments
They run on a spectrum from kind learning environments

where what you have to do is very clear
where what you have to do is very clear

and delineated by clear rules and patterns repeat
and delineated by clear rules and patterns repeat

and the task doesn't change,
and the task doesn't change,

all the way to wicked learning environments
all the way to wicked learning environments

where information might be obscured,
where information might be obscured,

there are no discernible rules, the work can change
there are no discernible rules, the work can change

and even the feedback you get can be delayed and inaccurate.
and even the feedback you get can be delayed and inaccurate.

And we only see those prodigies
And we only see those prodigies

in these very kind learning environments.
in these very kind learning environments.

You can think of something like chess.
You can think of something like chess.

The grandmaster's advantage is essentially based
The grandmaster's advantage is essentially based

on recognizing recurring patterns.
on recognizing recurring patterns.

But most of the work we do these days
But most of the work we do these days

is more toward the wicked end of the spectrum,
is more toward the wicked end of the spectrum,

where we can't just count on things being the same
where we can't just count on things being the same

over and over or giving us perfectly accurate feedback.
over and over or giving us perfectly accurate feedback.

For the wicked world, you want a really broad training base,
For the wicked world, you want a really broad training base,

what scientists call a sampling period,
what scientists call a sampling period,

where you're forming conceptual frameworks
where you're forming conceptual frameworks

and abstract ideas that you can bend to the activity
and abstract ideas that you can bend to the activity

as the activity itself changes.
as the activity itself changes.

For a lot of the 20th century,
For a lot of the 20th century,

the biggest contributions came from specialists.
the biggest contributions came from specialists.

But in the information age, as more information
But in the information age, as more information

became quickly and easily disseminated,
became quickly and easily disseminated,

it became easier to be broader than a specialist
it became easier to be broader than a specialist

and the biggest contributions started coming
and the biggest contributions started coming

from people who spread their work across a large number
from people who spread their work across a large number

of technological domains, often taking something from one
of technological domains, often taking something from one

and bringing it to another area
and bringing it to another area

where it was seen as extraordinary,
where it was seen as extraordinary,

even if it was more ordinary somewhere else.
even if it was more ordinary somewhere else.

(playful music)
(playful music)

Gunpei Yokoi was was a Japanese man
Gunpei Yokoi was was a Japanese man

who didn't score well on his electronics exams in university
who didn't score well on his electronics exams in university

so he had to settle for a low tier job
so he had to settle for a low tier job

as a machine maintenance worker at a playing card company.
as a machine maintenance worker at a playing card company.

This playing card company, founded in the 19th century,
This playing card company, founded in the 19th century,

is called Nintendo.
is called Nintendo.

And one day, the president of the company saw Yokoi
And one day, the president of the company saw Yokoi

essentially playing around with company equipment
essentially playing around with company equipment

'cause he didn't have anything to do
'cause he didn't have anything to do

and he made an extendable arm called the Ultra Hand.
and he made an extendable arm called the Ultra Hand.

It was just a device where you could grab distant objects
It was just a device where you could grab distant objects

with suction cups.
with suction cups.

And the desperate president says, "turn that into a toy,
And the desperate president says, "turn that into a toy,

"we're going to market,"
"we're going to market,"

and it's sort of a success.
and it's sort of a success.

And so the president says, "all right,
And so the president says, "all right,

"you're going to start a game and toy operation."
"you're going to start a game and toy operation."

Yokoi realizes that he's not equipped
Yokoi realizes that he's not equipped

to work on the cutting edge,
to work on the cutting edge,

but there's so much information widely available
but there's so much information widely available

that he can take information from different domains
that he can take information from different domains

and merge it, and he did that for his magnum opus,
and merge it, and he did that for his magnum opus,

the Game Boy.
the Game Boy.

He developed this philosophy
He developed this philosophy

he called lateral thinking with withered technology.
he called lateral thinking with withered technology.

And what he meant by that, withered technology,
And what he meant by that, withered technology,

he meant technology that's already well understood
he meant technology that's already well understood

easily available and often cheap,
easily available and often cheap,

and lateral thinking meant taking it from an area
and lateral thinking meant taking it from an area

where everyone's already used to it
where everyone's already used to it

and merging it with something else.
and merging it with something else.

Because the technology was so withered
Because the technology was so withered

and so well understood,
and so well understood,

programmers inside and outside of Nintendo
programmers inside and outside of Nintendo

pumped out games for it way faster than their competitors
pumped out games for it way faster than their competitors

and the Game Boy became the best selling console
and the Game Boy became the best selling console

of the 20th century
of the 20th century

and Nintendo still uses that lateral thinking
and Nintendo still uses that lateral thinking

with withered technology philosophy today.
with withered technology philosophy today.

The more we work in a rapidly changing world
The more we work in a rapidly changing world

where we're not exactly sure what we should do next
where we're not exactly sure what we should do next

or what work will look like next year
or what work will look like next year

or in five years or 10 years,
or in five years or 10 years,

the more we want those people who have had a broad view
the more we want those people who have had a broad view

and can kind of draw on different stores of knowledge.
and can kind of draw on different stores of knowledge.

And one of the ways I think about operationalizing that
And one of the ways I think about operationalizing that

is essentially having a short term mindset.
is essentially having a short term mindset.

I know that sounds bad, right?
I know that sounds bad, right?

You tell people we should have long term goals
You tell people we should have long term goals

and that it's like the commencement speech advice,
and that it's like the commencement speech advice,

"who are you gonna be in 10 or 20 years?"
"who are you gonna be in 10 or 20 years?"

and "march toward that."
and "march toward that."

It turns out that's not really a good way to operate,
It turns out that's not really a good way to operate,

especially when you're younger.
especially when you're younger.

We're essentially telling someone to choose
We're essentially telling someone to choose

for a person they don't yet know
for a person they don't yet know

who's gonna be working in a world they can't yet conceive.
who's gonna be working in a world they can't yet conceive.

The main advice, if I judge by what people say back to me,
The main advice, if I judge by what people say back to me,

is to not feel behind because you probably don't even know
is to not feel behind because you probably don't even know

where you're going, anyway.
where you're going, anyway.

And I think, rather than comparing yourself
And I think, rather than comparing yourself

to someone who isn't you,
to someone who isn't you,

you should compare yourself to yourself yesterday
you should compare yourself to yourself yesterday

and proceed that way.
and proceed that way.

- [Cameraman] Awesome.
- [Cameraman] Awesome.

- Do you wanna try the cool catch again?
- Do you wanna try the cool catch again?

- [Cameraman] Yeah.
- [Cameraman] Yeah.

- All right.
- All right.

Oh!
Oh!

I'm David Epstein, (cameraman laughing)
I'm David Epstein, (cameraman laughing)

(laughs) author of...
(laughs) author of...

Now you guys made me laugh.
Now you guys made me laugh.

(crew laughing)
(crew laughing)

- Thanks for watching.
- Thanks for watching.

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