David Epstein Special on master-keys, adapting, experimentation and difficulty

sent by Nick Grantham | 31st August 2021

No tool is omnicompetent. There is no such thing as a master-key that will unlock all doors."

Arnold Tonybee

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People will try to convince you they hold the 'master key that will unlock the door to success; a course that will guarantee a well-paid job; an exercise that will eradicate hamstring injuries; an athlete management system that will predict the future! Watch out for those people; it's never that simple.

Source: A study of History by Arnold Tonybee


"Successful adapters were excellent at taking knowledge from one pursuit and applying it creatively to another."

David Epstein

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Why are some people good at pivoting and expanding their careers as they move through a range of roles? Christopher Connolly suggests they are happy to "travel an eight-lane highway rather than a single one-way street." They may focus on a primary path or speciality, but they keep multiple 'career streams' open.

Source: Range by David Epstein


"When you're self-taught, you experiment more, trying to find the same sound in different places, you learn how to solve problems."

Jack Cecchini

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I graduated with a sports science degree; strength and conditioning wasn't a career pathway, and it wasn't an option in a university prospectus. So when I switched jobs to take on my first role as a strength and conditioning coach, I had to figure things out as I went. I couldn't check course notes, textbooks or the internet, so I had to get creative and experiment. I made mistakes, learned from others, and came up with solutions to the problems I encountered. Studying a degree or postgraduate degree in strength and conditioning may have potentially fast-tracked the process but what I learnt during those formative years was, as Jack Cecchini says, to "find the same sound in different places." The next time you want to learn a new skill, consider taking some time to teach yourself rather than enrolling on a course. Likewise, if you're interviewing someone for a new role, don't just appoint the obvious candidate who has all of the relevant qualifications; take a chance on the candidate who can learn on the job.

Source: Range by David Epstein


"As with all desirable difficulties, the trouble is that a head start comes fast, but deep learning is slow."

David Epstein

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We often assess progress by how we are doing right now, at a precise moment. The problem is that our immediate assessment is often wrong! We take failure and struggle as a sign that we aren't making progress. We may see others racing ahead whilst we are at a standstill. However, research has shown that there are times when the head starts and advantage some experience early on in learning can be prone to 'fade out effect' where the advantage may diminish or disappear altogether. If you're struggling to grasp a new concept or training strategy, stick with it, your slow learning and struggle will more than likely transform into a deeper understanding. Quickly picking concepts and training techniques is impressive, but it doesn't necessarily result in long-lasting success.

Source: Range by David Epstein


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