Theory, Knowledge and Science Commons^™

Generalists, Specialists, And The Best Experts: Where Do Systems Thinkers Fit In?, Joshua Hughes

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

GENERALIST / SPECIALIST: A generalist is someone who has studied a little bit of everything, and in the end knows nothing well in particular. By contrast, a specialist is someone who has studied a single subject, and as a consequence does not even know his own subject, because every item of knowledge is related to other components of the whole system. The good scholar or scientist--like the good chef, manager, clinician, or orchestra conductor--is an expert in one field or craft, and knowledgeable in many. Like a mouse, he can explore the details of a terrain; and, like an owl, …