Elite performers in any discipline typically invest considerably more time in deliberate and focused practice compared to those who never reach elite status. This observation might suggest that the earlier one starts concentrating on a single pursuit—and the earlier one narrows their focus—the better the chances of achieving excellence.
But reality tells a different story.
Take Steve Jobs, for example. While he co-founded Apple at the age of 21, his journey wasn’t linear or singularly focused. Before Apple, Jobs dropped out of college, ventured to India in search of spiritual enlightenment, and even worked for Atari. His early life was marked more by exploration than specialization, contradicting the assumption that early, focused commitment is the key to greatness.
This idea leads us to a psychological concept known as the “positive manifold.”
We all know people who excel in one area yet struggle with everyday problems in others. One anecdote humorously illustrates this: “I’ve pushed the reset button on a ground-fault outlet for my vascular surgeon neighbor three times in the past six months; despite repeated explanations, he never understands why his toaster suddenly doesn’t work.” While such stories suggest brilliance confined to a narrow field, they are more exception than rule.
In truth, people who are intelligent in one domain are usually capable of learning across a broad range of subjects. This stems from the positive manifold theory, which holds that different cognitive abilities are generally correlated. Essentially, if someone performs well on one intelligence test, they’re likely to perform well on others too.
But it’s not limited to intelligence. The positive manifold also implies that different skills, once acquired, often reinforce one another. That means the knowledge and abilities developed in one area are frequently transferable to other areas.
This concept of skill transfer is particularly evident in athletics. A 2020 study in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that athletes with more varied athletic backgrounds developed skills more efficiently than their counterparts who had only specialized in one sport. Athletes who sampled a variety of disciplines were found to be more adept at learning overall—essentially, they had learned how to learn.
The benefits of generalization extend beyond sports. In his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, journalist David Epstein emphasizes that generalists often catch up to or even surpass early specialists later in life. One study highlighted in the book showed that individuals who specialized early in their careers initially earned more money. However, those who took time to explore different career paths ultimately found roles that aligned more closely with their personalities and skills, closing the initial earnings gap.
This notion was exemplified by Steve Jobs in his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. He recalled a calligraphy course he took after dropping out of college: “I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can’t capture, and I found it fascinating.” That seemingly unrelated course eventually influenced the elegant typography used in Apple products.
Jobs expanded on this idea in the book I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words: “A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So they don’t have enough dots to connect and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”
This capacity to integrate insights from diverse experiences is valuable not only early in life but throughout one’s journey.
Consider entrepreneurship. A study analyzing 2.7 million startups found that the most successful tech entrepreneurs were, on average, 45 years old. Even more compelling, a 50-year-old founder was nearly three times as likely to build a successful startup as someone aged 25. A 60-year-old entrepreneur had at least three times the success rate of a 30-year-old, and was almost twice as likely to create a company ranking in the top 0.1 percent.
These findings exemplify the positive manifold in real-world action: people accumulate knowledge, emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and self-awareness over time. And these experiences cross-pollinate. Mastery in one domain equips individuals to succeed in seemingly unrelated areas.
This accumulation of experience doesn’t just contribute to professional achievement—it also boosts well-being. A Nature Neuroscience study found a strong link between happiness and the pursuit of new and varied experiences. Similarly, a Journal of Consumer Research paper concluded that engaging in a range of diverse activities over long periods makes life feel more enriching and rewarding. Conversely, trying to cram multiple tasks into a short window can feel overwhelming and less productive, reducing satisfaction.
This idea resonates with the positive manifold as well. Dabbling in many different activities for brief periods likely won’t result in meaningful learning. However, dedicating a few hours to a focused pursuit allows for measurable growth. And that growth, in turn, brings joy—because progress is both satisfying and motivating.
The practical takeaway? Broaden your skills. Learn a new language to sharpen memory, enhance focus, and expand cultural understanding. Try programming to develop logic, critical thinking, and systems analysis. Pick up an instrument to boost memory, coordination, and pattern recognition. Each new skill contributes not just to its own domain, but to your overall ability to learn, adapt, and create.
The more you know about different things, the more you can apply those things to other areas of your life.This capacity to apply knowledge across contexts enhances both personal and professional growth.
Because in most cases, success is not a straight shot—it’s a meandering journey with multiple turning points. The same is true for happiness, fulfillment, and ultimately, for living a meaningful life. Success, for most of us, is a winding path with occasional crossroads, not a single destination. And so is happiness. And fulfillment. And so is a life well lived, on your terms.
In summary, contrary to the belief that early specialization guarantees success, diverse experiences often provide the mental agility, insight, and adaptability needed to thrive. Whether you’re just starting out or already mid-career, embracing variety might just be your most powerful tool.