When it comes to achieving extraordinary success, conventional wisdom often emphasizes early specialization. Warren Buffett began investing in stocks at just 11 years old. Bill Gates started programming by the time he was 13. Tiger Woods, a golf prodigy, was merely 2 when his father began coaching him.
Such examples underscore the belief that elite performers often dedicate more hours to deliberate, focused practice than others. It stands to reason, then, that the sooner someone concentrates on a single pursuit, the better their chances of becoming exceptional. But this idea doesn’t tell the whole story.
Take Steve Jobs, for instance. While he co-founded Apple at the age of 21, his path to success wasn’t linear. Before launching what would become one of the most iconic tech companies in history, Jobs dropped out of college, traveled to India in search of spiritual insight, and worked at Atari. His route was meandering, yet incredibly impactful.
This brings us to the concept of the “positive manifold.” Most of us know someone who’s a genius in one field but seems clueless in others. One anecdotal example includes a vascular surgeon who repeatedly needed help with a malfunctioning toaster. Despite multiple explanations about the ground-fault outlet, the issue remained a mystery to him.
However, this contrast is more the exception than the rule. In truth, intelligent individuals might be unfamiliar with certain topics, but that doesn’t mean they can’t understand them. Scientific research supports this with the idea of the positive manifold — a psychological theory that suggests cognitive abilities are often interconnected.
In simpler terms, performing well on one intelligence test generally indicates a high likelihood of doing well on others. More importantly, this principle extends beyond raw intelligence. It also applies to a range of abilities and skills.
The real beauty of this concept is that the knowledge and competencies developed in one area often transfer to other domains. In athletics, for instance, diverse early experiences can lead to more substantial long-term success. A 2020 study in the Journal of Sports Sciences revealed that athletes with broader sporting backgrounds picked up new skills more quickly than their specialized peers, even when practice time was equal. Engaging in multiple sports seems to teach athletes how to learn more effectively — a valuable ability in itself.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to sports. It holds true for career trajectories as well. Journalist David Epstein, in his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, notes that individuals who specialize early may earn more initially. However, those who explore varied fields often catch up or surpass their peers later, as they find roles that align better with their skills and personalities.
Steve Jobs’ life offers a fitting example of this. He once took a calligraphy class in college, a decision that, at first glance, seemed unrelated to his eventual career. Yet, as he explained in his 2005 Stanford commencement speech:
“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.”
Though he had no intention of designing invitations, that immersion in artistic typography honed his design sensibilities — an asset that would become central to Apple’s branding. Jobs emphasized this value of diverse experience in I, Steve: Steve Jobs in His Own Words, stating:
“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.”
Thankfully, it’s never too late to expand one’s horizons. Diverse experiences can be beneficial at any age, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. An analysis of 2.7 million startups uncovered surprising findings: the average age of successful tech founders is 45. Moreover, founders in their 50s are nearly three times as likely to achieve startup success as those in their mid-20s. Even more striking, 60-year-old founders are at least three times more likely to succeed than their 30-year-old counterparts. These older entrepreneurs are also nearly twice as likely to build companies that rank in the top 0.1 percent.
These results illustrate the positive manifold in action. The life lessons, professional experiences, and interpersonal insights one accumulates over time can greatly increase the likelihood of success in new ventures. Skills and knowledge acquired in earlier stages of life can seamlessly apply to new challenges and opportunities.
Interestingly, this approach can also boost overall well-being. According to research published in Nature Neuroscience, individuals who engage in a variety of new experiences tend to report greater happiness. Another study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that spending longer periods doing varied activities makes time feel more enriching and fulfilling, thereby enhancing happiness. On the flip side, cramming numerous activities into short bursts of time often results in a sense of decreased productivity, which can dampen mood.
This dovetails perfectly with the principle of the positive manifold. If you spend just a few hours dabbling in many things, you likely won’t gain much depth. But devoting that same time to developing expertise in a specific area yields tangible progress. That sense of improvement, in turn, leads to greater happiness, because progress is inherently satisfying.
So why not take on something new? Learning a new language can enhance memory, concentration, and cultural awareness. Picking up programming can sharpen logic, improve problem-solving, and build systems thinking. Playing a musical instrument boosts memory, motor coordination, and pattern recognition.
All of these pursuits strengthen your ability to learn — a valuable trait that you can carry forward into whatever you choose to explore next.
Ultimately, for most people, success doesn’t follow a straight line. It’s a winding journey filled with crossroads, shifts, and discoveries. The same is true for happiness and personal fulfillment.
A well-lived life doesn’t always follow a strict plan. It unfolds uniquely for each individual — often guided more by curiosity and exploration than by rigid focus. And sometimes, it’s the winding paths that lead to the most rewarding destinations.