I don’t do a lot of guest posts because most of the requests for publishing them come from content creator companies and they aren’t very useful, but in this case, I asked if I could repost this because I felt it was brilliant and useful as well as reminding people of what it means to be an expert.
In today’s world it seems like if an individual becomes an expert in one area they are seemed to be given special consideration when they have ideas in areas having nothing to do with their expertise. Specifically I hate it when Actors use their fame to seek political solutions to problems they have no actual experience in.
Matt Might, posted this brilliant illustrated guide to a Ph.D. is. I put it here to because I can, and I think it is awesome, and it made me smile…. But more importantly, because it is a clear representation of what it is like to be at the top off your game, how hard it is to be one of the best, and what all you have to give up to get to that level….
My circle looks a lot different, because I choose to know a lot about a wide variety of subjects, so I cannot touch the envelope on anything, its all about compromise as well as effort. So without further explanation here are the pictures….
Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge:
By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little:
With a bachelor’s degree, you gain a specialty:
A master’s degree deepens that specialty:
Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge:
Once you’re at the boundary, you focus:
You push at the boundary for a few years:
And, that dent you’ve made is called a Ph.D.:
Of course, the world looks different to you now:
Keep pushing.
