EP 380: David Epstein on Dabbling vs. 10,000 Hours

David Epstein (The Sports Gene) reveals the flaw in the "10,000 hours" theory of deliberate practice, the fallacy of giving children a head-start, and how it could actually hinder them in the long-run. He shares why athletes should be more like Roger Federer than Tiger Woods and how serial innovators tend to have a broad range of knowledge and experience. David says the internet and open source information is a boon to generalists, but artificial intelligence may put a lot of specialists out of business. He encourages the trend of midlife career changes and dabbling, and suggests it's better to act THEN decide. Plus how Venetian orphans inspired the world’s greatest composers, why Nobel laureates always have a hobby, and why experts make terrible forecasters.

Order David Epstein's book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World on Amazon, Audible or wherever books are sold. Keep up with david at www.davidepstein.com and follow him on twitter at @DavidEpstein. Today's podcast was sponsored by BetterHelp.com, SiriusXM Radio, and Ancestry.com.