“Jack of all trades, master of none” is flattering until you realize you’re mediocre at most and crave mastery.
When I was younger, the first half of the phrase was used to describe my identity, celebrating my versatility and adaptability. Yet as I entered university, especially as a media production student, the full sentiment began to feel like a self-deprecatory insult.
My mind races: I love film, I love history, I love law, and I love so much more. It’s great knowing a little bit of everything, but it’s frustrating when you can’t find your specialty.
A Jumbled History
After looking into the origins, it turns out “jack of all trades” supposedly dates to the 15th to 16th centuries, when “Jack” was a term for an everyday working man. It simply meant someone good at many things.
The term ” Master of none” was later added in the late 18th century, turning it into a slight snub. Funnily enough, playwright Robert Greene used it as an attack on William Shakespeare in his 1592 pamphlet, Greene’s Groatworth of Wit, where he calls him an “upstart crow” and mockingly, an “absolute Johannes factotum,” which is Latin for ‘John who does everything.’
The quote itself is often workplace-related, but it’s so much more. What you learn, and what you choose to dedicate your time to, is in your control, and no one should try to make you feel bad about it.
Some of the most important minds of our world were multidisciplinary, from Leonardo Da Vinci to Hedy Lamarr. Forbes writer Jodie Cook puts it nicely, “Being a master of one thing might mean you are an artist or an academic. Being a master of more means your work has a chance to reach people.”
To me, a jack of all trades does not lack passion—there is so much of it that it spreads across many places.
Celebrate Your Passions
So, should I try to learn as much as possible about as many things as possible? Or should I dedicate myself to a singular passion?
I don’t have the answers, and you probably won’t either. As someone entering a field of many experts, I long to find what I am best at. Here’s what all of us confused Jacks need to know: it’s okay to be versatile, and it’s just as okay to want to focus on one thing. And for those who are working on actively accepting being multifaceted, remember not to let others, or yourself, beat you up about it. Your range is not a weakness.
I don’t know my specialty, and many people around me feel the same. I might find it eventually, or maybe it’ll never come. Jacks, keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep in touch with what evokes your passion, even if there are five of them.
Let fascination take you to unique places. For now, that’s just enough.