Jim wrote:
>
> As Robert Heinlein said: A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
>
For me anyway, there's a difference between specialization and
division of labor. I am a very big proponent of a liberal arts
education and I would agree with Mr. Heinlein's point - people should
know how to do many things and not just a few. However, just because I
can do all those things doesn't mean that I should. If I need a heart
surgeon right now then I don't want him spending time pitching manure,
solving equations, or cooking a tasty meal. I want him to be a surgeon
- right now. After he fixes up me or a loved-one, we can talk about
his sonnet, invasion plans, or even help him with his computer
program.
Mark W.
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