Is Being a Dilettante a Bad Thing?
When “dilettante” entered my vocabulary years ago, the word didn’t strike me as derogatory. If fact, I get orgasmic thinking about all the different things that I have had the opportunity to try. Some highlights include:
Japanese – I took one introductory class with Ninagawa-sensei years ago. It was a blast to learn from such a good teacher. He was lots of fun and he pushed you just hard enough.
Indoor rockclimbing – I was doing 5.10d at my prime which took some skill and mastery; brute strength helps but skill matters more.
Snowboarding – One season was enough for me, but I was glad to have done it.
Ballroom dancing – Love it, even if I don’t plan to do competitions. When you are on the floor – you can’t think about anything else but being in the moment.
Computer programming – There is something satisfying about putting together a program. When you get lost in the “zone” and the code is just flowing through your fingers, it’s a high unlike anything else. Maybe except for ballroom dancing.
Boardgaming and cards – Chess (International, Chinese, Japanese) , checkers, backgammon, poker, bridge, go, Settlers of Catan, and many more I am sure.
Blogging – I have 3.7 readers and 38 robots visiting my site regularly. My choice of topics is dilettantish and is mostly about whatever strikes my fancy.
Traveling – Going places that you have never been before is fun.
Reading non-fiction – The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom for its own sake never goes out of style.
There are really too many to list but the above comes to mind. I don’t simultaneously participate in all of these things at the same time – I tend to hook on one thing for a while, then go onto something else. And then I go back to something that I used to do again. I seem to keep a rotation of fun things to lose myself into.
Being a dilettante is about being non-committal. This is the Bad Thing, if there is a bad thing. Attempting to achieve certain goals in life (such as starting a business or entering competitions), being dilettantish is pretty fatal. To be more precise, some things just can’t be tackled in any other way except with an “all-in-I-am-cutting-out-everything-else-to-maximum-the-chances-of-success” mindset.
Life success tends to favour those that specialize and focus. Is there is an arena where dilettantes rule? I sure would kick ass at being so random!