Every Man to His Own Trade

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“Skills vary with the man. We must tread a straight path and strive by that which is born in us.”

Pindar. Odes (5th c. B.C.)

“Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labour in it, but they labour in it because they excel.”

William Hazlitt, Characteristics (1823)

“The authentic insight and experience of any human soul, were it but insight and experience in hewing wood and drawing of water, is real knowledge, a real possession and acquirement.”

Thomas Carlyle, “CornLaw Rhymes” (1832)

“There is no more merit in being able to attach a correct description to a picture than in being able to find out what is wrong with a stalled motorcar. In each case it is special knowledge.”

W. Somerset Maugham, The Summing Up (1938)

“Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness.”

Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present (1843)

I think it is fair to say that all of us have known, or known of, someone who is outstanding at what they do for a living. A person for which no other profession would seem to fit as well with their talent and expertise. They seem to have a calling; we would describe them as “born” to do what they do. We see examples of these folks in the arts, in medicine, in business, in academia, in sports, in technology. The very best compliment that I have ever given to someone such as this over the years is to tell them that they are so very good at what they do that they obviously chose the perfect career to pursue.

So, these people who exhibit exceptional skills and talents, just how did they get that way? While it’s most likely a combination of God-given talent along with a fair amount of effort, I don’t think they’d be so successful if they didn’t already begin life with an indescribable gift: an instinctive aptitude that predisposed them in a particular direction.

Based on what you may read, there are arguments both for and against the idea that babies are born with dominant skills. However, what we do know is that:

“aptitude and talent in various fields, such as intelligence, creativity and athleticism are attributed to genetic factors. For example, drawing, playing an instrument or dancing may come more naturally to some people than others. Similarly, genetic factors can influence traits like analytical and critical thinking communication and research skills.”

(Kathy Barnes, “Skills and Talents that are Influenced by Your Genes,” Senior Lifestyle Magazine, 8/29/22)

Accordingly, some of us may be very talented in certain areas, perhaps even “born” to end up in certain fields. I know that my wife is one of those people. Cathy knew that she wanted to be a teacher when we were still in high school, and probably before that. And once in college, she started to acquire and add specific knowledge of educational techniques, research and theory to her strong passion for teaching. She always worked to become better at her craft each day. It’s as if she was on a mission. Cathy so enjoyed the children — and what she could do for them in educational terms. She was steadfast and consistently earnest in her approach, just like every other challenge or task she has taken on over the years. Yes, meant to be — born to be — a teacher.

There is an old phrase out there that dates back to the Roman statesman and scholar Pliny the Elder: “Let the cobbler stick to his last.” Meaning that no one should attempt to judge of matters which are removed from their own skill and calling. Pliny wrote about Apelles, the most celebrated of Grecian painters, who spent years at the court of Alexander the Great (4th century BC). The story goes:

“It was a custom with Apelles, to which he most tenaciously adhered, never to let a day pass, however busy he might be, without exercising himself by tracing some outline or other; a practice which has now passed into a proverb. It was also a practice with him, when he had completed a work, to exhibit it to the view of passersby in some exposed places; while he himself, concealed behind the picture, would listen to the criticisms that were passed upon it; it being his opinion that the judgement of the public was preferable to his own, as being more discerning of the two.”

(Translation J. Bostock & H. Riley, London, 1855, Word Histories)

It was under these circumstances, they say, that he was censured by a shoemaker for having represented the shoes with one shoe-string too little. And so:

“The next day, the shoemaker, quite proud at seeing the former error corrected, thanks to his advice, began to criticize the leg; upon which Apelles, full of indignation, popped his head out, and reminded him that a shoemaker should give no opinion beyond the shoes, a piece of advice which has equally passed into a proverbial saying.”

(Translation J. Bostock & H. Riley, London, 1855, Word Histories)

Obviously, as discussed, there are a number of people out there who have exceptional knowledge and skills in very specific areas. We consider them to be “experts” in their fields; and, without the benefit of their leadership and input into certain areas, I’m not sure how our society, let alone the world, could not only have thrived, but even survived.

Which leads me to a question that I’ve considered, on and off, for many years: “What would it be like if everyone on the planet only had my skills, knowledge and expertise?”

First of all, what am I even very good at, much less an expert? Well, let’s see. I spent many years in the advertising business, made a decent living at it, but never got close to working at a big, New York agency. Always said that I wasn’t interested in being a part of that intense rat race, but could I even have made it there? So, there’s that. And then, like most young boys growing up in the late fifties I was a big Elvis fan. Consequently, I took formal lessons on the guitar for about three years and practiced a whole lot. But though I was in a few bands, I was mostly a rhythm guitarist strumming chords and was never very good at playing leads.

On another front, as a teenager, I got interested in shooting pool and actually had a “beginner’s” table in my basement. And, over the past 20 years, I’ve been the proud owner of professional, 8 foot pool table. I’ve spent many an hour during that time depositing billiard balls into various pockets. But, yet, I’ve only gotten just so good. For all the rounds of pool that I’ve played, I should be much, much better. And, for every brilliant, miraculous shot that would draw oohs and aahs from my friends, they were often followed up with clumsy misshots on “gimmes”. An old friend, himself a pool shark/hustler, complimented me on my game some years ago and said he thought I could be very competitive in C-tournaments right then. But, actually, any time that I’ve played for money or under pressure, I’ve been a disaster.

So, these are the few areas where I have some skill, if not expertise. But, it certainly doesn’t seem like any of these skills would add to the maintenance and advancement of the human race at all. So, getting back to the question that is on everyone’s mind right now — well, at least on my mind: “What would happen, what would it be like if everyone had Frank’s skills — and only Frank’s skills?”

Well, I’ll tell you right from the get-go, we’d be in a heap of trouble. Listen, I’m no dummy, but a lot like Socrates, one of my idols, I know what I don’t know (the very definition of Socratic knowledge, my friends) and, it involves a lot of stuff! Let’s put it this way: off the top (if we’d be depending on my brains and skill set), there would be no planes flown, no medical operations performed, no Broadway musicals produced, no gourmet meals being served in fancy restaurants, no 80-story hotels or office buildings (let alone 3,000 square foot homes) being built, no bridges being constructed across a river in the mid-west, no computers being built, repaired or even employed efficiently, no corporate (let alone personal) tax returns being prepared, no combat-ready soldiers standing by to defend our nation, no professional athletes to hoist 30-foot, nothing-but-net baskets, or slam 400 foot homers or beat a goalie with a 100 mph slap shot.

These are the things that would be missing in a world where everyone was saddled with the knowledge and abilities of yours truly, But, let’s be honest, if the human population was restricted to what any single one of us could bring to the table, it’d be pretty much the same result. There are those who would tell you that anything can be taught. And, I’m sure that receiving precise instruction, guidance and training from a professional can elevate one’s performance in a certain area — however, there is nothing that trumps having a unique aptitude to go along with that training, education and experience.

And, while each of us has the potential to achieve wonderful accomplishments, most of us will never be “expert” at more than one category, if that. The reason is, though we may possess some native intelligence, we are all limited in so many more areas than we’re proficient in. And, not only is level of intelligence a factor, but other intangibles such as courage, athleticism, eye-hand coordination, dexterity, strength, squeamishness, technical acuity, musical aptitude, etc.

So, even if there was one human being who was an expert at, say, flying a plane, that wouldn’t be enough. There would also need to be knowledgeable aeronautical engineers to design, configure and manufacture those planes. None of this can be done in a vacuum; it’s all interconnected. And, it doesn’t happen unless all parts of it are in play.

It was said of William Shakespeare back in the 16^th century that he was a “jack of all trades, master of none but oftentimes better than a master of one.” This was meant as a compliment, and that he was able to do so many things so well. But, the first part of that phrase has come to be seen as more of an insult these days. Describing someone who takes on many tasks but does none of them extremely well.

And, let’s face it, if the world was made up of humans with only some experience in a few different areas, then it’s hard to see how we could function as a working, breathing, evolving society. As a matter of fact, without the diverse and specialized knowledge, skills and experience of many of our citizens, there is no way that we would have gotten to the point that we’re at today. No, not even remotely possible.

Those who know me well know that one of my oft-repeated phrases is “We’re all in this together.” And, not only do I believe that to be morally true, but in practical terms, I believe that it is literally true that we could not survive as a species, a society, a planet unless we all do our part and contribute what we can in terms of expertise and ability. Perhaps, each of us cannot compete at a superior level, but I believe it’s still incumbent upon us to work with the tools that we were given. And, in doing so, it’s worth remembering an old English proverb: “Everyone must row with the oars he has.”

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