Perhaps your child is a multipotentialite

I remember when I was a child, I was often confused by a question during English class.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I would always answer: I want to be a singer, an artist, or a professor.

(I want to be a singer, an artist, or a professor.)

But the teacher would say, "Give me one answer."

My answer was then forced to be amended to:

I want to be a professor.

Yet I always struggled internally: why could I choose only one?

Why couldn't I cross over into film, music, and television all at once, just like multi-talented entertainers do?

Is it truly impossible for someone to master two or more professions at the same time?

If a child says, "I want to be a psychotherapist and a violin maker,"

adults always say, "How cute, but you can't do both at the same time."

This is Dr. Bob Childs. He is a luthier and a psychotherapist.

Section image

Another example is Amy Ng, who was a magazine editor and later became an illustrator, entrepreneur, teacher, and creative director.

Section image

Of course, many adults would say that this is just survivorship bias—jack of all trades, master of none.

Even in teaching, if an instructor teaches both IELTS and TOEIC, people will question whether they are truly professional.

In Taiwan, mainstream values dictate that "it is best for a person to focus on one thing and make it their life's work." While this shouldn't be seen as the only path to exploring one's interests, it is certainly a safer road.

Most parents hope their children will specialize in a single area of expertise, at least so they can earn a decent living.

However, we often overlook that exploring multiple interests can actually help children find what they truly love in life.

This topic is quite broad, so we will divide it into two parts. Today, I will first share what a "multipotentialite" is. In the next post, I'll share one of my favorite books, Range, to discuss whether children's career aspirations should be cultivated from a young age.

▍What is a Multipotentialite?

Looking back at my own learning journey, I always felt I was strange. Whenever I made up my mind to learn a new field, I was filled with passion and drive, but once I reached a certain stage, I always wanted to branch out into similar or completely different fields.

When I was young, teachers and elders would constantly criticize me for having short-lived enthusiasm and lacking perseverance. This insecurity took root in my heart. But after watching Emilie Wapnick's TED Talk and reading her book How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up, I realized that I wasn't "strange" at all. There are many people in the world who share the same traits as me.

We are not anomalies; we are multipotentialites.

Multifaceted individuals or multipotentialites often possess the following traits:

1. Idea Synthesis

They frequently combine two or more concepts into novel ideas through non-linear thinking. This kind of creativity is often vital for entrepreneurship, yet it is frequently misunderstood as being unfocused or too scatterbrained.

However, because my background spans education and linguistics, along with self-directed studies in fashion history, psychology, sociology, and more—coupled with experience working in corporate settings—the speaking invitations I receive are not limited to English teaching. They also encompass sociological analysis, interpersonal communication, and how linguistics impacts individual psychology and society. These allow me to synthesize what I have learned in the past and develop a classroom style that stands distinctly apart from other teachers.

2. Rapid Learning

Whenever someone starts learning something new, there is often a lot of apprehension. However, multipotentialites generally don't have to experience the anxiety of "starting from scratch," which helps reduce stress. For example, when studying for my master's in language education in the UK, I was much clearer about my desired research direction. My efficiency in searching for literature and grasping related concepts was also faster than that of other classmates.

3. High Adaptability

Multipotentialites are not overly afraid of novel things; instead, they can pivot flexibly between diverse activities. This capability makes us indispensable talents who are not easily replaced.

4. Big-Picture Thinking

Compared to specialists, multipotentialites view the same situation from multiple perspectives. Because they have been exposed to varied stimuli, their broader vision allows them to identify systemic issues and perceive the interconnections and interactions between disparate things, rather than viewing everything solely through an in-depth understanding of a single domain.

5. Association and Cross-Disciplinary Communication

When interacting with experts at work, multipotentialites can speak using the other party's "language." Because they have acquired knowledge across related disciplines, they have a better grasp of how to communicate effectively with specialists in those fields.

In conclusion, perhaps we should stop asking children: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Instead, ask: "What are you curious about?"

Perhaps we can walk alongside children to help them clarify the voice within their hearts, and accompany them in planning and providing support.