Are You Multi-Passionate? 9 Sure-Fire Signs You’re a Generalist
Explore the top signs you’re a generalist with our guide. Are you multi-passionate with diverse interests and a love for learning? Find out here!
Are you fascinated by a wide range of subjects, hobbies, and activities?
From obscure Russian literature to wakeboarding, just about everything seems interesting, and you value curiosity and exploring all the things over specialising in just one field.
If this is the case, then you might be a multi-passionate generalist, a person who finds joy and fulfilment in pursuing diverse interests and embracing varied experiences.
Still not sure if this is you? Below are the top 9 signs you’re a generalist. Read on to see if these signs resonate with you and your unique approach to life’s adventures.
1. You Have Diverse Interests
If your hobbies and passions could fill a room with their variety, you’re likely a multi-passionate generalist.
Is your Kindle or bookshelf spilling over with books on topics as wide as Chinese politics to crochet Amigurumi patterns? Do you have trouble deciding whether you’ll practice the guitar or explore landscape photography this weekend? Or maybe learn the rules of Australian Football instead.
This diversity of interests isn’t about indecision but stems from a genuine curiosity and eagerness to explore the world from multiple angles. It brings you joy.
It’s exhilarating to dive into a new subject, feeling that rush of beginner’s excitement, and satisfying to add another layer to your personal tapestry of knowledge. Every new interest not only fills your days but enriches your whole perspective, making life a constant adventure.
2. You’re Endlessly Curious and Love Learning New Things
For years, I couldn’t nail down my passion. Was it physics? Was it cooking? Was it coding (back when BASIC was a thing)?
But then it hit me – I’m not passionate about a specific topic; I’m passionate about the process of learning itself.
An insatiable appetite for knowledge is a hallmark of a multi-passionate generalist.
Whether it’s through books, workshops, online courses, or hands-on experiences, you relish the process of learning and growing.
(Hands up who has a dozen or more unfinished online courses—and my Udemy wishlist is a mile long!)
Our quest for knowledge is about expanding our capabilities in surprising ways.
One day, you might explore writing a visual novel, and the next, you’re learning how to craft an entremet.
It’s about the thrill of the journey—the discovery, the insights gained, and how they apply to everything we do. This constant learning keeps life exciting and perpetually fresh, ensuring we’re always evolving and always moving forward.
3. You’re Not Satisfied with One Career Path
I have a lot of respect for people who know what they want to do at a young age and follow that goal.
My friend, for instance, decided she wanted to be a Chiropractor at age five. Now, at the age of 45, she’s still happily pursuing that career and probably will until retirement.
Meanwhile, I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to do when I ‘grow up’.
For a multi-passionate generalist, the idea of a single lifelong career is unimaginable. There are just too many interesting career choices to consider to be stuck in just one for more than a few years. Let alone our whole lives!
Instead, our career path may look more like a zigzag rather than a straight line, rambling through various industries and roles.
Despite what some may think, this doesn’t reflect a lack of commitment but rather a commitment to follow our passions wherever they lead.
Each shift brings new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow, making our professional lives as rich and varied as our personal interests.
4. You Have a Resistance to Monotony
In other words, you don’t like boredom. Maybe you even prefer to be always multi-tasking, like playing a game on your phone while watching a movie.
For a multi-passionate generalist, routine and repetition are often the enemies of engagement. We don’t just dislike the same-old, same-old; it’s stifling.
Instead, if you regularly seek new experiences and challenges, change up work projects, pick up new hobbies, or simply alter your daily routines, this might be a sign that you’re a generalist at heart.
But that doesn’t make you flaky! Each change is an opportunity to stay mentally active and expand your horizons, bringing a sense of accomplishment and joy with every new venture.
5. You’re Creative and Innovative
Do your friends and fellow colleagues consider you to be creative? Are you the ideas person in your team?
Or maybe you spend more time than you care to admit daydreaming, imagining possibilities, or concocting solutions that others might not consider.
That might be your multi-passionate side shining through.
Where others see problems, you’re asking, ‘What are the solutions?’ because, you know, there’s always more than one solution.
Every person is creative, but the diverse interests and broad knowledge base of a generalist naturally foster a highly creative and innovative mindset.
Research shows (for example, this paper) that most creative breakthroughs come through unusual combinations of skills and experiences.
This innate creativity, fueled by varied experiences and a deep reservoir of knowledge, enables you to bring a fresh perspective and original solutions to any situation.
6. You Struggle with Choosing Just One Thing
When it comes to your hobbies, do you ever feel like the kid in the candy store, overwhelmed because everything looks so good?
Things can go one of two ways: you can get a tiny sample of everything, or you leave the store empty-handed because it is just too hard to choose.
Should I finish that furniture project I started months ago? Should I practice guitar? Should I go to the gym? Or take my camera out for a shoot?
Multi-passionate people can often end up doing nothing because they want to do everything. You end up paralysed because making a choice can be tough when it all looks so good.
This happens to me all. the. time. Rationally, I know that doing something is better than doing nothing.
But FOMO means I end up second-guessing any decision and end up doing nothing anyway.
It’s not because I’m indecisive. It’s because every interest is equally compelling.
And maybe there’s a bit of guilt that I spent the money on the guitar, so I should be using it, right? But what about the photography equipment I bought; haven’t used that in a while either. And what about the unfinished coffee table I’m halfway through restoring?
Do you relate?
While this might lead to a lot of unfinished tasks (or UFOs, as we call them in quilting circles, another hobby of mine), it also means life is never dull. As an unashamed dilettante, I think it’s ok to explore broadly. Dabbling doesn’t just fill time; it makes you well-rounded and versatile.
7. You’re Adaptable and Flexible and Thrive on Change
Do you have a knack for learning things quickly and easily?
Multi-passionate people not only love learning new things, we have a tendency to pick up new skills pretty quickly on the fly. That makes us more adaptable to new situations and more resilient in the face of change.
No one really loves change and uncertainty, but having multiple skills means that when opportunity comes knocking, you’re more likely to be in a position to say yes and land on your feet than someone who has a narrower range of skills.
For example, I was an accountant before I became a real estate copywriter. I had no experience in either real estate or copywriting, but I’d dabbled enough in writing and read home magazines, and that came in handy. Was I nervous about screwing up? Yup. But my multi-passionate nature meant I was always keen to study copywriting books in my spare time and read endless real estate adverts, and that helped me pick up the new job more easily.
This adaptability doesn’t just prepare us for the expected—it equips us to thrive in the face of the unexpected, turning potential obstacles into stepping stones for growth and success.
8. You Have a Wide Skill Set
I once had a friend jokingly ask, ‘Is there anything you can’t do?’
While there are obviously a billion things I’m not good at (literally anything involving any kind of sporting skill or coordination), it was a nice feeling to have, especially because generalists are often criticised for being experts in nothing.
When you’re a multi-passionate dilettante, along with having a diversity of interests, you also naturally accumulate a wide range of skills from these interests.
It’s one thing to be interested in cooking, but it’s another to be able to whip up a delicious hollandaise sauce.
This eclectic skill set enables you to handle a broad array of tasks and challenges, often surprising others with your versatility.
Whether it’s fixing a computer, writing compelling content, understanding the basics of graphic design, or even knowing a bit about gardening, your skills make you a jack-of-all-trades.
And this can open doors in unexpected ways. For example, I’ve used graphic design skills in my volunteer role and cooking skills to cater events for another volunteer organisation.
If you’re a multi-passionate person, you thrive in environments where you can wear multiple hats and switch between roles, often blurring the lines between hobbies and work.
9. You’re Often Misunderstood
This one cuts deep, but if you’re a generalist, you can probably relate.
Friends, family, and peers often view our varied interests as a lack of focus or commitment. They think we’re flaky.
People may have even cautioned you with the saying, ‘Jack of all trades, expert in none.’
What they don’t understand is that’s only half the quote!
Jack of all trades, expert in none,
But better by far than an expert in one!
Your ability to dive deeply into multiple areas is actually a strength, not a liability. It means you have an open-minded approach to life and learning that allows you to navigate complex problems and see connections others might miss.
While it can be frustrating to explain your multifaceted pursuits to others who expect a more traditional path, staying true to your nature and embracing your diverse passions can lead to greater personal satisfaction.
So, these are the top ten signs you’re a generalist. Sound like you?
If you’re nodding and feeling like someone finally gets why your brain never shuts off, welcome to the club!
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