Nightmare of Multipotentialites – The Question

Mar 27, 2025

What do you want to be? What if, at five, twenty, or even fifty, we can't give a clear, one-word answer? Is there something wrong with us if we constantly switch careers?

When I was little and people asked what I wanted to be, I couldn’t answer. I remember often slipping away with an awkward smile. I disliked the question, but that was nothing compared to how much I despised it fifteen years later. I still didn't know what I wanted to be. I was curious about so much and sought as much information about the world as I could gather.

People often don’t know what to make of those who have diverse interests. I envied my fellow students in university who, since seventeen, knew what they wanted, even if their only aspiration was as simple as, "Become a banker, get rich, and be surrounded by beautiful women." At least they had a vision. I didn’t.

I loved doing many things and cherished learning. Not econometrics – to this day, I don't understand how I passed that – but almost everything else. I achieved proficiency in most things I pursued. I delved into philosophy, psychology, ethology, novels, drama, crafted tapestries, played sports, and acquired knowledge about hand-knotted rugs, photography, and interior design. I transitioned from a media planner to brand manager at a multinational company, then I became an interior designer. Ultimately, I settled in family constellations and writing.

From a "traditional" viewpoint, this might be seen as a lack of perseverance, a notion I never agreed with. Because I am persistent. I am persistent in learning.

How many times did I see that desperate question in my parents' eyes: "What will become of you?" Not to mention, they still ponder what answer to give to the question, "What does your daughter do?" They can’t simply say "Everything," right? Eventually, I came across Dr. Barbara Kerr's definition of multipotentialites.

What is multipotentiality, and who are multipotentialites?

Multipotentiality is the ability to realize numerous career options due to broad interests, talent spanning various fields, and unique receptivity.

As I researched further, I found that multipotentialites can learn quickly and deeply, mastering subjects at a high level. Then, since they love learning new things, they move on once they feel they've mastered everything they wanted from that particular field. Finally, an explanation for why I changed careers just when I was getting good at something!

Although outsiders often think it's foolish and leads nowhere to keep starting over, that's not the case. We don’t start from scratch. It’s crucial to recognize that with every new career, I utilized and integrated everything I previously learned. This often resulted in more efficient and creative solutions than what's typically seen in that field.

Multipotentialites do have disadvantages, like never having a thirty-year dental practice, thus not accumulating as much experience in one domain as those who’ve been drilling and filling teeth for decades. But they have many advantages. They learn quickly and efficiently, are used to being beginners and thus unafraid of mistakes. Their varied experiences, which they combine to solve problems, make them more creative. They're always enthusiastic, adept at synthesizing ideas, can easily switch between different thought patterns, and are more open-minded than most. These traits make them especially suitable for leadership roles and managing complex problems and situations.

Think of it like the difference between a bread knife and a Swiss army knife. While a Swiss army knife can't slice bread as neatly as a specialized bread knife, it's undoubtedly handier when faced with multifaceted tasks. Most of us own both.

Steve Jobs probably wasn't the world's best coder, but he was a champion at seeing connections that eluded others. He was competent in coding, marketing, design, and logistics but wasn't the best at any of them within Apple. He thought in strategies and overarching concepts and, in collaboration with skilled specialists, revolutionized an entire industry.

In short, if you find a thousand things fascinating and can't say you'll do what you're doing now for the rest of your life, don’t despair! Hone your skills, and once you achieve what you wanted in a particular field, don’t hesitate to switch! By doing so, you're doing the best for yourself and the world. Achieving truly great results requires everyone, both specialists and multipotentialites.

With this comfort, I can return to László Mérő’s book titled “The Logic of Miracles.” Although it has little to do with my current interests, I'll surely integrate probability calculations somehow into family constellations eventually.

– Eszter

Here is my personal email for paid subscribers, you can ask personal questions and receive personalized answers to those you might not wish to ask publicly.

Eszter’s Weekly Elephant

Discussion about this post