Questions from Chess
Mar. 8th, 2012 03:58 pmYou are offered the chance to become an Instant Expert in any one field of academic endeavour. Which field of academic study do you choose, or do you turn the offer down entirely?
This is an interesting question, I'll answer in three parts.
Would I want the expertise?
Yes, definitely. It might make sense to pick a subject I know nothing about, so I gain proportionately more. But honestly, what I'd like is to know maths to a professional level, rather than a graduate level.
When I see a question about physics or biology or literature, I'm more likely to think "I wish I had someone to explain that to me", but when I see a question about maths, I'm more likely to think "I wish I knew that."
Would I want the job?
I'm not sure. I think it was a good thing I didn't do a PhD, I think the risk of me drifiting would have been too high. But I think I'd like being a professor. And I'd like to discover something genuinely new. But on balance, I'm not certain, but I think I'd rather make great software than great maths.
Would I want the prestige?
I don't know. In general, I'd like to be admired, but when it comes to it, I actually only want to be admired for things I've actually done, not for stuff that just fell onto me.
On the one hand, that sounds quite laudable. But on the other hand, I think it's a manifestation of imposter syndrome: to some extent popular successful people are those who say "I worked hard, so I deserved to capitalise on the luck I had" rather than "oh, well, I worked hard, but I only succeeded because I got lucky". Most likely, if someone's parents/peers were millionaires, they'd think being a millionaire was appropriate compensation for the work they do. And if they were destitute, they'd think being destitute was what they could expect.
This is an interesting question, I'll answer in three parts.
Would I want the expertise?
Yes, definitely. It might make sense to pick a subject I know nothing about, so I gain proportionately more. But honestly, what I'd like is to know maths to a professional level, rather than a graduate level.
When I see a question about physics or biology or literature, I'm more likely to think "I wish I had someone to explain that to me", but when I see a question about maths, I'm more likely to think "I wish I knew that."
Would I want the job?
I'm not sure. I think it was a good thing I didn't do a PhD, I think the risk of me drifiting would have been too high. But I think I'd like being a professor. And I'd like to discover something genuinely new. But on balance, I'm not certain, but I think I'd rather make great software than great maths.
Would I want the prestige?
I don't know. In general, I'd like to be admired, but when it comes to it, I actually only want to be admired for things I've actually done, not for stuff that just fell onto me.
On the one hand, that sounds quite laudable. But on the other hand, I think it's a manifestation of imposter syndrome: to some extent popular successful people are those who say "I worked hard, so I deserved to capitalise on the luck I had" rather than "oh, well, I worked hard, but I only succeeded because I got lucky". Most likely, if someone's parents/peers were millionaires, they'd think being a millionaire was appropriate compensation for the work they do. And if they were destitute, they'd think being destitute was what they could expect.