16 : Divers and Dabblers
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica Online:
Diving Ducks obtains their food by diving to the bottom in deep water rather
whereas
Dabbling Ducks obtain their food by tipping-up in shallows and only infrequently by diving. They are also swift fliers.
Which are you?
Do you ‘dive deep’ into a few specific areas such as playing a musical instrument well, practicing for hours a week, or being a specialist on agricultural implements in medieval Europe?
Or do you ‘fly swiftly’ between Japanese history, Zen aesthetics, bird watching, nutrition, playing the keyboard, neuoroplasticity, Buddhist psychology, taiko drumming and …. and …. and …
My name is Lynda and I am a Dabbler. However, though it took quite a long time, I’ve given up wanting to be ‘cured’.
The list above is mine – and I could add more to it (which is why every few months I have to make another trip to Ikea to buy more bookcases). For much of my life I felt quite bad about being a dabbler (while also at the same time having a great deal of fun). But I’ve got through that stage. Now I’m proud to say that not only am I a Dabbler – I’m a specialist dabbler. I’m an expert dabbler. Maybe even Queen of the Dabblers (though some of you might want to challenge me for that title?).
We live in a society which, on the whole, values Diving over Dabbling. Specialists are respected for their depth of knowledge, for their commitment and ability to ‘stick to’ something. Knowing a lot about something or being very good at something is seen as intrinsically worthwhile. Many, maybe most, divers are happy to be divers.
So I’m going to focus on Dabblers. What does ‘society’ have to say about dabblers? No stickability? Need to make up their minds what they want and get down to it? Shallow? Butterflies (in a negative sense)? (Whatever happened to the idea of the Renaissance man or woman). Even more importantly, what do dabblers say about themselves? Often, all of the above. Many dabblers believe that they should be divers.
If you’re a Dabbler, are you happy to be so or do you have “I should be a Diver” hanging around your neck like the albatross in the Ancient Mariner?
In Barbara Sher’s book “I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was”, she has a chapter on what she calls Divers and Scanners (Dabblers). She says this about Scanners :
“If you’re a scanner you have extraordinarily special and valuable skills. You love what is new and you don’t suffer from fear and indecisiveness. You’re a lightning-fast learner, curious about anything you don’t already understand”.
There are jobs that Dabblers are really well equipped to do, for example – teachers/trainers, librarians, documentary filmmakers, explorers (both outer and inner space) – and of course, coaching. In fact, anything with lots of variety where you can bring in your wide range of knowledge and interests – and never have to be bored.
So if, at heart, you know that you do really enjoy being a Dabbler I’d like you to give yourself permission to just revel in it in your out-of-work life – and, if you’re not feeling fulfilled and excited in your work – ask yourself whether that’s because you’re a Dabbler trying to do a Diver’s job.
Finally, if there are any Divers out there who would like to be Dabblers, or vice-versa, Barbara Sher’s book offers advice on how to achieve it.
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