the benefits of polymathy

Alvaro Pascual-Leone, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, explained the benefits of polymathy very simply. He said, "It may well be a mistake to do just one thing,. If you practice multiple things you actually get better at any one of those things."

He analogized learning different things to working out. "It's sort of like walking on the beach. Every time you do it, you change the sand. But unless you keep stepping on the same piece of sand, you won't leave a permanent mark."