Learning How to Learn: The Importance of Specialization and Serious Study

|Peter Boettke|

Walter Grinder sent me the link to this CSM article on the importance for learning from in-depth study.

When Lin Ostrom was here last winter one of her many messages to our PhD students was, despite her advocacy of multiple-method methodology and interdisciplinary research, that they should master 1 discipline and develop expertise in 1 methodological perspective prior to pursuing interdisciplinary research and multiple-method methodology.

Comments

[David Andersson]

Great link. I used to play the violin as a teenager, and had to practice about two hours every single day, of which half an hour consisted of scales in various keys. I eventually discovered that I was more passionate about understanding the human world than about music, but the discipline required for playing an instrument can be very useful in college. A required textbook on econometrics? No matter what you think about econometrics, it's a lot more interesting than practicing 25 different versions of the a minor scale. Conference presentations? A lot more relaxing than playing a sonata in a recital.

[Peter Boettke]

David,

I know music is a great example. I do think that sports play that role as well, which many academics don't get which is why I talk about it on this blog a lot. As both an athlete throughout college and a coach since at various levels, I have seen the commitment to excellence in sports actually work wonders in the lives of many. My first real "student" in tennis, worked his butt off at the sport, lost the state finals his senior year and went on to college at Princeton. One of my last basketball players is currently playing at Harvard, he again worked his tail off to improve as a basketball player working with me, a personal trainer and his HS coach from 8th grade. He also maintained a 4.0 and scored a perfect SAT. When choosing between where to continue his college playing career, it was a choice between Harvard and MIT. I coached the tennis player in 1981-83 during the summers when home from college, and I coached the basketball player from 2004-2009.

Between the ages of 13-17, I spent my summers playing basketball up to 10 hours a day. No kidding. In college after my first freshman year, and I transfered to Grove City, tennis eventually crowded out basketball. In graduate school, study of economics (and other disciplines) crowded out both basketball and tennis.

What I learned in my personal experience was to "work hard" and to "work smart". I would say that with respect to basketball, I worked hard, but not necessarily smart. In tennis, I worked smart, but not quite as hard as I did at basketball. But when it came to economics and an academic career, I tried (continue to try) to work hard and work smart.

In each case, I had role models that were vital to me. As a kid growing up in NJ, I was very lucky because as a kid playing baseball, I former minor league players coaching me; as a basketball player I was exposed to great coaches and competed against elite HS and college players on the playgrounds starting in middle school; and as a tennis player I was first taught by a guy who played on the circuit, learned from his uncle who was a legendary college coach, and got to practice with elite juniors, and worked side by side with a former professional player. The message in each of these endeavors was simple --- only one way to get where you want to go ---- hard work; constant practice; practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.

I think the lessons I learned on ball fields and courts from grade school through college enabled me to apply myself when I decided to focus on economics and public policy. I also learned, I think, how to deal with adversity, failure, and the necessary adjustments required to reverse course.

Now, if I can figure out the right balance I might even learn how to play golf in my 50s.

[Peter Boettke]

BTW, in economics my role model when I was a student was James Buchanan; then as an assistant professor it was Israel Kirzner; and as a professor it has been Vernon Smith. I recommend that all students of economics look into the work habits of these individuals and the way they conduct themselves.

Also, I read a wonderful obit type article written by Fritz Machlup about what was found on Jacob Viner's desk after his death and which discusses Viner's work habits. This article along with Buchanan's example really resonated with me as it was the identical message I had heard from my father, my coaches, and my lived experience in attempting to compete athletically. There is no luck, there is no flash of genius, there is preparation and hard work. Scholarship, like athletics, is not about inspiration, but perspiration; it is not the will to win (succeed; discover; learn) that matters most, but the willingness to prepare to win that does.

Or as Jim Buchanan used to like to tell us --- the consistent and persistent application of the seat of your pants to the seat of your chair.

[Richard Ebeling]

In a footnote in "The Constitution of Liberty" (p. 428, n. 12), Hayek quotes Louis Pasteur: "In research, chance helps only those whose minds are well prepared for it."

Richard Ebeling

[Vichy Fournier]

Wouldn't this somewhat militate against your view that people interested in learning economics should go through mainstream economics courses? It means they will spend time developing skills and backgrounds with no application to actual economic analysis.

[Rafe Champion]

One good thing about going really deep in some field is when "big names" say dumb things in that area you can pick them up in a flash and get the signal that they may not be what they appear to be. Bertrand Russell picked up on Hegel when he read what Hegel wrote about maths.

That said, if you are lucky with the teachers and the books that you find early, and if you pick up on a common structure of problems in different fields you can get to the advantage line in more than one area: the problem is to get further!

[Nike Shox R4]

I believe that that more study we are, much more knowledge we possess. As long as we believe ourself, our dream will come true. I know this principle from your blog. Thank you so much.

[microsoft office 2007]

this is a great post and thank you for sharing this nice experience,and hope you can give another posts as soon as possible.