Forte/Specialty

There are two of us on this forum, so far, that have our area(s) of specialty already. And as others grow, more will find their area(s) of specialty. Some guys are currently learning things that will soon lead to their niches. Others will fall into their niches after they grow more.

Here's food for thought. Do you believe that someone that has a niche carved out for them can still be just as effective in any other area of PU as someone who hasn't found their niche yet?

that really depends on whether the person with their speciality has always done this or that, or if they have just sided abit more towards this method. because if they focus more on their speciality they might forget bits and pieces of other methods and maybe not feel as confident or even mess up because they haven't done it in ages.
i hope this makes sense, hehe

I see your point. I'll relate to what happened to me with this. When I got deep into Online Game and that was virtually the only game I was doing for a while, I tended to lose my social "In-Field" skills. I was able to bounce back but the first few nights coming back I was really rusty. Hence why I wrote a thread about why to make online game a side project and not to neglect the fundamentals. However, now I still do a large amount of online game, but I still go out a few nights a week to sarge. At this point my expertise is certainly with online game, but I am still just as good at other aspects as well.

Yeah, ive found this to be totally true, I have a few things about TRIPP and JSMOOTH, I like and they both help me balance out my game and really do well to give me the best advice but I do seem to be coming into my own style. We have our styles but we have the same goals

L.A. Tripp wrote:

Do you believe that someone that has a niche carved out for them can still be just as effective in any other area of PU as someone who hasn't found their niche yet?

Finding your niche means that you understand what you excel at and speaks nothing of overall skill in other areas. So, I'd have to deduce that someone who hasn't found their niche could be just as effective in other areas, minus the niche. But on the other hand, the person with a niche has more refined skills than one who hasn't grown to that stage yet. Since the theory is universal, and the application differs in the other types of games, this may imply a more intimate knowledge of theory helping them rise above one without a niche. Basically what I'm saying is I have no clue what the answer is.

LMAO. Great answer hobbit.

That's a textbook college answer there haha.

No, I think it's essential that a niche be found in order for that person's game to blossom. Although, my self included can indeed gain some success without actually having an overbearing niche, I would still say the guy with the niche in this present moment will have a greater advantage than the guy who doesn't.

Lol hobbits response reminds me of how i used to answer standardized state tests here...if farmer brown has x,y,z blah...my answer was always, "Due to the content of this question, which i find morally and socially offensive, i cannot continue to answer this question. Not to mention it is blasphamist to my religious beleifs...."

I just wish i coulda seen the looks on the person face who had to read my essays

In anycase, i think "niche's" are a natural human occurance. All people specialize, we as individuals are not capable of internalizeing all of the collective human knowledge. So our minds are made to allow us to learn many functions, but excell in only a few.

With that said, we are capable of doing many things well, so i beleive that with or without a niche we can do very well in a given subject. I think a persons niche is for the most part learned...so to achieve it we must first learn something in a broad sence, then refine it.

To me this question is: Can you be a Renaissance Man of PU?

My answer is offcourse. A prime example of someone who has done this is Style. However, he started with a niche. You have to start some where. It is much easier to learn one concept and apply it than multiple ones. Style, for his part learned MM and then branched out. He learned from every PUG around and formed his own methodology. The best case scenario is to start somewhere; specialize, and then when you have mastered that school of thought branch out. Expand your knowledge and become more well-rounded. Once you have multiple concepts you begin to formulate your own ideas and apply them to create your own method. You offcourse will always go back to your roots (your original niche).

I find it much more fullfilling to start in one area and end in your own. When you only stick to one concept then you are being narrow-minded. You need to try new things in order to learn. It is the way of the life to dabble in new areas and to expand your knowledge base. Even if you aren't successful you had the experience and a new view of what you have done.