Specialization Is For Insects

<a href="http://heinlein.43people.com/">Robert Heinlein’s</a> notorious list of things a human being should be able to do. Actually, this was originally spoken by "Lazarus Long, the universe’s oldest living human" in Heinlein’s 1973 novel <i>Time Enough For Love</i>, but it seems to fit with much of Heinlein’s own philosophy. The version of the list that does the rounds apparently also omits one item from the original – "have sex with your mother" for reasons that don’t really require elucidation.

There’s some <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/48658">debate</a> about whether the list is something a <i>single</i> human being should be able to do, or something a population of humans should be able to do. It’s also questionable whether the frontier mentality embodied in this quote is, or should be, applicable to modern societies. But it’s interesting, if you don’t take it too seriously.

Send to Printer Specialization Is For Insects <a href="http://heinlein.43people.com/">Robert Heinlein’s</a> notorious list of things a human being should be able to do. Actually, this was originally spoken by "Lazarus Long, the universe’s oldest living human" in Heinlein’s 1973 novel <i>Time Enough For Love</i>, but it seems to fit with much of Heinlein’s own philosophy. The version of the list that does the rounds apparently also omits one item from the original – "have sex with your mother" for reasons that don’t really require elucidation. There’s some <a href="http://www.metafilter.com/mefi/48658">debate</a> about whether the list is something a <i>single</i> human being should be able to do, or something a population of humans should be able to do. It’s also questionable whether the frontier mentality embodied in this quote is, or should be, applicable to modern societies. But it’s interesting, if you don’t take it too seriously.
	1.	change a diaper 8 people
	2.	plan an invasion 9 people
	3.	butcher a hog 5 people
	4.	conn a ship 8 people
	5.	design a building 20 people
	6.	write a sonnet 25 people
	7.	balance accounts 7 people
	8.	build a wall 11 people
	9.	set a bone 9 people
	10.	comfort the dying 8 people
	11.	take orders 5 people
	12.	give orders 4 people
	13.	cooperate 6 people
	14.	act alone 3 people
	15.	solve equations 3 people
	16.	analyze a new problem 3 people
	17.	pitch manure 4 people
	18.	program a computer 3 people
	19.	cook a tasty meal 3 people
	20.	fight efficiently 6 people
	21.	die gallantly 7 people
This is a community list. You can contribute, edit, or help maintain it by adding it to your lists. Created by Sumit on Aug 08, 2006.