Richard Smalley Quotes

We've found that the more niche you are, the better off you are.

An expert is someone who knows some of the worst mistakes, which can be made, in a very narrow field.

A specialist is someone who does everything else worse.

We now live in the era of the super-specialist - of clinicians who have taken the time to practice at one narrow thing until they can do it better than anyone who hasn't.

A specialist is a man who knows more and more about less and less.

One of the things that is wrong with America is that everybody who has done anything at all in his own field is expected to be an authority on every subject under the sun.

I know a lot about a few things - mostly useless things.

I don't look at a man who's expert in one area as a specialist. I look at him as a rookie in ten other areas.

An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field.

I think the whole definition of a geek is somebody being passionate and focused, and being proud of saying that they're passionate and focused, on a narrow range of subjects.

Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less.

A lot of people ask me to produce or direct, but I don't think I'm qualified. It's hard enough for a person to do just one thing well in their life. I don't want to do too much.

Very narrow areas of expertise can be very productive. Develop your own profile. Develop your own niche.

It may be true, that men, who are mere mathematicians, have certain specific shortcomings, but that is not the fault of mathematics, for it is equally true of every other exclusive occupation.

My entire life has been spent thinking about this game. That's pretty narrow... I don't view myself as a person who's well-versed in very many subjects. I'm not proud of that.

I'm a baseball fan, but I'm not qualified to make baseball decisions, and I don't want to pretend to be.

The scientist rigorously defends his right to be ignorant of almost everything except his specialty.

I think any time you have too much education in one certain field, that can sometimes play against you.

An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.

Sure, you're an intelligent and highly capable individual, and you are learning a lot on the fly as you build your company. But you also need to come to terms with the fact that there are things you have chosen not to be an expert in.

I'd rather be a big fish in a specialized pond than a little, little fish in a more generalized big pond.

Every one of my opponents, every one of my critics, will tell you that I am a generalist spread far too thin in an age when this is not done anymore, when responsible knowledge is specialized knowledge.

Every man gets a narrower and narrower field of knowledge in which he must be an expert in order to compete with other people. The specialist knows more and more about less and less and finally knows everything about nothing.

Most people are good at too many things. And when you say someone is focused, more often than not what you actually mean is they're very narrow.

In the age of the specialist, the generalsit gets short shrift.