Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

The story of 19th-century Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh helps Epstein explain the idea that sticking too much to a plan can hinder progress—that at times, it is a good thing to fail or quit. Van Gogh could not decide what he wanted to do professionally and bounced from career to career from art dealer, to teacher, to pastor, and more. He had a tendency to throw himself into pursuits wholeheartedly only to abandon them not long afterwards. Finally, he took up drawing and painting, pursuits he had been told he had no talent for and for which he initially had no interest. One day while painting in a storm, Van Gogh had a breakthrough: He applied paint thickly to his canvas, sometimes directly from the tube, to avoid the storm. This led to his characteristically bold style for which he has become one of the most beloved artists in history. Epstein points out that it was only in the last few years of his life that Van Gogh did all the work he became famous for, and he attributes Van Gogh’s ultimate success to his habits of exploring freely and always being ready to change or abandon plans.