08-10-2022, 10:59 PM
There are many aspects to this, and in my opinion it's quite complex.
On the one hand, specialisation is useful. If someone spends every day reading up on the same topic, researching this topic, writing about it, teaching about it... They will achieve a level of understanding and proficiency that is hard to reach by a generalist. Therefore, I welcome every specialist opinion on or contribution to the study of the VM.
On the other hand though, the VM is also its own kind of specialty. It offers unique challenges in various fields, that require solutions which may not readily belong to the specialist's toolkit. It is possible that the VM can only be solved through a more wholistic approach, focusing on one aspect but being aware of the others.
Initially I was drawn entirely to the imagery, but I also felt the need to understand the text. I found that I could only do this by venturing well outside of my comfort zone, and also remaining aware that I was outside of my comfort zone. (The thread "Koen needs statistics advice" is probably still one of the larger ones on the forum).
There is another advantage to studying various aspects of the MS. As mentioned, I can really obsess over a small part (like the legs on a lobster, sleeves on a dress, the way two figures hold hands). This is good as preseverance may lead to results. But it can also help to do something completely different for a while (e.g. text statistics) to take some distance from the other subject (imagery) and be able to return to is as if you're somebody else reading it for the first time.
On the one hand, specialisation is useful. If someone spends every day reading up on the same topic, researching this topic, writing about it, teaching about it... They will achieve a level of understanding and proficiency that is hard to reach by a generalist. Therefore, I welcome every specialist opinion on or contribution to the study of the VM.
On the other hand though, the VM is also its own kind of specialty. It offers unique challenges in various fields, that require solutions which may not readily belong to the specialist's toolkit. It is possible that the VM can only be solved through a more wholistic approach, focusing on one aspect but being aware of the others.
Initially I was drawn entirely to the imagery, but I also felt the need to understand the text. I found that I could only do this by venturing well outside of my comfort zone, and also remaining aware that I was outside of my comfort zone. (The thread "Koen needs statistics advice" is probably still one of the larger ones on the forum).
There is another advantage to studying various aspects of the MS. As mentioned, I can really obsess over a small part (like the legs on a lobster, sleeves on a dress, the way two figures hold hands). This is good as preseverance may lead to results. But it can also help to do something completely different for a while (e.g. text statistics) to take some distance from the other subject (imagery) and be able to return to is as if you're somebody else reading it for the first time.