Heinlein

[chuckro]

Robert Heinlein: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."

Of those, I am very certain I can (because I have already done): Write a sonnet, balance accounts, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, and cook a tasty meal.

I am moderately certain that, if called upon, I could: Build a wall, comfort the dying, pitch manure, and die gallantly.

With a little training (as I have the basic required skills), I could probably manage: Change a diaper, butcher a hog, and program a computer.

I would need extensive training/practice to: Plan an invasion, conn a ship, design a building, or fight efficiently.

What about you?

Comments

[edgehopper.livejournal.com]

Using your categories:

Of those, I am very certain I can (because I have already done): Write a sonnet, balance accounts, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, program a computer, and cook a tasty meal.

I am moderately certain that, if called upon, I could: Build a wall, comfort the dying, pitch manure, and die gallantly.

With a little training (as I have the basic required skills), I could probably manage: Change a diaper, butcher a hog, design a building, and plan an invasion.

I would need extensive training/practice to: Conn a ship, or fight efficiently.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I used to know how to change diapers...

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

I have already:

Balanced accounts, built a wall (a most messed up crooked wall, but a wall nonetheless), taken orders, given orders, cooperated, acted alone, solved equations, analyzed problems, pitched manure (my parents generally did not give us chores. However, when they felt remorse about this, they tended to go overboard), programmed a computer.

I'm fairly sure that with just a bit of work (no more than 1 year of lifespan of training and practice), I could learn to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog (most messily), conn a ship, design a building, set a bone, comfort the dying, fight efficiently, and perhaps die gallantly (one can never know about this last til it's put to the test, something I desire to delay).

I'm sure that it would take a minor act of God for me to write a sonnet or cook a tasty meal.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Have done: changed a diaper, written a sonnet, balanced accounts, built a wall, comforted the dying, taken orders, given orders, cooperated, acted alone, solved equations, analyzed a new problem, cooked a tasty meal, fought efficiently.

Could do, with some minor adjustments: butcher a hog, pitch manure, program a computer

Could do if I cheated a helluva lot: plan an invasion (does it count if I'm planning against one? Because I've already planned for zombies); conn a ship (a raft! a canoe!); design a building (I've done it with Legos!); set a bone (I'm going to set it down over there. Away from me); and die gallantly (I'm saving that one).

[lithoglyphic.livejournal.com]

All these depend on scale. I played Capture the Flag as a kid. That's not the same as planning an invasion. Or is it?

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

I have: Written a sonnet (terrible), balanced accounts, taken orders, given orders, cooperated, acted alone, solved equations, analyzed new problems, cooked tasty meals, built walls, done light manure-pitching (just one goat, just a day's accumulation), done as well as I could in comforting the dying, changed diapers, programmed computers.

I have experience relating to: Designing a building, butchering a hog (breaking down large cuts and large fowl, cleaning fish).

I hope I could, without training: Die gallantly.

If asked to manage neither strategy nor tactics, I could probably chip in effectively on invasion logistics.

I'm not even sure what "fight efficiently" means. Fire discipline? Energy-conserving martial arts?

[beastin.livejournal.com]

Things I have done: Pitch manure, write a sonnet, balance accounts, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, cook a tasty meal, build a wall, change a diaper, and program a computer.

Things I think I could do: Butcher a hog.

Things I am not presently competent to do: Plan an invasion, conn a ship, design a building, and fight efficiently.

Who knows: Comfort the dying and die gallantly.

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

I have definitely: wrote a sonnet, balanced accounts, built a wall, comforted the dying, took orders, gave orders, cooperate, acted alone, solved equations, analyzed a new problem, programmed a computer, cooked a tasty meal, fought efficiently.

I believe I could: change a diaper, butcher a hog, pitch manure, and die gallantly.

I would need training to: plan an invasion, conn a ship, design a building, set a bone.