What is the Meaning & Definition of versatility


Versatility is the quality of doing different things. It is said that someone is a versatile person when it has interests and very different abilities together.
Educated people are those who know about varied subjects: art, science and sport... You have interest with respect to knowledge not related and aside from our profession, reveals a versatility. And this implies that the versatile person has a character with intellectual curiosity in several areas and open. Occasionally, the versatility is used as a trait which is not positive exactly, since it is used as a synonym for dispersion and something who is not able to focus on something.
You can be seen, therefore, that the term versatility may have two (one positive and the other negative) meanings depending on the context.
In the positive sense, versatility implies plurality of interests, initiative, curiosity, Vitalism, ultimately, and is understood as a valuable feature.
In the negative sense, versatility is considered an ambivalent, little practice, fans or unstable people attitude. Even there are sayings concerning: apprentice of everything, master of none. A derogatory sense of the variety stands out.
Both interpretations may be valid, depending on the reasons that they argue. An example can serve to clarify the debate. Medicine like a doctor in general, interesting you all branches alike. This attitude is positive, in that all knowledge is useful, and is at the same time, negative in that it is almost impossible to specialise in a branch of medicine if the interest is towards all. Continuing with a similar example, if a doctor specializes in diseases of the retina and its life staff has diverse interests, we would be talking about someone versatile and at the same time specializes.
In the history of humanity there are illustrious examples of versatility (in this case in a positive sense). Stands out the figure of Leonardo da Vinci, an artist of the Renaissance which painted, sculpted, wrote and invented and all of this with great skill. His case is paradigmatic and almost one could say that it is an exception, as uncommon a deep knowledge in different activities.

Article contributed by the team of collaborators.