The panda has a specialised diet consisting almost exclusively of bamboo.
So is the just as cute koala bear that survives mainly on a diet of eucalypt leaves.
Now compare them to humans or bears who are omnivores.
We humans eat almost everything! In some countries, humans have diets that include spiders, insects, scorpions, etc.
Talk about survivability!
In the Corporate world, we commonly start out as "generalist" executives. Over time, we discover what we like or excel in, and we will gravitate towards a specialisation.
We end up as "specialist" managers in Marketing, Human Resource, Finance, Operations, etc.
Guess what? For the elite few, we end up back as "generalist" CEOs or Managing Directors.
When it comes to investing or trading, some agonise over whether to specialise or be a generalist.
Don't ever let others tell you what you should do.
Unless you have a habit of lying to yourself, you know who you are.
If you are a carnivore, you are a trader, a salesman, an entrepreneur, and so on.
If you are a herbivore, you got to be on high alert that you don't end up as the menu when others invite you to join them for dinner.
(OK, need to make this metaphor clearer as we are dealing with herbivores - be aware that some seminars and talks are actually slaughter houses for the unsuspecting "guests"; and some even pay to join the event!!! And be very aware of that "friend" or "classmate" who is ever so helpful to "share" with you their good fortune and opportunity of a lifetime...)
If you are omnivore, you have headaches! Which is good because you have options!
Sometimes options confuse us. We can choose to be a vegetarian or vegan. We can choose to go for a low carb diet like Atkins diet.
And we can be very fussy with what we put into our mouth. I have a ex-ang moh colleague who spent 5 years in Singapore without once trying our hawker centre food!!!??? It's only fast food and Western restaurants for him. Know any fellow Singaporeans like him on our travels?
Some omnivores look enviously at herbivores and carnivores, wishing to be more like them - specialists. Well you can! But the decision making part sucks though... What if we make a wrong choice?
Well, if you choose to be a panda or a koala bear, just make sure you don't ever run our of bamboo or eucalypt leaves!
Singapore Man of Leisure (welcome to my blog; just google it!)
