The Superage: The Emergence of Superskills

Era of Superphenomena: The Rise of ‘Super’ and Its Implications on Learning

Have you also caught on to the growing trend of the prefix ‘super’ in our daily language? Phrases like ‘What’s your superpower?’ or ‘The rise and fall of a global superpower’ are becoming commonplace. Then there’s ‘Collective intelligence of a superorganism,’ which reflects an intricate level of cooperation, or ‘The potential of superintelligence surpassing human intelligence’ — a thought that both excites and unnerves. And let’s not forget the daunting ‘The challenge of managing supercomplexity.’ It seems the term ‘super’ isn’t just for comic books anymore, is it?

It’s striking how the prefix ‘super’ has evolved to mean so much more than just bigger or stronger. It’s now a marker of a qualitative leap in complexity and capability. Our language adapts as we grapple with increasingly complex challenges and multifaceted systems, expanding to encapsulate these new, intricate realities. This shift in our vocabulary isn’t just semantic play; it’s a reflection, a mirror, if you will, of our fast-paced, intricately interconnected world. ‘Super’ has become less about size and more about the depth and breadth of what we face and create. It’s a small word carrying the weight of a supercharged era.

Superpower, superorganism, supercomplexity, superintelligence… what’s next? Superskills!

There are three levels of skills: skills, meta-skills and superskills.

Skills are your hands-on abilities, garnered through learning, practice, and experience. They’re the tangible, specific capabilities tied to particular tasks or fields. Whether it’s the logical dance of coding, the soulful art of playing an instrument, or the nuanced finesse of effective communication, skills are the meat-and-potatoes of your personal toolkit. They’re the ‘doing’ part of your repertoire.

Meta-skills, on the other hand, are skills that help you learn and do other skills better. They’re also called “higher-order skills” or “learning-to-learn skills.” These are the brainy abilities that help you shine in different learning and problem-solving situations. Things like thinking critically, solving tricky puzzles, adapting to change, getting creative, communicating effectively, and being savvy with info. Strong meta-skills give you an edge to excel in lots of different areas.

The term “superskills” might not be as widely known as the other two ideas, but it’s often used to talk about seriously valuable and transferable skills that really make a difference in your personal and work life.

Now, who typically owns the last category of skills? People, who are champions of learning — polymaths. Polymaths are the maestros of multidisciplinary mastery. Polymaths don’t just dabble; they dive deep, possessing a wealth of knowledge and skills across various domains. They’re the intellectual adventurers, the Renaissance people of our time, with a spectrum of interests as wide as their capabilities. In fact, if we extend the ‘super’ theme, then polymaths can be seen as super-learners. This is because they manage to learn substantially more than what is typically expected from a regular individual. However, they are not geniuses; their secret lies in a distinct approach to learning.

So what are these magical superskills, a gift of polymathy to humanity?

SUPERSKILL 1: Rapid Depth

This concept involves rapidly gaining a deep understanding or expertise. It points to the ability to grasp complex subjects in a flash, a quality closely tied to cognitive flexibility. Interestingly, this particular skill — the capacity to learn both rapidly and deeply — is the polymath’s very own. The key lies in their comprehensive, in-depth knowledge (not just scratching the surface) across diverse domains. This kind of breadth nurtures the skill of linking ideas across different fields, fostering cognitive flexibility. And in turn, this dynamic process fuels neuroplasticity, the brain’s extraordinary way of rewiring itself.

Rapid Depth is a superpower. It’s all about diving into complexity really fast and getting a deep understanding. This isn’t just about knowing a little bit — it’s about really getting it. Polymaths are amazing at this. They soak up information quickly and understand it, which helps them connect ideas from different areas and come up with new ideas. This rapid and deep learning actually changes the brain, making it more flexible and adaptable, which ultimately empowers one to excel across various fields and adapt to the dynamic challenges of our world.

SUPERSKILL 2: PolyScope

Like a telescope with multiple lenses, ‘PolyScope’ refers to the ability to zoom in and out across various fields, offering both depth and breadth in understanding. It’s the phenomenon where mastery over multiple disciplines merges, offering a panoramic view of any issue or idea. This ability is vital in understanding complexity, as complex systems are characterized by intricate interdependencies and interactions. The world’s most pressing issues — whether in ecology, technology, or society — are intrinsically multidimensional, requiring a PolyScope approach for a complete understanding.

SUPERSKILL 3: Concept Blend

Conceptual blending is a real game-changer. Based on a solid ground of conceptual thinking, this isn’t just any skill — it’s a super skill that enables multi level creative thinking, solving problems, and getting those lightbulb moments by merging ideas from disparate domains. When you venture into different areas, your brain kicks into gear and starts mixing ideas from all over. This combo of different ideas sparks a one-of-a-kind creativity that’s at the core of being a polymath. What’s truly stunning about it? It happens organically, no polymath ever trained that on purpose.

Interestingly, the ability to think imaginatively across disciplines and to solve meaningful problems in new ways is referred to as the number one skill in the coming years, as stated by the report from the World Economic Forum.

Yet, the paramount significance lies in how Concept Blending intertwines with crafting the Futures. It’s a skill in a visionary’s toolkit, turning complexity into a playground of possibilities. Why? This alchemy of disciplines is the crux of Futures, enabling us to decode and shape what lies ahead. It’s transformative.

Polymaths, the leaders of this new Superage, embody a living example of how superskills like Rapid Depth, PolyScope, and Concept Blend can transform challenges into opportunities and complexity into clarity. Their ability to traverse across disciplines, to see the unseen connections, and to create novel solutions is not just inspiring, but also instructive. It suggests a future where learning is not confined to silos but is an interconnected web of knowledge and understanding. After being banned from collective awareness in favor of hyper-specialization for the last 150 years, today polymaths are back on stage just in time — to generously share their superskills in the Superage.