Reading the title of this thread brings to mind the Odyssey in which Odysseus was said to be “skilled in all ways of contending.” He used his wits as well as his physical strength. The Odyssey was the very first book that I and every other first year students at Reed read. (In some years it was the Iliad instead.) But we talked about the idea of versatility.
I was reluctant when my daughter wanted to attend an art school for college, but reassured by the actual curriculum at RISD when I visited there, including the ability to take some courses at Brown University. She is a talented artist. But it turned out that it was a couple of courses that she took at Brown that led her to an interest in environmental design, and subsequently defined her career (in which she also ended up earning an MBA and an MS in sustainable systems). She has skills in many ways of contending.
I had no doubt that my son, by attending the University of Chicago, would get a broad exposure to arts and sciences, as well as specific theoretical knowledge and analytic skills in his economics major. It wasn’t initially his idea to apply there, but I knew the university, and it turned out to be an excellent fit for him. He can do technical, statistical analysis; and he can write. It really helps that he reads widely. Skilled in many ways of contending.