What Kind of Master?
Even masters are imperfect.
What are the characteristics of a master?
A Master is:
Insightful.
Confident and Bold.
Thorough and accurate.
Trustworthy and trusting.
Willing and also Able.
A teacher and a student.
Optimistic and positive.
A Teamplayer.
…
Yada, yada, yada. The list goes on and on. This part is easy. These are just ideals. In the real world, ideals are hard to live by. Even the masters falter.
Let's look at this from a different angle by asking the question, "What kind of master?"
When I explained to my wife that I was trying to identify some characteristics of a master, she asked me what kind.
"What do you mean, 'what kind'? What are the characteristics of a master?
"Well, there are different kinds of masters. Which one of them are you talking about? A master of fishing, painting, hot dog vending? You can’t just categorize all masters in one way.”
"You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way."
"They won't all be the same."
Does a master of the trapeze have to be kind to audience members? Not really. They just have to worry about flawlessly performing their job.
Does a master of carpentry have to be punctual to provide the best possible house he can? Nope.
This question leads me to think more about just what defines a master. Simple characteristics are just that, simple and general. Positive characteristics are what we all strive for. Of course the characteristics of a master will be one long list of never ending positive reinforcements of what it means to be a master. It's cyclical and it doesn't amount to much in the end.
What makes up a master is more than the characteristics, but the dynamic of who that master is and of what they are a master. How do they interact with others? What is their reasoning behind what they are doing? You can be a master and be greedy too, you know.
Generally, a master is someone who is more than proficient in a subject. They excel. They transcend the typical and the great. They are an extreme.
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being about as useful as a single celled organism trying to open a tin can of soup, 10 being someone who not only opens that can in less than 10 seconds flat, but does it with a smile, a master would rate about an 11 or 12.
They open that can lickety split, cook that soup while adding ingredients to make it better, and serve it at the perfect temperature next to a plate of your favorite cuisine.
Just make sure that the end result isn't the only thing you think about when trying to define what the characteristics of a master are. There's more to it than that. We all have flaws and masters are no exception.
With that said, aspire to be that person who rates an 11 or 12, but who does it for the right reasons, for the right person, with the right attitude, etc. Aspire to be that master in whatever field, job, or design you plan to do. Don't be that hot dog vendor with the best hot dogs but a lousy attitude to go with them. Like Carter, put a little lovin' into each one you serve.
If you'd like to read more about the characteristics of a master, please read Russ Van Natta's brief blog about the subject.
