“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
— Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
For those interested ...
The Robert Heinlein quote “A human being should be able to change a diaper, ...” is found in his book “Time Enough For Love” in the first of two chapters titled “Intermission: Excerpts from the notebooks of Lazarus Long.”
Both chapters are collections of sayings from a man who is hundreds of years old. Stuff like “Rub her feet” and “Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes ...” and “Always place clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark.” Great stuff. The story itself is pretty good, too.