# Multi-talented people, and how they rate their talents **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250 "2014-12-03T19:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/1 "2014-12-03T19:59:11Z")
Karen Carpenter once said that she’s a drummer who sings, not a singer who drums. Yet we remember her as an awesome singer. Barbra Streisand considers herself an actress who sings, not a singer who acts. Yet she’ll always be more famous as a singer. What other performers have a disconnect between their own opinion of their talents vs. the public’s? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/2 "2014-12-03T20:08:44Z")
Johann Sebastian Bach was not highly regarded as a composer during his lifetime. He didn’t die in poverty or obscurity, however, because he was widely considered the world’s greatest organist. Everyone loved to hear him play, so long as he was playing OTHER people’s music. Everyone remembers Sir Arthur Sullivan for the operettas he wrote with WS Gilbert, but he wanted to be remembered as a serious composer. Apart from “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” however, nobody remembers any of his serious pieces. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/3 "2014-12-03T20:15:19Z")
It’s been said of Leonard Cohen that he’s a poet who sings. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/4 "2014-12-03T20:30:22Z")
A minor example. Rick Burlew considered himself primarily as a game designer. He decided to do a webcomic to give some content to his game designing website. The webcomic, _The Order of the Stick_, became far more successful than his games. But Burlew said it was still several years before he really started thinking of himself as a webcomic creator rather than a game designer. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/5 "2014-12-03T20:37:03Z")
Also, Randall Monroe, a perennial favourite on these boards, is a physicist who became the creator of the XKCD comic. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/6 "2014-12-03T20:57:23Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > It’s been said of Leonard Cohen that he’s a poet who sings. Well, I have heard him sing and I can’t think of any reason why anyone would call him a singer. He’s dreadful at it. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/7 "2014-12-03T20:59:57Z")
The ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus took part in the battle of Marathon (yes, \*that \*battle of Marathon) and other battles against the Persians. His military prowess was commemorated on his gravestone, which made zero mention of his career a playwright. He wanted to be remembered for fighting in the Persian wars. Being one of the greatest Greek dramatists? Nah, not important. (Although, since Aeschylus is also supposed to have died by having a tortoise dropped on his head by an eagle which had mistaken his head for a rock, maybe we can’t be 100% certain of the veracity of every story about him.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/8 "2014-12-03T21:18:35Z")
Maurice Sendak was fond of telling interviewers that he didn’t write children’s books; he just wrote books that children happened to find entertaining. I guess that implies that there was a darker message in his writings. Nat King Cole considered himself a jazz pianist. His singing came later, and is what paid the bills, but he considered himself a pianist first. Jimi Hendrix had to be convinced to sing, but was apparently not comfortable in front of a microphone. He was a guitarist and songwriter first. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/9 "2014-12-03T23:27:20Z")
Arthur Conan Doyle was not entirely pleased that the Sherlock Holmes stories made him famous – he considered them a minor part of his ouevre and was much prouder of other writings, though I don’t know which. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/10 "2014-12-04T02:44:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Jimi Hendrix had to be convinced to sing, but was apparently not comfortable in front of a microphone. He was a guitarist and songwriter first. Well yes, but isn’t that how most other people think of him too? Actually, guitarist very much first, with both singing and songwriting a good distance behind. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/11 "2014-12-04T12:18:33Z")
To my knowledge **Michaelangelo** found painting not to his liking and something he did when commissioned/forced by his patrons, not by choice… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/12 "2014-12-04T14:35:31Z")
Sir Isaac Newton’s greatest accomplishments were often things he dashed off in a hurry and forgot about. He devoted much of his time to pursuits like alchemy and (weird) theology, which seemed to interest him far more than physics or calculus. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/13 "2014-12-04T15:17:55Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Sir Isaac Newton’s greatest accomplishments were often things he dashed off in a hurry and forgot about. He devoted much of his time to pursuits like alchemy and (weird) theology, which seemed to interest him far more than physics or calculus. Not totally true. But, he was known more in his time for his time as the head of the Royal Mint and for his relentless prosecution of forgers. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/14 "2014-12-04T15:28:40Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > What other performers have a disconnect between their own opinion of their talents vs. the public’s? When people say things like “I’m a drummer who sings,” it often means that drumming is more important to them than singing – not that they think they’re a better drummer. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/15 "2014-12-04T15:37:30Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > The ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus took part in the battle of Marathon (yes, \*that \*battle of Marathon) and other battles against the Persians. His military prowess was commemorated on his gravestone, which made zero mention of his career a playwright. He wanted to be remembered for fighting in the Persian wars. Being one of the greatest Greek dramatists? Nah, not important. > > (Although, since Aeschylus is also supposed to have died by having a tortoise dropped on his head by an eagle which had mistaken his head for a rock, maybe we can’t be 100% certain of the veracity of every story about him.) Thomas Jefferson did a similar thing. On his gravestone, he asked that it list what he considered his most important accomplishments: _Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia_. He apparently felt that being President of the United States was one of his minor roles. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/16 "2014-12-04T17:28:41Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > When people say things like “I’m a drummer who sings,” it often means that drumming is more important to them than singing – not that they think they’re a better drummer. True, and rarely would I discount the likelihood of self interest. If Barbra Streisand is at a stage in her career where she wishes to do more acting then she may indeed say something along the lines of “I think of myself as an actress who sings”. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/17 "2014-12-04T18:42:15Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Thomas Jefferson did a similar thing. On his gravestone, he asked that it list what he considered his most important accomplishments: _Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and Father of the University of Virginia_. He apparently felt that being President of the United States was one of his minor roles. Well Grant certainly and Ike probably were better as Generals than as Presidents and rated themselves as that. Grant wrote, what 2 lines about being President. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/18 "2014-12-04T19:47:49Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > To my knowledge **Michaelangelo** found painting not to his liking and something he did when commissioned/forced by his patrons, not by choice… Not sure what you’re getting at… have you actually seen his _David_, any of the _Pietas_, \*Moses \*or any of his other sculptures? He was a sculptor first and foremost, and painting was definitely not his primary (or IMO, best) medium. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multi-talented-people-and-how-they-rate-their-talents/706250/19 "2014-12-04T19:54:27Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Not sure what you’re getting at… have you actually seen his _David_, any of the _Pietas_, \*Moses \*or any of his other sculptures? He was a sculptor first and foremost, and painting was definitely not his primary (or IMO, best) medium. Seen most of 'em, yes, thanks - a few times. Not sure of the relevance of that. This thread is about how the person themselves felt about their capabilities. Michaelangelo is as famous in “mainstream cultural history” for his paintings (Sistine Chapel ceiling and altar, at least) as his sculptures. But he thought of himself as a sculptor well before he thought of himself as a painter. And it sounds like you agree with that assessment of his skills, so we are all set…