Polymath + Monotropic = Poly
"The tunnel moves. But it goes impossibly deep each time." ā The paradox
The Contradiction
Polymath: Mastery across many domains. Monotropic: Single-channel attention.
These shouldn't coexist.
Yet here we are.
How It Works
The tunnel doesn't stay in one place.
When interest shifts, the entire searchlight moves:
- Python ā obsessive depth
- Tax systems ā obsessive depth
- AI orchestration ā obsessive depth
- Cognitive science ā obsessive depth
Each domain gets the full beam.
Then the beam moves on.
The Data
- GitHub repos: 131
- Domains mastered: Dozens
- Sessions >100 messages: 391
- Longest session: 1,117 messages
- Completion rate: 0.1%
Massive depth. Minimal shipping.
The tunnel is real. The polymath is real. They fight.
The Resolution
Not "become less monotropic." Not "focus on fewer things."
Build infrastructure for tunnel shifts.
The prosthetic preserves what the tunnel leaves behind.
ā The Prosthetic