At best, its a a toxic positivity rebrand of ADHD or indecision insecurity. At worst, its a con.
The word'
s origin comes from a TedX(lol) which culminated with a sales pitch to funnel people into an expensive private membership online group. It’s an insidious ruse to prey on people who feel like they
don’t fit and are hoping to find their “tribe” here.
We already have
words to describe similar attributes, such as multi-talented, polymath, Renaissance Man, but these speak to multiple expertise. To proudly claim you have multiple potentials is simply to say you are a human being, like everyone else, but
desire a special
label. It's the participation trophy of semantics.
Having multiple interests and pursuits is a common experience for many people, and it's a natural part of being human to have a variety of passions and hobbies. It is not a special subgroup of humanity that needs a
label to recognize "potential."
In the most generous interpretation, the term aims to provide validation and encouragement for people who find it
difficult to commit to a
single career path or interest area, often because they feel drawn to multiple disciplines.
We multipotentialites are a different
breed. When it comes to new interests that emerge, our insatiable curiosity leads
us to
absorb everything we can get our hands on.