Why Do We Set Boundaries for Ourselves?

Recently, I’ve encountered several challenges while conducting material-related experiments. At the same time, I’ve been learning machine learning and trying to apply it to my project which is something I hadn’t initially planned for. This made me think about what it truly means for a project to be interdisciplinary and why we feel the need to categorize everything in our lives.

The Structure of Education and Its Gaps

I don’t know much about western education, but in China, once you choose a major, you typically follow that path throughout your studies and career. Most people end up working in a field directly related to their major.

However, when we enter the real world, we quickly realize that life isn’t just about our profession. There are so many other aspects we need to understand—economics, psychology, and even basic life skills. I remember feeling shocked when I realized how many essential things were never taught in school yet are crucial for our daily lives.

The Reality of Interdisciplinary Work

I experience the same kind of realization when I need to use a completely new method or concept from another discipline. It makes me question whether an education system that trains us to be experts in a single field is essentially preparing us to be just specialized tools. If real-world problems require knowledge from multiple disciplines, why do we still insist on such rigid academic boundaries?

This thought became even clearer to me when I noticed that some people are hesitant to try new things simply because they’ve never learned them before. Instead of exploring, they either avoid the task or ask someone else to do it. But does that mean they truly can’t do it, or just that they assume they can’t?

Inspiration from Jie Qi

While searching for something recently, I came across Jie Qi—a designer, educator, inventor, and entrepreneurJie Qi. Her work blends design and electronics in a way that makes technology both creative and engaging. Seeing how she bridges different fields made me realize that the most interesting innovations often come from people who don’t limit themselves to just one discipline.

Breaking Free from Boundaries

This makes me wonder: Are the boundaries we set for ourselves necessary, or are they just artificial limits created by our education and mindset? If we were encouraged to explore beyond our expertise, how much more could we achieve?

Maybe it’s time to rethink how we approach learning—not just as a path to specialization, but as a journey of discovery across multiple fields.