You’ve probably heard it said that “a jack of all trades is a master of none.” This quot e is often used as a negative phrase, a comment that is used to convince you to focus on one thing and stop trying to do too many things at once. These words have been used to discourage people of all ages from pursuing more than one worthy goal or skill at a time. Yes, Jack of all trades has become a kind of insult, but it certainly wasn’t meant to be one. The full phrase is “ a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one .” It was meant as a compliment about William Shakespeare . The phrase was first used to describe a playwright because he was known to hang around theatres even when he didn’t actually work there. He spent his time at theaters volunteering to help as a stage hand, or offering to help construct the set, or memorizing the actors’ lines in case they forgot their lines and needed a cue, or working on costumes for the actor...