Copy shortlink: Novelist Kurt Vonnegut Jr. learned a valuable lesson at age 15 that shaped his life and may shape yours. According to a story in Bits & Pieces, he spent a month working on an archaeological dig. At lunch one day, one of the archaeologists asked Vonnegut a bunch of questions to learn more about the young man. Vonnegut said he participated in theater and choir, enjoyed art and played the violin and piano. The archaeologist was impressed, but Vonnegut then admitted that he wasn't "any good at any of them." The archaeologist then gave Vonnegut the lesson that changed his life. He said: "I don't think being good at things is the point of doing them. I think you've got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them."