Modern Renaissance man?

August 11, 2008 2:13 PM

What should I study and train in to get the most out of life?

Inspired by the claim that ten years of practice can lead to mastery in any discipline, and being interested in everything and deeply wanting to live life the the fullest, I've decided I'd like to train to be a polymath.

However, I don't think that oil painting, philosophy, and blueprints for flying machines are the recipe for a modern polymath. And there is so much out there to learn that I could never hope to even start to learn it all.

So MeFi, I need your help - what broad or specific areas should I study or practice in order to be the fullest, most well-rounded person and get the most out of life?

posted by mjewkes to society & culture (13 comments total)

The answer isn't the same for everyone. Which areas are already strengths of yours? Which areas are your greatest weaknesses?
posted by winston at 2:17 PM on August 11, 2008

Everything.

But seriously, polymathism isn't a goal or final state I think people can simply point at and say "I want to be that!"

The underlying traits are burning curiosity and active drive to do. (And a spark of creative brilliance.) But the production of art, pursuit of a scientific theory, composition of music, creation of a building--such activities are in themselves the passion for the doer and not for some titular end.

I'd start with your passions first (the ones you're talented in), feed them well, and see if your do ambition can keep up.

I imagine most people would run into the usual problems:
(1) Disinterest despite ability
(2) Ambition without talent
(3) Spreading themselves too thin over projects and lacking the final commitment

Just take a look at the historical figures for polymaths and consider the major areas of "genius"--they usually fall into two very broad categories: what we'd consider these days as science and art (sticking math into science). Pick four from each category and go chase da Vinci. ;)
posted by Ky at 2:41 PM on August 11, 2008

Major in Computer Science or Finance with a minor in Philosophy.
posted by rhizome at 2:53 PM on August 11, 2008

You can't really train to be a polymath. Sorry.

If you train (to a pretty high level of skill) in a lot of disciplines, then people might call you a polymath. If you train to a low level of skill, people might call you a dilettante. So be careful. But yeah, I've wondered about this topic, both as a matter of personal interest and as a matter of historical interest (i.e., what's the difference between the conception of well-rounded human being and *citizien* (or some other conception of being a *full* person)?). I don't have anything definitive, but there are some lists here, from an old ask.mefi of mine. Here's my current list:

1. Decompose life into its constituent parts from civilizations down to sub-atomic particles. There are some big holes in the theories as you begin, but if you're a materialist (and not a substance dualist), this must be possible. Oh, and you will, in this task, find certain explanatory levels that appeal to you, and you should investigate these deeply.
2. Program a computer to do something interesting.
3. Sketch decently from life (I'd also accept play an instrument decently, or act convincingly)
3a. Know enough about art history to spend the day arguing about art (at a museum, concert, or play is even better).
4. Fix a bicycle or some other simple machine.
5. Build a piece of furniture.
6. Make a very fine meal.
6a. Bake bread (baking is not cooking... but you can serve the bread at the meal).
7. Write a book

P.S. - You can't keep up with the amount of knowledge created every year, no matter how you define knowledge. You can't even keep up with a subfield of a subfield of a subfield of some larger area. Not even if you don't do any original work whatsoever and all you do is read journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. You'll fall hopelessly behind. This is the age of too much information. So keeping up, even in a very tight area of focus is increasingly impossible. In the 1400s you could, if you chose (and you were really wealthy, and white, and a guy, etc., etc.) read every book that mattered. This was a pre-requisite to being a polymath, since you could draw connections between a lot of sources. In the modern world you can't have the breadth, but you can, and should, still read very widely. Good luck. At least you're working on it, unlike plenty of people who are happy to watch Lost & Mad Men, read some US Weekly and maybe some Dan Brown (and bake a cake from a box) and call it a year.
posted by zpousman at 3:52 PM on August 11, 2008

As someone with both professional and personal training in both technical and life skills (auto repair, plumbing, cakes and sewing), I'd say the thing that holds me back the most are:
1. languages
2. having to keep a 9-5 job as a source of income.

Fix those two, and you're cool for everything.
posted by Weighted Companion Cube at 4:49 PM on August 11, 2008

Being well-rounded and getting the most out of life is different than being a polymath.

If you want to be a polymath, maybe start with learning to speed read. It'll come in handy.

Learn Latin. Then start learning actual spoken languages. After / while you learn new languages, immerse yourself in a country where that language is spoken

Generally, learn your art history; as an intricate part of art history, actually visit and enjoy in person the many artworks you study. The same goes for music appreciation.

Learn math at least up to linear algebra (you'll have to go through multi-variable calculus and differentiation). Also mathematical / philosophical logic. Learn to apply all of this to physics, economics, astronomy and the social sciences.

Spend time in the core sciences: chemistry, biology and physics, at least until you learn exactly how and why they all intersect.

Read everything you can get your grubby little paws on, from classic literature to comic books. There are plenty of "must read" lists out there; you don't have to agree with the lists, but you do have to form your own opinion on whether or not the lists suck. Include western literature and don't forget eastern literature. (Extra credit: memorize your favorite / most meaningful passages and quotations.)

Learn philosophy (including the big theories on psychology). Maybe start with studying epistemology, then keep going. Learn to apply these theories to everything cultural (i.e. critical theory).

Learn to draw free-hand. Learn to play a musical instrument, or two or three or four. Learn to navigate by the stars.

Learn to program in whatever programming language everybody is using these days.

See the world. Travel everywhere, not just the big cities and landmarks, but the most desolate, ugly, sad and barren parts of the world as well. Never stop seeing every moment in life as an educational and academic lesson.

And, after you do all this, you might have a solid foundation for starting your actual education in becoming a polymath.
posted by jabberjaw at 6:03 PM on August 11, 2008

Start making your way through of the lists of great books here.

Learn Latin, Greek, and at least one living language of your choice. The forums here are an excellent resource.

Read introductory books on many different fields until you can find a number of different subjects that you can spend the rest of your life studying. I would personally recommend:
- a subject in the life sciences (genetics, biochemistry, cell bio...)
- a subject in the hard sciences (math, inorganic chemistry, physics...)
- a subject in the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology...)
- a subject in the humanities (history, literature, philosophy...)
- a subject in the arts (film, visual arts, music...)
Of course, even after you pick these subjects, you will need to specialize a lot in order to be able to handle even a small portion of the literature on your topics.

That's it for the intellectual portion. After that, you should make sure that you know how to keep house and cook.

Find one physical activity that you dedicate yourself to. This could be a sport or even something like Crossfit. Dance, yoga, fencing, and hiking are all good options too.

Lastly, any good polymath should, in my opinion, have some sort of creative manual skill which distinguishes them. Pick something that you like, whether it be basket-weaving, welding, or hair-cutting.

And if you can, try to accomplish all of the above while maintaining an active social life and taking the time to travel and have as many new experiences as possible.
posted by snoogles at 6:34 PM on August 11, 2008 [3 favorites has favorites]

I can't find it, but I remember a (clearly math-favoring) quote along the lines of, "One should study enough to understand their surroundings: biology for how life exists, physics for why things change, astronomy for where we are in the universe, literature for who we are on earth, philosophy for why we are here, and finally math, for making it all irrelevant."

If you agree, its not a bad list. The version I heard left out chemistry / psych / geology / engineering / language / economics / etc. I kind of like the simplification, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to learn those too.
posted by devilsbrigade at 7:32 PM on August 11, 2008

i would suggest self-mastery through reflection and insight as your initial goal. once you get over yourself everything else should be pretty easy.
posted by emptyinside at 11:06 PM on August 11, 2008

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
posted by dmt at 5:35 AM on August 12, 2008

When asking myself a similar questions, I found Barbara Sher's book Refuse to Choose to be helpful.

I advise you to recognize that you are not interested in everything. You are interested in many, many topics. However, if you sit down in an afternoon and write down every subject that has held your interest in the past, and also add subjects that you want to know more about, you might discover something interesting. For me, it was realizing that nowhere on my list was actuarial science, nor linear algebra, nor softball, nor weaving, nor masonry. The next day, go through your list again, and add to it - you must have left out silversmithing.

Go through your list a week later. It is reasonably complete, yes? It is less than 500 items, yes? Are there any of these topics that you'd be happy reading about for an afternoon? Then go read those. You might discover that bookbinding, which you've always wanted to know more about, is dull. Or, you might find it to be fascinating, and worth further study. Is there anything on the list that you would be pleased to know everything about? Say, themes of repressed sexuality in literature by authors whose fathers were devoutly vegetarian? Oh, and String Theory? Then you should go read more about these topics, and stop when you get bored - you'll have reached your need to know about that topic at that point.

You might luck out with this exercise, and find something that fascinates you to the point that you want to specialize.

Good luck on your journey.
posted by enfa at 10:57 AM on August 12, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

what broad or specific areas should I study or practice in order to be the fullest, most well-rounded person and get the most out of life?

My friend, only you can tell if you are getting the most out of life. That is a practice in itself.
posted by Theloupgarou at 10:45 PM on August 12, 2008

A polymath is something you become over the course of your lifetime by pursuing all your most passionate interests. Do you think da Vinci woke up one day and said to himself, "I'm going to be a tinkering know-it-all artist," or do you think he just followed his nose? These subjects need to be important to you specifically, not just what everyone else thinks is important, scholarly, or impressive. Else you won't get very far, because the further you get into any subject, the more complicated it gets, and the more energy it takes to continue. Academia is an absolute jungle.

The trick is, you won't know where your passions lie until you try them-- everything is novel and interesting if you don't know anything about it. So I'd go with enfa's advice on this. That sounds like a very reasonable plan. Plus a bit of travelling, of course.
posted by zennie at 1:49 PM on August 13, 2008