Occasional Ort #2
The polymath, an individual whose knowledge has breadth and depth. It is an interesting concept, and yet, we rarely talk about them anymore. In fact, what we do talk about from time to time are the jacks of all trades. We give those a negative connotation from a phrase that commonly follows: a master of none.”
What people forget, or never learn in the first place, is the line that follows in that couplet: “Oftimes better than a master of one.”
The polymath of previous centuries had an easier time of things. The human race did not know as much, and it took far less effort to find an area of knowledge that hadn’t been worked on by somebody else.
An interesting article worth reading on the demise of the polymath can be found here. It is curious why so many people were polymathic in centuries past, but I don’t think people are really any different today. I think modern polymaths have some different problems to overcome that didn’t exist in previous centuries.
For one thing, we all must make a living, and the capitalist economy values specialization over generalization. We are all short on time, overworked, tired, and stretched thin, and modern polymaths must deal with those same problems.
In fact, if you look around at successful people, you will find polymaths. Ronald Reagan was a famous actor, became an extremely important and influential political figure, and had a huge storehouse of hymns stored inside his head. Neal Peart of the band Rush, whom many consider to be the world’s best drummer, is also a first-class lyricist, and a good non-fiction writer.
But fame isn’t a prerequisite for the title of polymath. For every Thomas Young who became well-known, how many “John Smiths” were there? I mean, the local guy who could smith a horseshoe, fix plumbing, repair a barn, fell a tree, plant prize-winning roses, execute profitable sales of his corn harvest, and win at chess.
Today is no different. There are people out there, able people who are good a many things. Just because society forces them to specialize in a certain area doesn’t make them any less polymathic off the clock. Perhaps you are a polymath.