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Why some people are impossibly talented
Feeding Off Diverse Knowledge
Polymathy leads to creativity, as one domain can inspire something new in a different domain.
For example: Having knowledge of geometry can help in painting, or knowing to play the piano, one can apply more creativity in a domain like mechanical engineering, by forming connections.
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Key Ideas
Polymaths
A Polymath is defined as one who is specialized in at least two unrelated fields or domains while having a passive interest in other domains too. They are individualists that hold a holistic view of the world.
Polymaths have an interest in many different phenomena and are curious and adventurous by nature, looking to experience and uncover new facts.
Qualities Of A Polymath
When polymaths become interested in something, they don't care which domain or sphere it leads them. Some qualities of a Polymath person:
- Above-average intelligence
- Open-mindedness
- Curiosity
- Self-reliance
- Individualism
- A desire for personal fulfillment
- Desire to find connections.
Waqas Ahmed
“The polymath not only moves between different spheres or different fields and disciplines, but seeks fundamental connections between those fields, so as to give them a unique insight into each of them.”
Understanding A Polymath
Genetic and environmental factors, along with curiosity and self-awareness, make polymaths complex personalities.
They have historically been rebels, as society has always encouraged individuals to specialize in a particular field.
Jack of All Trades
The idea of "A jack of all trades, master of none" falls flat when we study the polymath.
Pursuing multiple interests can fuel creativity and productivity, creating connections between domains, leading to cross-pollination.
Feeding Off Diverse Knowledge
Polymathy leads to creativity, as one domain can inspire something new in a different domain.
For example: Having knowledge of geometry can help in painting, or knowing to play the piano, one can apply more creativity in a domain like mechanical engineering, by forming connections.
Switching Subjects
What we can learn from polymaths: we can be better and more productive at our jobs if we keep switching between different skills or subjects, changing our environment, the company we keep and our interests. This is also an excellent tool to solve problems.
SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Polymaths
Polymaths, geniuses with diverse skillsets and varied interests, are the source of some of history's greatest contributions.
Giants like Aristotle, Galileo, and Leonardo da Vinci were...
The Approach Of A Polymath
A polymath sees the world with a unique perspective, making connections that are not apparent to others.
Early polymaths had the advantage of a wide-open field, and went deep in their disciplines, yielding branches and sub-branches of specializations. Deep down, these different branches lead to the same trunk and roots.
Polymaths Vs Specialists
Polymaths differ from specialists, as they are on to a highway that is getting wider, and specialists are parked in a spot that is getting deeper.
Polymaths have the advantage of learning new fields of study, and forming new connections, while specialists start having a narrow vision by going deep, learning less. The learning ability of the polymath is the required skill-set of the future.
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Key Ideas
The real master has no tools
He/She has a endless power to improvise with what is to hand.
The more fields of knowledge he/she covers, the greater his/her resources for improvisation.
Alexis de Tocqueville
"Nothing tends to materialise man, and to deprive his work of the faintest trace of mind, more than extreme division of labour."
Invention fights specialization
To come up with new ideas, you need to know things outside your field.
The further afield your knowledge extends, the greater potential you have for innovation.
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The modern polymath
... is someone who becomes competent in at least 3 diverse domains and integrates them into a top 1-percent skill set.
In another words, they bring the best of what humanity has discov...
Leonardo Da Vinci
"Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses — especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else."
Famous polymaths
Polymaths have existed forever (they are often the ones who’ve advanced Western civilization more than any others ) but they’ve been called different things throughout history:
Philosopher king: Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius, Archimedes.
Renaissance person: Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei.
Gentleman scholar: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams.
Polymath: Marie Curie, Isaac Newton, Theodore Roosevelt.
Modern polymath: Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg.
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