While the definition of polymath is somewhat contested and arbitrary, my opinion is that the defining trait of polymathy is insatiable curiosity and a desire to

While the definition of polymath is somewhat contested and arbitrary, my opinion is that the defining trait of polymathy is insatiable curiosity and a desire to invent things and solve problems, real or imaginary. I do not know how common this base set of traits is, and how variable it is in magnitude, but I suspect it is higher than 1 in 100. When you add in some combination of raw IQ, financial circumstance, educational circumstance, ambition, work ethic, and leadership skills, then you end up a more impactful polymath ranging from the software engineer who builds interesting things and blogs/researches various topics in her spare time to Elon Musk to Von Neumann. I see many smart naysayer's on HN who argue "this would never work" or "this is considered bad practice" without offering some alternative idea. In fact, this is probably the most common type of comment. While they are usually correct, this is the exact opposite of how a polymath thinks. Polymaths have a confidence in their own ideas and a desire to explore and build a mental model for themselves before taking the tribal wisdom at face value. Thinking via first principles comes innately to these types.