4 ms·

I wouldn't be so sure about your claim, there were plenty of universal geniuses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath

by est31 4y ago

I wouldn't be so sure about your claim, there were plenty of universal geniuses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath And even today such people exist. Encountering them is often quite an experience. Seeing them being better than you at almost everything is on one hand really nice, on the other hand it makes you wonder what you did wrong. Such folks are usually quite rare though, 1 in a thousand types of people. But I'd imagine Google should be full of them. Or maybe it isn't, idk, given GP.

Tronno 4y ago
I find your statements hard to accept at face value. Does a "polymath" have infinite time to develop excellence in every conceivable discipline? How good was Benjamin Franklin at, say, composing sonatas?
- acalmon 4y ago
  I’m not sure if you are being ironic, but Benjamin Franklin was a pretty good composer: https://iml.esm.rochester.edu/polyphonic-archive/article/benjamin-franklin-the-composer/ https://iml.esm.rochester.edu/polyphonic-archive/article/ben...
  - Tronno 4y ago
    I'm not being ironic. Your article says he composed two pieces and his instrument skills were "modest". I suspect most people are modest at the hobbies they dabble in. That doesn't make a "universal genius".
  - Slow_Hand 4y ago
    As a career musician I’ve never heard a piece of Benjamin Franklin’s music in my life. I didn’t even know that he composed until this comment. The link you provided has no examples of his music to listen to or to read. Without any examples of his work it’s hard to believe that they are of any consequence. I don’t think anyone can just write a piece of music, but you don’t present a strong case that anything he wrote is even remotely worthwhile. Hell, Bruce Willis has a band that’s released records. I just don’t see any reason to think they’re worth listening to over anyone else.

by est31 4y ago

Tronno 4y ago

I find your statements hard to accept at face value. Does a "polymath" have infinite time to develop excellence in every conceivable discipline? How good was Benjamin Franklin at, say, composing sonatas?

acalmon 4y ago
I’m not sure if you are being ironic, but Benjamin Franklin was a pretty good composer: https://iml.esm.rochester.edu/polyphonic-archive/article/benjamin-franklin-the-composer/ https://iml.esm.rochester.edu/polyphonic-archive/article/ben...
- Tronno 4y ago
  I'm not being ironic. Your article says he composed two pieces and his instrument skills were "modest". I suspect most people are modest at the hobbies they dabble in. That doesn't make a "universal genius".
- Slow_Hand 4y ago
  As a career musician I’ve never heard a piece of Benjamin Franklin’s music in my life. I didn’t even know that he composed until this comment. The link you provided has no examples of his music to listen to or to read. Without any examples of his work it’s hard to believe that they are of any consequence. I don’t think anyone can just write a piece of music, but you don’t present a strong case that anything he wrote is even remotely worthwhile. Hell, Bruce Willis has a band that’s released records. I just don’t see any reason to think they’re worth listening to over anyone else.