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A few books which I enjoyed that are somewhat on the subject of polymathy: - The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed. This one directly discusses polymathy in history, and
by syndicatedjelly 2y ago
A few books which I enjoyed that are somewhat on the subject of polymathy:
- The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed. This one directly discusses polymathy in history, and how our "natural state" really is of that of the polymath, not the specialist. A nice book that helped me get past some mental blocks and really embrace learning whatever it is I'm interested in, without reservations on what others may think about such "distractions".
- The Creative Way by Rick Rubin. This masterpiece is written by a legendary musical producer who has probably worked with one of your favorite Western musicians at some point. His Zen-inspired approach to creativity and acceptance of ideas, wherever they may come from, is an essential tool in any polymath's toolbox.
- How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson. I really enjoyed learning how the world-changing inventions that we take for granted were often invented by creatively gluing together wildly divergent ideas, to ultimately make something that appears deceptively simple.
The key takeaway for me is that anyone and everyone can be a polymath, with the correct attitude. Learning is not a skill reserved only for the most intelligent and capable - everyone is capable of learning anything they want. Some people may be more naturally skilled, but that doesn't preclude the rest of us from participating.
- rramadass 2y agoGreat comment. Agree with everything; Indeed "polymathy" is our natural state because we are always thinking/playing with different concepts and their interrelationships. It is highly frustrating when i see folks saying things like they "can't learn/understand/grok something" and treating it as some sort of an intrinsic limitation whereas the reality is that all people have the potential and if they really applied themselves will be far better than most folks. Skim/Browse/Read books/articles/watch videos on any and every topic that takes your fancy, think over connecting the dots, debate/discuss/argue to strengthen understanding and always keep switching between "the forest"(i.e. the holistic big picture) and "the trees"(i.e. the individual specialties). This is true Education and should be approached with full enthusiasm and distinct from Schooling/Job needs.
- syndicatedjelly 2y agoThanks. This is true Education and should be approached with full enthusiasm and distinct from Schooling/Job needs. If there was one thing that could improve society the most, it would probably be understanding this simple truth. Education really is a magic key to achieving anything one desires in life. We used to believe in education in America decades ago, but that message is lost in the noise today.
- motohagiography 2y agothis comment about a polymathic attitude is really important. if we start with the idea of becoming the image of a polymath, this will just produce unsatisfying reflected representations. if you want to be an athlete, start with an athletic attitude. if you want to be a genius, start with a genius attitude and ask what the most brilliant person you can think of would do, then find out. if you want to be a mathematician, start with a mathematical inclination, etc. it's the only way to get there.
- mikhailfranco 2y agoThe Creative Act by Rick Rubin