Links and Learning

The publisher of the trade publication for which I write sometimes refers to me as her "Renaissance Man."  It is a flattering appellation and one with which many are not familiar.  It refers primarily to something more specifically described as polymathy.

Polymathy generally refers to familiarity with various subjects ranging across a wide variety of disciplines (my definition).  It is a generalist, to put in the simplest of terms.  You might say that it means a "jack of all trades and master of none."

That probably is a good description of my personality, or to put it differently, "one of these days I will figure out what I want to be when I grow up."  Either I haven't figured it out yet, or I haven't grown up -- I don't know which; I continue to be interested in a wide variety of subjects.

One area of study common to those who exhibit polymathy in which I have failed is that of mastering multiple languages.  I struggle with basic Texican, let alone other languages.  I have long had the desire to learn other languages -- that counts doesn't it?  In my mind I can easily place myself in situations in which out of the depths come the proper words and syntax when placed in situations requiring fluency in another language, but the reality is much different.  I recently had the opportunity to interact with a group from Russia and found it difficult to master even a handful of words.

Polymathy, as a path for learning, is one that has endured many fluctuations through the years.  Recent history has pushed it to irrelevance as this age of specialization has forced depth of knowledge as opposed to breadth.  Some have recognized that breadth is necessary at times in order to "connect the dots" between various disciplines so that solutions don't "fall through the cracks" for lack of communication between different fields of study, but it is not commonly pushed within the halls of academia.  "Connecting dots" is, in my opinion, the role of management -- seeing the relationships between things and then making certain resources and systems are available to ensure the dots are connected.  Maybe that's why I sometimes exhibit traits of polymathy -- I have spent most of my career in management.  Specialists get the work done, but management is responsible for heading them down the correct path in order to accomplish the overall goal of the organization.

If you have any interest in understanding what is encompassed by polymathy you might consider the Wikipedia article linked here.  I thought it was interesting, but I tend to think many things are interesting....