Who is a Polymath?
A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of subject areas, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific problems.
Why the world needs more Polymaths?
There is clear evidence today that our importance for single-area of specialization or expertise will soon come to an end. How? Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is going to change everything. Most jobs will eventually be made obsolete by AI. The jobs that will be left will be the ones that require creative thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and humanity.
“A man can do all things if he will.”
Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472).
We have witnessed this transitional phase before as well during the industrial revolution, we have witnessed physicals tasks done by humans being replaced by a machine. With the Industry 4.0, the jobs are being eliminated by combining specialized knowledge with technological skills. In other words, every field imaginable will, eventually, combine with technology to replace a job. Who are the individuals that will make this happen? The polymaths, of course.
History of Polymaths
If you were to look at the history of mankind, you will easily understand that the greatest contributions have come from multifaceted individuals. To name a few – Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) who is an artist that painted the famous ‘Mona Lisa’, had interest in anatomy combining his skill as an artist to create the ‘Vitruvian Man’. He also made contributions to many other fields urban planning, mathematics, botany, astronomy, invention, history, sculpting, and cartography. Aristotle – who made fundamental contributions to diverse fields of study, including logic, rhetoric, ethics, physics, story, poetry, government, metaphysics, geology and zoology. There are more people like them, and all these evidence points to the same conclusion: Severe specialization stifles creative problem-solving.
Why Polymaths are rare?
Despite the world’s immense need for polymaths, these beings are quite rare. The reason? It is the society itself – promotes specialization overgeneralization, based on a long-standing assumption: the more deeply you specialize, the more easily you can find a job. Another reason – making oneself as an expert is profitable. Doctors, Engineers, Bankers, they all charge a lot of money for their hard-earned knowledge.
Why your business needs Polymaths?
- They are individuals with exceptional problem-solving skills. They will always have a creative solution for all your problems.
- They are a human encyclopedia.
- They see the world differently. Open-minded and flexible thought processes.
- They always tend to work on something new.
- They are constantly learning.
- They live in the future. They have the ability to predict the possible outcome of any project and be able to see it from different angles and come with a solution at the same time.
- Their open-minded thinking makes them solve problems for the greater good or for the collective consciousness.
“Learning never exhausts the mind”
Leonardo da Vinci
Why it is possible for you to become a Polymath?
The assumption that somehow our ability for learning stops when you leave school or university or hit thirty is wrong with evidence. Turns out, most of it depends on the nucleus basalis, also known as the nucleus basalis of Meynert or nucleus basalis magnocellularis, is a group of neurons located mainly in the substantia innominata of the basal forebrain produces significant amounts of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that regulates the rate at which new connections are made between brain cells. This, in turn, dictates how readily we form memories of various kinds, and how strongly we retain them. Which basically means that your brain is capable of learning or grasping new knowledge at any time.
