“If they accept you at their level, then I think you have reached that state rather than just dabbling.”īestselling author and Medium contributor Michael Simmons expands upon this sentiment, defining a modern polymath as: “It means that your polymath activities have passed a certain quality control that is exerted within each field by the competition,” says Djerassi. However, the secondary definition hints at a deeper meaning.Ĭarl Djerassi, Stanford University chemist and literary author, emphasizes the distinction between “the polymath” and “the hobbyist” in an interview with The Economist: When used loosely, the term could apply to anyone with an array of interests, hobbies or knowledge. The word is derived from polumathēs, an early 17th-century Greek term meaning “having learned much.”
Here’s how the Oxford dictionary defines it:
The question is surprisingly difficult to answer. The most innovative developments of the future - in business, science and the arts - will come from creative generalists who blend unique disciplines with technological skill sets. I believe that the continued success of today’s organizations, companies, and communities depends on polymaths who think outside the box. Why? Because the world’s most intriguing individuals have always been “deep generalists.” Though the characters may change - based on whatever I happen to be reading - my mind always goes to the polymaths. But it’s my response when asked which three historical figures I would break bread with. Their names? Aristotle, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Benjamin Franklin.
The dinner guests were transported to the future with the help of a time machine.Īnd they were sitting at my kitchen table.ĭespite their obvious differences, the men shared one thing in common: They were polymaths who disrupted the status quo during their respective time periods. These men weren’t old friends they were just old. Were you to eavesdrop on their conversation, you might assume they were old friends. The trio communicated through an electronic translator, worn as an earpiece. It was a dinner party with an unlikely combination of guests. The aroma of fresh oregano.Īnd the sound of vigorous debate, mixed with occasional bursts of laughter, filled the room. It was a meeting of the minds - three of the world’s most unconventional thinkers in a delightfully conventional setting.
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