29 Apr 2025 - nzge
What does it mean to be a Renaissance man in 2025?
Does the Renaissance man spread their skill points across various talents/skills, instead of leveling and mastering one skill tree. Jack of all trades, master of none?
Does the Renaissance man have a place in the modern world? Does he hold relevancy? What is his role, or maybe is there one for him rather? It seems more and more we are taught to pursue one thing only, put all our eggs in one basket. Let that one major you chooze on a whim in high school dictate the trajectory of your entire adult life. It could be a natural product of industrialization. We have becomes tiny ants in a larger colony network. We only need to take care of our own unique task, our own little cog in the greater engine.
At one time, life was not so. Life persisted only on the condition that we have to tend to all our aspects of our life diligently. Not even talking from a survival perspective, tending to our food, our family, and building shelter, and such, is this true. Even as recent as the 1800s, our elected officials, the aristocratic, were not only politically inclined but students of science, math, and the arts.
One might say that the traditional Japanese man is the antithesis of this philosophy. Shokunin Kishitsu, “the craftsman’s spirit.” A pursuit of perfection in one’s work, in one’s singular commitment to excellence.
What is the allure of being a Renaissance man? One may say that the Renaissance philosophy is one that leaves no stone unturned. To pursue the betterment of oneself, and perhaps even the world at large, from a completely holistic perspective?
Some problems are solved from a multidisciplinary perspective, recruiting an eclectic approach to reason.
I am at a crossroads. Perfect one, or pursue many? This question may encapsulate a broader perspective of existence, but it is one I ask myself (either consciously or subconsciously) everyday. Should I be spending all my time learning one thing or doing one thing today, or have a balanced day various things?
How to choose? Life is so short, that maybe the question holds no value. Why even ask? Maybe just do. As cliche as it maybe, perhaps we must follow the heart, the gentle heart (find the kind heart within and listen, and not the violent heart).