IndexBringing back ideas from antiquityThe capabilities of the ideal Renaissance manWhat are the traits of a Renaissance man?How do the capabilities of a Renaissance man develop?When do they develop? hear this word “Renaissance Man”, the first name that usually comes to a person's mind is that of Leonardo da Vinci. Da Vinci is the epitome of the Renaissance humanist ideal. He was not only an outstanding painter, but also an engineer, inventor, scientist and philosopher. Leonardo was born the illegitimate son of a wealthy notary from Florence. His father kept changing wives, usually marrying women much younger than him (including a 16-year-old and a 20-year-old), yet he also cared for his young son. At 14, Leonardo became an apprentice in the studio of the painter Verrocchio. This apprenticeship is one of the main reasons why da Vinci became the man he became. It set him on the path to becoming the ideal Renaissance man. When you think of a painter's studio, most people imagine some brushes and a canvas, but a Renaissance painting studio was much more than that. It was in fact a mini-incubator for people who could do a variety of things. Verrocchio encouraged his students to study anatomy in order to draw the human body correctly. So the young Leonardo spent countless hours studying the body and all its characteristics, even carrying out dissections. Painters of that period must also have been skilled in chemistry, as they continued to experiment with new materials to try to create the best colors possible. Being proficient in anatomy and chemistry was only a fraction of the things Renaissance artists needed to know in order to create their works. This made them very different from modern artists. Artists of that period were supposed to be jacks of all trades and in many ways resembled scientists, always experimenting and trying to invent new ways of doing things. The fact that he began as a painter gave Leonardo a very particular orientation towards his scientific explorations. His way of examining the world was very different from that of other scientists. His theorizing strongly integrated the arts and painting. Through paintings and sketches, he tried to capture what is really happening to study it better, and this was at the heart of his method of analysis. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Another word for Renaissance Man is “eclectic.” A polymath is a person who is well versed in a wide range of different subjects and areas of knowledge. Leonardo fits this description perfectly, not only did he draw the Mona Lisa, but he also worked as an engineer, inventing for example a system of mobile barricades to protect the city of Venice, he drew various very accurate maps, he invented many inventions (including specifications for a chariot primitive weapon and a helicopter) and performed numerous scientific experiments. An important aspect of his work is that he kept very detailed notes and diaries, which included many sketches of various ideas. What is interesting is that many of his writings were written in a mirror script. This attempt at secrecy might suggest an internal fear that some people might steal his ideas. However he never left an explanation as to why he used this mirror writing and so it will most likely forever remain a mystery. Twenty years after his death, the King of France said of Leonardo: “There had never been another man born in the world who knew as much as Leonardo, not so much about painting, sculpture and architecture, but that he was a very great philosopher. “Bringing back ideas from antiquityHumanismRenaissance tried to bring back the knowledge handed down from antiquity. Humanists of that era searched libraries and read widely to try to find as much ancient knowledge as possible and try to learn from it. They then applied these ancient ideas to their world. One of the fundamental principles of humanism was that human beings have an unlimited capacity for development. The ideal of the Renaissance was to try to embrace all knowledge and develop as fully as possible. A man should be well versed in several areas: intellectual, artistic, social, physical. There are some general prerequisites that a man must meet in order to function to his full potential in society. A man should be able to speak and write eloquently, describe things clearly and be persuasive. He should also be physically fit and have in-depth knowledge of various subjects. Having all these skills would have resulted in a perfect gentleman capable of not only speaking on any topic, but also contributing to the advancement of many of these areas. The idea was that the Renaissance Man should do all this easily and effortlessly. This was described in a book by Baldassarre Castiglione entitled “The Book of the Courtier”. In the book he advances the concept of "sprezzatura", or doing things as if they required no effort. The courtier should be able to show “an easy facility in performing difficult actions that belies the conscious effort that went into them.” Modern films continually try to show this simple nonchalance in their main characters. Just think of all the movies where the hero does seemingly impossible things as if they were easy. The hero easily breaks into a high-security installation, runs effortlessly across the desert, eliminates ten enemies at once, builds powerful bombs with soap attached to a rope and some sticks, or solves puzzles through powerful deductive skills. A Renaissance man has both a good mind and a healthy, strong body. Another Italian humanist who embodied the ideal of the Renaissance man was Leon Battista Alberti. He is known primarily as an architect, but was a poet, linguist, philosopher and cryptographer. He designed and built many famous buildings around Italy, but he also invented the first polyalphabetic code. What is remarkable is that while he embarked on all these intellectual pursuits, he did not neglect his body either. He supposedly “excelled in all bodily exercises; he could, with his feet tied, leap over a standing man; he could in the great cathedral, throw a coin very high to make it resonate against the vault; he enjoyed taming wild horses and climbing mountains.“The ideas about the human capacity for self-development professed by these Renaissance scholars have a solid basis. Modern research also appears to confirm the Renaissance principle that humans have an almost unlimited capacity for development. The principle is similar to the “growth mindset” described by some psychologists. Recent scientific research has discovered that the brain is not a static organ, but instead changes due to external stimuli, a phenomenon called brain plasticity. This means that a person can learn and improve himself at any age. The Capabilities of the Ideal Renaissance Man A Renaissance man aspires to perfection, in mind, body, and spirit. An iconic painting of the ideal man is the Vitruvian Man, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The Vitruvian Man is based on the writings of an ancient Roman architect called Vitruvius. In his works Vitruvius describes the ideal proportions of the ideal man. Da Vinci took those writings and used them as a guide to draw the painting that it has become todaya visual synonym of the Renaissance Man. A Renaissance Man seeks to develop his abilities as fully as possible. He has deep knowledge in several fields and deep expertise in some. It is important to not just be an amateur, but also delve into one or two specialized fields. A Renaissance Man's most important asset is his broad knowledge base, which he can combine to form different patterns. It can solve complex problems by examining them from different directions. It can bring analogies from one discipline to another and also act as a bridge between different disciplines. Having a broad knowledge base is a valuable asset. A person will not know much if he only has a few isolated facts. These facts must be placed in a broader perspective. It is the facts, the context in which they are found and the different combinations of these that allow us to discover how the world really works and then apply this knowledge to develop new ideas and put them into practice. Charlie Munger, vice president of Berkshire-Hathaway, close associate of Warren Buffett and one of the most talented investors in his own right, puts it this way: “You have to have models in your head. And you must align your experience, both indirect and direct, on this lattice of patterns. You may have noticed students simply trying to remember and return what is remembered. Well, they fail in school and in life. You have to hang the experience on a lattice of patterns in your head. You should have models in your head and compare these models with your experiences. It is not enough to have a few models, but it is necessary to have many of these models (from different fields), to be able to use them in different situations. For Munger, the models in his head formed the basis of his investment strategy and made him one of the richest men in the world. These templates can serve as useful frameworks that you can apply at different times. It is necessary to have more tools to solve problems, because as the saying goes: to a man who only has a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Having more tools at your disposal will make you a more versatile person, able to overcome different challenges and find new ways of doing things. Steve Jobs, arguably one of the best-known modern innovators, shared his thoughts on what it takes to be successful: “Technology alone is not enough. It is technology married to the liberal arts, married to the humanities, that gives us the results that make our hearts sing. He is: curious, risk-taker, creative, has perseverance and self-discipline, has a thirst for knowledge and new experiences, excellence in physical, intellectual, artistic and social fields, which includes deep expertise in at least one field and is exceptional in others fields, most importantly, always learn. How do you do it? develop the skills of a Renaissance man? Unfortunately today we live in a monomathematical era. This means specialists. The problem is that people get stuck in one way of thinking, they have blinders on and can't see the big picture, including the relationships and similarities between different things. That's why it's becoming more important than ever to embrace the ideals of the Renaissance and become a true Renaissance Man, a polymath. This will bring you a broader perspective on things and will not only develop you as a man but also give you the tools and skills to succeed in whatever you attempt to do. Deliberately put yourself in situations that will challenge you, give you new perspectives, and teach you something new (e.g. travel). This way you will gain a wide variety of experiences, which you can learn from and apply later. You must always be curious and work to improve. I look more..