How to Become a Polymath

How to Become a Polymath

       Now that I have outlined why we need more polymaths in our society in my past blog, “Why We Need Polymaths”, this blog will go through the steps on how to become a polymath.

         As I mentioned in my last blog, a polymath is someone who is either well-versed or interested in many subjects. But because this is from the perspective of the perennial philosophy, we must take into account the entire structure of the human: we are made up of a body, mind and soul and when one part of our inner Trinity is out of balance- whether it be through too much or a lack of activity- human beings will suffer in many ways. If his/her mind excels over the body and soul, the body will be unable to carry out the principles that the intellectual has built up and without a connection to the soul, one will aimlessly wanderer through ideas without any sensitivity towards their metaphysical qualities and thereby abuse their mind by worshiping their thoughts as idols; if the mind and body are undernourished, the soul won’t have any space to grow and the love that is begging to come out and spread through words and actions will remain trapped within the corpse of the human frame; and if the body exceeds the soul and mind, the body will take form to any feeling that comes it’s way and lead a road towards disaster, attachment and therefore suffering. To have all parts of one’s trinity aligned with each other, in working order and nourished by its respected neighborhoods, is the metaphysical framework that your journey as a polymath will take place from.

 

 

          But, another prerequisite awaits before we talk about becoming a polymath: motives. Why do you want to become a polymath? Is it for money? Success? Because if your intention is to just make yourself more qualified for a job- or salary- you will never become a polymath. The road of the polymath was never travelled with utilitarian motives nor with a materialistic out-look: it was travelled not just for the love and accomplishment that comes with learning and obtaining expertise in a subject, but with a deep reverence and appreciation for God having given you the ability, resources and opportunities to become one. Because the polymath is a rare species in our society that is desperately needed, you carry the burden of responsibility on your shoulders. But the burden of work is only work to those without genuine passion and enthusiasm for learning.     

          Once you thought out your motive(‘s) for becoming a polymath, one must next need two things: a goal- or group of goals- that work towards the end of your polymathic journey, as well as a daily and/ weekly schedule that will put you on the path. And because there is plenty to discuss when considering the body, mind and soul, let’s start with the body.

          It shouldn’t have to be argued that the body is not only an important piece of the polymath, but a prime one which symbolizes the quality of both the mind and soul. For example, if you are fatigue, have weak muscles and have a poor immune system, this will show up in your spiritual and mental life by causing you to let go of your spiritual discipline and by letting go of your mental activates which will eventually lead to depression and illness. By taking a thirty or sixty minute walk a day, controlling the amount of sugar and carbs that you eat, and getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night, you will not only build a solid foundation for your spiritual and mental livelihood, but it will keep your mind sharp enough for both intellectual sensitivity and spiritual mindfulness. One does not need to be an athlete in order to be a polymath: many people underestimate the simple but beneficial power of daily walks. Not only will these daily walks serve as moments for spiritual centering and mind- easing, but release any stress you may have during your day. As the great Thoreau said, walking is an art.

 

Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvium Man(1492)

 

          Much of what was said for the body should be the same for the soul: in the same way infrequency in daily walks/exercising will create laziness and only make it harder to continue with your plan, being lazy in your spiritual discipline- whether it be prayer, mediation, etc.- will affect your overall being the entire day. If five or ten minutes when you wake up and or before you fall asleep is what works, then by all means stick with that plan. It takes on average 3 weeks for a habit to become second nature so, hang in there.

 

 

 

           And now when it comes to the mind, a short preface is necessary: when discussing learning, one should keep in mind that there is a certain hierarchy when it comes to learning- a Platonic hierarchy. In the same way we have different forms of love on earth and yet they are all different incarnations of the same Love, all fields of knowledge from the mundane of cooking to the more high-brow of psychology all emanate from a common Transcendent Truth. According to Frithjof Schuon, Reason and Intellect are not to be confused with each other. Reason is merely that which is determined by the Kantian categories of the mind of time and space, and therefore have to do with what reason can deal with only: knowledge. Knowledge is information that changes with the times, has different levels of relevancy to different individuals or societies and which, despite them being copies of the Transcend Truth, they can still serve as bridges and mirrors upon which to be connected to the Truth both physically and mentally.

 

Frithjof Schuon

 

          The Intellect- on the other hand- is The Truth or Logos which is inside the mind, from which reason is its lowly yet humble assistant. The Intellect is the uncreated mirror which reflects the Platonic blue-print of reality and therefore, connects one to The Good, The One, The Other. Wisdom is to The Intellect as what knowledge is to reason. The imagination, lying between The Intellect and reason, becomes both the factory for producing the copies of the higher forms from which produce all of our physical perceptions, and also turns inwards to reflect the luminous splendor of the Intellects Wisdom. This is significant for polymaths to understand: because The Truth is One and it’s copies are many, most of your learning as a Polymath will be dealing with the usage of reason rather than The Intellect- knowledge rather than wisdom. However, that is not to say that the polymath will get a secular education: there is no such thing as secular learning as long as one has their simultaneous connection to The Truth because when you have your focus on it as your exploring its forms, the following will happen:

          You will see connections upon connections between subjects you thought could never have any connection what-so-ever. And yet, this is the skill that one will develop as you learn. Patterns recognition is what will fill fuel your enthusiasm and sense of awe for both learning and God. And this leads me to my final point: one must believe that any subject you are either ignorant about or apathetic about, will eventually be loved and mastered. The simple and best way to get interested in a foreign topic is take what you already love, and use it to find connections between it and your new subject. If one connection can be made- and there will be many more- that can be the seed from which grows your fascination and furthering down the polymathic path.

 

          When it comes to the subjects one should study, it is totally up to you. But, one should have a balance of studying between subject matters both in the sciences and arts. Further, one should learn from multiple mediums: books, magazines, articles, documentaries, YouTube videos, conversations with friends, you get the picture. By staying balanced as well as active in many fields, it will strengthen not just your ability to recognize patterns and learn, but will strengthen you in every field you plan to study. Just as no part of the brain works alone despite its particularized role or as the strength of one muscle group will support another, being strong in math will help you in music, philosophy, science, paintings, poetry and so much more.

          Because it can be hard to create goals as well as a schedule out of thin air, I will share my goals and daily/weekly schedule to help give you guys some ideas of what your polymathic path could look like:

         

      Trinitarian Polymathics

                             Daily and Weekly Schedule  

A.  Soul- meditation (through-out-day: Zen); yoga and prayer (both in morning-daily).

B.   Mind- Read 1 book in: art, music, philosophy/religion, history/sociology, science/math, film, etc. - weekly).

-         Read 4-5 books of fiction (novels, novellas, short-stories, poems, plays, etc. - weekly).

-         Writing while listening to music

1.    Left hand(6-8 lines daily)

2.    Right hand(either a poem, story, essay or free-write- daily)

-         Languages Study

1.    Reading( one article per lang. daily)

2.    Vocab review(10-15 minutes per lang. daily)

3.    Listening to music in languages(throughout day)

-         Guitar and Piano

1.    Monday-Friday: 15 minutes of scales, chords, exercises and theory/reading)

2.    Sat-Sun: Free-for-all (Playing songs).

-         Drawing(15- minutes: sketching, exercises(lines, shapes, shading)- daily

-         Film: watch one or two movies on weekend (from a self-created list).     

C.   Body

-         Gym six days a week(aerobics 3 days a week)

-         Walk at least two hours a day (while reading).

-         Sleep (10/11pm- 6/11am).

 

 

 

Long Term Goals

A.  By September

-         Read all classics and popular literature(been working on a list since last summer)

-         Become Fluent in French and Italian; competent in German and Arabic

-         Watch all classic/popular films on list (about 50).

-         Read all books on lists for: math/science, art, history, music, philosophy, religion, film, etc.)

-         Gain 15 pounds

-         Make a YouTube channel

B.   Beyond

-         Become conversational in Modern Greek, Spanish, Chinese and Japan

-         Become intellectually competent in Latin and Attic/koine Greek and Hebrew

-          Learn about photography and video editing

-         Publish poetry, stories, novels or essays

-         travel(Egypt, Italy, France and Greece) once enough money is saved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                  Even though these goals seem extreme, as a polymath, one must never be content: one must push one’s boundaries, constantly becoming more aware of what you don’t know and eventually filling the gaps. I believe it’s important to keep lists of things to read/see/do because, once something is accomplished and it’s crossed of, it’s gives oneself a measurement of one’s progress and will thereby inspire you to keep going. In addition, the mind should not just be consuming information: you should also be involved in productive activies such as playing an instrument, painting, writing, ect.

Ones goals may never end. You will always find more things to add to your lists and more subjects to learn because, the journey of a polymath is a life-journey, filled with embarrassment, naivety and confusion. But once in a while, a great thing will be accomplished such as finally building a good habit or learning a skill that will help you in all your polymathic activities and the judgments of others won’t mean anything anymore. You will be able to conquer all the libraries, videos, sights and sounds of the world.

Even though history has a long record of polymaths both east and west, the journey of the polymath can be a lonely one in a society that worships the specialist. But imagine a day where everyone can be competent in many intellectual languages and become fluent in many perspectives of life. It will be a renaissance unlike any other seen on the planet: Atheist and Theist, Artist and Scientist, Gardener and Philosopher will be able to converse about each other’s world-view and due to maturely, humbleness and openness of each person, bridges can be built and relationships can be made, transcendent of culture, language and profession.

Let this be the day where the polymaths will influence a new generation of educators to bring artistic, spiritual and scientific innovation. But in case it doesn’t happen tomorrow, remember: the passion that guided you every day was enough to change Your world: not only yourself, but the enthusiasm you’ve spread to your neighbors, friends and loved-one’s. If all that is possible by polymaths is to change the lives’ of a small amount of individuals in a large world, that is enough. Maybe it will become enough for something larger, one day.

Good luck and may all your learning bring you joy.