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How about Polymath? | ||
Tags: Renaissance Humanism | Polymath | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Akipenda Lugha Diglot Groupie Canada Joined 5740 days ago 78 posts - 82 votes  Speaks: English*, French Studies: Swahili, Sign Language, Spanish | Message 1 of 26 29 March 2009 at 8:59pm | IP Logged | ||
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It is pretty clear that many of the people on this board have a more or less healthy obsession with language-learning and take pleasure from setting and achieving goals in language acquisition. Probably many people here would list 'becoming a polyglot' as a life goal.
What about being a polymath? That is, someone who has a high degree of competence in a wide variety of fields. If being a polymath were your life goal, what fields do you think it would be necessary to achieve proficiency in? Languages would certainly be one. What others? I would think, to begin... Languages - both in speaking and in writing At least one musical instrument A sport A technical/professional field Philosophy, history, politics, and literature Technology Those are rather vague. I'd like to hear other people's ideas on what they would project as their polymath ideal, stepping back from the sole focus on polyglottery. Looking at my own list, there are some things which excite me, like achieving excellence in a musical instrument, while there are others which frighten me, like being good at a sport! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Dark_Sunshine Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5767 days ago 340 posts - 357 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 2 of 26 29 March 2009 at 9:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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This is more of a personal ideal, rather than a broad judgement on what constitutes being well-educated, but some of my lifetime ambitions are to have some knowledge in the following fields:
Languages (obviously) History, Geography, and world politics. I feel obliged to include Sociology, since I have a degree in this it would be good to be able to tick one off the list! Literature Philosophy, including some radical schools of thought- for me that would be feminism. The sciences- basic knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics, plus some kind of specialism- for me that would be medicine, and perhaps psychology if you consider that a science. Music- I play clarinet and saxophone, but nowhere near as well as I'd like. Travel, and/or experience of living in a foreign country- more of a thing to do than a thing to know, but one of my ambitions nonetheless. An 'outdoor', or 'useful' sport- things like horseriding, martial arts, mountaineering, skiing etc. Stuff that doesn't involve pointlessly manoeuvring a ball around... The problem with this is the above list would require a person to come from a wealthy background to achieve them all in a lifetime. Many of these pursuits are expensive or take many years to master- so you'd need to start them very young with the support of rich parents, or be fortunate enough not to have to work for a living so you can focus on attaining the perfect bourgeois education... So I guess I'll have to settle for trying to learn a little of each of these whenever I have the free time and inclination. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Akipenda Lugha Diglot Groupie Canada Joined 5740 days ago 78 posts - 82 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Swahili, Sign Language, Spanish | Message 3 of 26 29 March 2009 at 9:32pm | IP Logged | ||
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Ah! How could I forget science? That one scares me. I think a radical branch of science would also be appropriate. Fields where the boundaries with philosophy blend would be ideal.
And you're absolutely right that having 'polymath ideals' is associated with bourgeoisie lifestyles, values and economic capacities. Being a really good show equestrian or golfer isn't something I'd put on my list. And honestly I don't NEED to be uber-good at any sport to feel accomplished, but I'd like to engage with a sport in a way that I've engaged with things like ideas and languages. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Sennin Senior Member Bulgaria Joined 6036 days ago 1457 posts - 1759 votes 5 sounds | Message 4 of 26 29 March 2009 at 9:35pm | IP Logged | ||
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Akipenda Lugha, I don't mean to brag about it but "polymath" sounds like a more fitting description for someone with keen interest in maths ;). Either that or an extended version of matriarchy, that is having multiple (poly-) female rulers at the same time.
I think a "renaissance person" is probably the best way to describe someone with diverse interests e.g. "He/she is a true renaissance person!" as opposed to "He/she is a real polymath!" Edited by Sennin on 29 March 2009 at 9:38pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Dark_Sunshine Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5767 days ago 340 posts - 357 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 5 of 26 29 March 2009 at 9:45pm | IP Logged | ||
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Yes... At first I thought the post would be something to do with mathematics, but I was relieved to see that it isn't. Maths is one subject I have zero interest in learning (beyond what I need to know for the sciences) because to me it's just so DULL.
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| Akipenda Lugha Diglot Groupie Canada Joined 5740 days ago 78 posts - 82 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Swahili, Sign Language, Spanish | Message 6 of 26 29 March 2009 at 9:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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Yes but 'renaissance man' is sexist AND eurocentric! ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath Edited by Akipenda Lugha on 29 March 2009 at 9:53pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Sennin Senior Member Bulgaria Joined 6036 days ago 1457 posts - 1759 votes 5 sounds | Message 7 of 26 29 March 2009 at 10:51pm | IP Logged | ||
I'm advocating renaissance person, not renaissance man :). You can use the former to address both genders with equal efficiency. The fact that the term was initially coined to be "renaissance man" doesn't mean that it should be used only in this form. Furthermore, polymath is a Greek word and it is equally Eurocentric... Edited by Sennin on 29 March 2009 at 11:02pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Akipenda Lugha Diglot Groupie Canada Joined 5740 days ago 78 posts - 82 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Swahili, Sign Language, Spanish | Message 8 of 26 29 March 2009 at 11:02pm | IP Logged | ||
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I know you were, I was just trying to have fun...
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