The Path of the Renaissance Man

A time ago I decided that the best path in life for me to follow was that of the renaissance man. A renaissance man is one who has attained significant proficiency across a broad range. The classic renaissance man held the arts and sciences in high esteem, and he always sought out the next level of understanding. This is my quest, and I would like to share it with you.

There are many great thinkers, past and present, who have postulated what it is to become the ultimate human being, or superhuman. The world of education attempts to give us a hunger for this by exposing us to a broad range of subjects. However, as I look around the world I know I notice that people, like all nature, tend toward the path of least resistance. Knowing this, however disheartening, it is easy to understand why so many appear so ignorant. There is much of which I am still ignorant, but it does not stop me from searching.

The renaissance man ideal is to pursue many subjects to rote proficiency. In my honest, humble opinion it is unnecessary to spend a lifetime mastering one single subject. Yes, the world needs specialists, and I am by no means suggesting that anyone should abandon a knack or passion for the pursuit of less of more. What I am advocating is picking up where school left off. We spend almost the first two decades of our lives learning many things others deem important to life, and the majority of us leave it behind as we enter adulthood. Sure, many go on to higher education, or become skilled tradesmen, and many don't. All those options lead to limited proficiency.

Those who follow the path of the autodidact, the self teacher, often go on to accomplish more personal triumphs than their peers. The road of the autodidact is filled with passion, frustration, excitement, and depression. For every thing learned, increasing questions arise. There are days when everything seems bleak and pointless, and progress is incredibly slow, but there are also days where progress moves at such a blinding rate that it is nearly impossible to measure until the pace slows.

So where does one start on the road to the renaissance? Figure out what is to be learned. I have an ever growing list of things to accomplish. Some things are small, and can be done in the space of a weekend, while others may take years to hone. Some may take the rest of my life to reach a satisfactory level. So make a list, and keep a journal of progress. Find certification courses where needed, and use all resources within your means. The public libraries and the internet will be your dearest friends, but don't shun the advice of those who are potential mentors. It may take years to become a surgeon, but military field medics can be trained in less than a year. It may take a lifetime to learn all the subtle nuances of your favorite martial art, yet a competent fighter can be built from the ground up in six months. This is your goal: Not mastery, but rote proficiency. And remember, mediocrity is never acceptable.

A sample list for you to start with:
+Attain a level of health and fitness such as everyday strength and vitality are greater than the average person.
+Learn functional, practical combat
+Develop basic emergency medical skills
+Learn wilderness survival, and emergency urban survival
+Develop a fine art (music, painting, sculpture, etc.)
+Be well read in classic and popular literature
+Understand basic financial and economic principles
+Dive into social and political philosophy
+Learn about the natural sciences
+Find an understanding of language and culture

I hope to help spark something inside you and help you learn on your path as I share my journey with you. Thanks for tuning in, good journey.