The Polymath: Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility

by Waqas Ahmed

  Perhaps the greatest revelation of Ferriss’ extensive studies into and discussions with world-class experts is that they all employ a similar approach to excelling in learning and execution. ‘Whether it’s tango, language acquisition, power-lifting or investing, when you study the people that are the best in these disparate fields, the top 5 percent have a lot more in common with one another than they do with the C-players in their own fields.’ This clearly demonstrates that intelligence, talent and creativity are not necessarily domain-specific; they can (at least in principle) be applied across different domains. ‘Part of what I’ve spent a lot of time doing through the podcast is exploring the habits, routine, principles and mental frameworks of the top performers in different fields so that people can start to identify the overlaps.’

  The commonly held notion that specialisation leads to greater financial security is a myth, says Ferriss. He gives comedian and management guru Scott Adam’s theory to explain that the number of people who can derive extraordinary financial reward, security or opportunity from being in the top 1 percent in their field is by definition very small. There is only job security in it if you are the very best — which of course is extremely difficult. Alternatively, if one can get into the top 10 percent in two or more seemingly unrelated fields or skills, and then synthesise them intelligently and thoughtfully, one has a higher likelihood of success.

  The latter is not often encouraged by employers, teachers, peers or by society in general. As discovered earlier, polymaths or aspiring polymaths often face scepticism at best and often ostracisation for their unconventional choices. But Ferriss says that everyone must emancipate themselves from social and financial pressures to ‘specialise.’ ‘You don’t need anyone’s permission to think differently, to experiment,’ he insists. ‘Maybe if you’re surrounded by such people you should pack your bags, find better friends, move somewhere else.’ In fact, Ferriss himself decided to leave Silicon Valley after many years of living there because of what he described as a growing intellectual smugness and a ‘closed-mindedness masquerading as open-mindedness.’ ‘If you refuse to do that, you have to ask yourself how important it is to you really that you become a polymath, that you explore alternate modes of being; or does it just sound good to say that it’s important to you.’

  Yet Ferriss makes it very clear that this only works if a carefully thought-out plan is established from the outset. ‘The last thing I want people to do is without any type of analysis, safety net, strategy or contingency plan, to quit their jobs to become a “polymath.” You have to put in the work, the deep thought necessary to get a clear picture of where you are and where you want to go beforehand.’ He reminds us that there has always been a method to his own madness. ‘Sometimes it seems like I’m running around doing a million things; but there is actually an underlying framework.’ He dismisses those Silicon Valley dabblers that claim to be ‘free-spirited’ but in actual fact are just aimless wanderers.

  Whilst Ferriss’ work focuses on developing the individual self, he hasn’t lost sight of the societal implications this will inevitably have. Not unlike many incisive thinkers throughout this book, he too feels that polymaths have something unique, and in fact, quite necessary to offer society:

  We’re suffering from age-old problems that are yet to be solved as well as brand-new ones that the world has never seen. I think that polymaths are uniquely suited to potentially serve critical roles as problem-solvers; to provide those creative breakthroughs that are very uncommon and yet are much needed to mould a better future for people.

  Chapter 8

  —

  Owners of Our Future

  Consciousness remains one of life’s great mysteries. It is considered a ‘hard problem’ in both science and philosophy. For millennia, it has been investigated separately by philosophers, mystics and poets, and now by physicists, neuroscientists and psychologists. The physicist believes the answer lies in quantum mechanics, the neuroscientist in the brain stem, the theologian in metaphysics and so on. Perhaps the real answer lies in a very particular synthesis of all of the above. Or maybe none. How can we ever know, when various ‘experts’ examine such a complex, multidimensional phenomenon through their respective one-dimensional lenses? Should we set up an interdisciplinary panel of ego-driven ‘specialists’? Or perhaps the problem is best synthesised in a single, multi-dimensional mind — one that is an artist, a scientist and a spiritualist in equal measure? How many such minds do we really have?

  It is no wonder, then, that polymaths have been the prime shapers of history, and why they will inevitably continue to shape the future. They have always been the only breed capable of offering multidimensional solutions to multidimensional problems. Their value to society has always been, and will forever be, indispensable.

  To the individual, the value of polymathy is now abundantly clear. Being naturally multifaceted, humans do not reach optimality and self-actualisation until many, if not all, of their facets are allowed to flourish. Crucially, polymaths express the most important human traits needed for survival (versatility), perspective (unity) and progress (creativity). More generally, polymathy fosters a more fun and fulfilling life, as well as for more insightful decisions and opinions.

  It allows for multidimensional, holistic thinking and therefore a greater understanding of each other and a celebration of humanity in all its diversity and universality. It brings with it major changes to thought processes and lifestyle, in a way that (at least potentially) maximises experience, knowledge and fulfilment for this short-lived time on Earth. Perhaps most importantly though, as knowledge is power, polymathy — through the acquisition of a wide-ranging knowledge and skill — is a powerful means to social and intellectual emancipation.

  So what are you waiting for? The time has come. You have a vision. A feeling in need of expression. An idea you feel compelled to share with the world. Or, like consciousness, you have a muse in need of exploration. Now, you must bring it to life by all means possible. Can it be the theme of a film, depicted in a painting, the topic of a novel and the inspiration for a musical composition? Perhaps it could also become the basis of a newly invented product, device or mobile app and propagated through an enterprise, a charity or a social movement? Why not many or all of the above?

  These are but some of the channels of exploration and expression we have available. To make many, if not all, of these a reality, you will need to recruit, nurture and employ all the cognitive tools you already have and constantly seek to acquire and develop others. Where there is a void in your knowledge or skills, collaborate with and learn from those more qualified. In pursuing your idea by all means possible, you are being true to your vision, your feelings, and ultimately, to your multifarious self. To the outsider you will now be seen as an oddity. In reality, you are simply being human.

  The perception of polymaths in society is largely determined by the institutions that have a defining influence over it. And so we must remain conscious of the unfortunate reality that it is not in the interest of most leaders to have seven billion optimally functioning, empowered and enquiring minds. Governments, militaries, corporations, intelligence agencies, religious institutions and other organisations that rely on ignorance, subjugation and conformity wouldn’t survive that way. To some, the idea of a global polymathic revolution that unleashes human potential en masse is a dangerous one. The disruption it would bring to the existing order is a disastrous prospect for those that want to maintain it. Polymathy thus becomes a form of resistance; a protest against the dehumanisation and ignorance perpetuated by a system based on sociointellectual apartheid (that is, specialisation).

  The enablers of globalisation and the singularity — both projected to us as progressive, utopian visions — will inevitably continue to be their greatest beneficiaries. Indeed, many of them are themselves polymaths. But we as lay people, staying mindful of this, must make the most of what little is trickled down to us and use it to enhance our
intellectual and social autonomy the best we can. Making a difference independently at the individual level using technology, enterprise and the exchange of ideas is very possible, as countless autodidacts, garage business start-ups, guerrilla film-makers, bloggers, tech start-ups and bedroom music producers over recent years have shown us. If we can each exercise such individuality in our own way, the dynamics of power in the future can become very different. We can create a new culture that puts the full realisation of human potential at the heart of it.

  As it stands, the widespread system of specialisation is leaving you clueless about the world and your place in it. In doing so, it is allowing others to intellectually and financially exploit you. It is conditioning you to betray your primordial diversity and imprison your many forms of expression. It is keeping you from using your own mind freely, openly and optimally so that you might make your unique contribution to humanity. Most importantly, it is thwarting your ability to exist in your entirety. Thankfully, there is another way.

  Polymathy Through Time and Space

  Acharya Hemachandra (twelfth-century India) — adviser to the court of the Solanki dynasty ruler Kumarapala. A Jain philosopher who made important contributions to several other fields including grammar, architecture, history, poetry (he composed the famous epic Tri-shashthi-shalaka-purusha-charitra (Lives of Sixty-Three Great Men) and mathematics (he formulated an earlier version of the Fibonacci Sequence). His all-round knowledge won him the reverent title of Kalikal Sarvagya or the ‘all-knowing of the Kali Yuga.’

  Albert Magnus (thirteenth-century Germany) — Teacher to polymath Thomas Aquinas; made contributions to virtually all aspects of science including cosmology, zoology, physiology, botany, and chemistry. He also wrote several volumes on philosophy (mainly logic), theology, and musical theory.

  Alfred Lee Loomis (twentieth-century United States) — Lawyer, soldier, and successful investment banker who used his wealth to establish the famous Tuxedo Park scientific laboratory, where invited the world’s leading scientists to collaborate and where he himself made important contributions to physics.

  Al Farabi (tenth-century Syria) — Political theorist, logician, metaphysician, and cosmologist who wrote over 100 books on various branches of philosophy as well as many other subjects including music, physics, alchemy, and psychology.

  Al Kindi (ninth-century Iraq) — A key scholar in the Caliph al-Ma’mun’s House of Wisdom, he wrote impressive treatises on medicine, astronomy, psychology, mathematics, astrology politics, logic, metaphysics, and alchemy. His voluminous output, of which some 242 works have survived, even includes important works on musical theory and geography.

  Al Razi (ninth- and tenth-century Persia) — started his career as a court musician, money changer, and alchemist before ultimately making his major scholarly breakthrough in medicine: he wrote one of the foremost medical encyclopaedias of the period, Al Hawi. He also composed more than 200 works in other areas including astronomy, physics, grammar, and theology, while, above all, becoming the first of the great Persian Neoplatonic philosophers.

  Apayya Dikshita (sixteenth-century India) — Tamil saint, poet, mystic, and philosopher at the court of Vijayanagar. Dikshita produced more than 150 works on virtually all aspects of Sanskrit learning.

  Arthur Samuel Atkinson (nineteenth-century New Zealand) — A scholar of Polynesian culture, ethnography, and languages (he wrote a Maori dictionary), a soldier (he joined the volunteers and “bushrangers”), lawyer (he started a legal practice after qualifying), astronomer (he was the Royal Society’s observer of the Venus eclipse), naturalist (he was a renowned collector of flora and fauna), and politician (a member of Parliament from the Taranaki Region).

  Athanasius Kircher (seventeenth-century Germany/Rome) — An engineer who invented a magnetic clock, various automatons, and the first megaphone. He was also an Egyptologist and Sinologist who produced works on subjects as diverse as mathematics, mining, music, and the scientia universalis.

  Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (sixteenth-century Germany) — A theologian also considered one of the greatest occult philosophers in European history. As a practitioner, he led three distinct careers: as a physician, lawyer, and soldier.

  Bede (seventh-century England) — A monk, theologian, linguist, singer, and poet who also wrote extensively on history, grammar, and astronomy — eventually producing around 60 works.

  Carlos Y Gengora (seventeenth-century Mexico) — A theologian and cartographer appointed as Royal Geographer by Charles III and commissioned to produce the first-ever map of New Spain. He was later given the chair of mathematics and exact sciences at the University of Mexico, and also wrote what is considered Spanish Latin America’s first novel, Los infortunios de Alonso Ramírez, as well as numerous poems.

  Cicero (first century bc) — Marcus Tullius Cicero, who enjoyed equal acclaim as a politician, lawyer, and orator as well as a scholar of language, philosophy, and political science.

  Claude Martin (eighteenth-century France/Britain/India) — A high-ranking soldier (at first with the French army and then Major-General with the British army), an architect who designed numerous buildings in the distinguished Indian city of Lucknow, one of the most prominent art collectors in the region, a serial entrepreneur, a self-taught physician, an adventurer who introduced hot-air balloons to India, and a philanthropist who started up schools in India and France.

  Claudius Ptolemy (second-century Egypt) — A Greek who lived under the height of the Roman Empire and wrote significant treatises on many aspects of science including astronomy, optics, astrology, geography, and mathematics.

  Dimitrie Cantemir (eighteenth-century Romania) — Prince of Moldavia who famously wrote on subjects as diverse as linguistics, history, music, philosophy, and geography.

  Dirck Volckertszoon Coornhert (seventeenth-century Netherlands) — An engraver, poet, linguist, theologian, political writer, and statesman.

  Eratosthenes (fourth-century bc Greece) — Librarian of ancient Greece, known to have been an encyclopaedic generalist and the “second best in all subjects” (after Aristotle).

  Fathullah Shirazi (sixteenth-century Persia/India) — As an inventor, financier, statesman, jurist, engineer, mathematician, philosopher, artist, and physician, he evolved into one of Indian emperor Akbar’s most prized courtiers.

  Francis Bacon (sixteenth-century England) — Known for his quote “I take all knowledge to be my province,” he goes down in history as a lawyer, philosopher of science, theologian, statesman, and litterateur who some believe to be the true author of many of Shakespeare’s works.

  Fu Xi (Second millennium bc) — Although considered a mythological figure in Chinese culture, he is recognised as one of the earliest emperors, prophets, and cultural heroes of the Xia period, thought to have invented a variety of things that defined Chinese culture including the earliest writing methods, specific techniques of fishing and trapping, and musical instruments such as the guqin. Known to have reigned for over 100 years, he is also considered the originator of the most influential philosophical treatise of all time, the I Ching.

  Geoffrey Chaucer (fourteenth-century England) — Revered today as the father of English literature and one of the greatest poets of the English language, he also excelled in professional positions of law, military, diplomacy, and administration before becoming an acclaimed intellectual who made notable contributions to philosophy, alchemy, and astronomy.

  Hadrian (second-century Rome) — The most versatile of the Roman emperors, he operated as a successful soldier and military commander, and then went on to serve in at least 17 different positions in public office. He also wrote poetry in both Greek and Latin, designed buildings as a skilful architect, and was a celebrated hunter.

  Harry Johnston (nineteenth-century England) — The model all-around British explorer-scholar administrator during the Scramble for Africa. He joined the Royal Geographic Society initially as a painter and then as a botanist. He also becam
e a notable anthropologist, travel writer, and novelist.

  Heinrich Agrippa (sixteenth-century Germany) — Considered one of the greatest occult philosophers in European history (writer of De occulta philosophia) but was also a theologian, physician, lawyer, and soldier.

  Henry Thompson (nineteenth-century England) — One of the leading surgeons of his time who counted Napoleon III, Emperor of France, as one of his patients. He established and maintained a private astronomical observatory and was an accomplished painter, novelist, and gastronome. His other pursuits include being one of the world’s leading rare porcelain collectors and poultry farming; later in life he wrote a book on the motor car.

  Hippias of Elis (fifth-century bc Greece) — Referred to by Plato in the Socratic Dialogues as a poet, grammarian, musical theorist, archaeologist, historian of philosophy, astronomer, mathematician, and artisan. Also known as a talented artisan who personally made most of the things he wore or used.

  Hunayn Ibn Ishaq (ninth-century Iraq) — A scholar of Christian origin who translated 116 works for the Caliph al-Ma’mun, including Plato’s Timaeus, Aristotle’s Metaphysics, and the Old Testament, into Syriac and Arabic. He would also eventually become the Caliph’s personal physician and went on to produce some 36 works of his own, covering fields as varied as lexicography, ophthalmology, and philosophy.

  Ibn Bajjah (twelfth-century Andalucía) — Started his career as a court musician and poet for the Almoravid governor of Zaragoza, and in fact some say that the current Spanish national anthem is derived from his Nuba al Istihlal. He wrote an important book on botany, the Kitab al Nabat, as well as numerous treatises on psychology, mathematics, physics, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy.