Ask HN: How to become a renaissance man?

17 points by Sabrosa 13 years ago | 15 comments

I'm 21 years old, about to finish college. And I've decided to spend my 20s becoming a renaissance man. What does that mean? I'd like to spend the bulk of my time becoming a well-rounded person - learning (foreign) languages, drawing, painting, musical instruments, mathematics, physical fitness and so on. Specialization is for insects, etc.

I like the idea of making things more than just acquiring knowledge. There's just too much information out there for any one person to know; but, I do think it's possible to be good at creating various things.

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So, my questions for you are:

- What subjects would you try to learn?

- How would you go about learning these various subjects?

jfaucett 13 years ago |

I like your enthusiasm! I was at the same point a while back. Here's some of the things I did to broaden my horizons and expand my knowlege:

In my teens I moved to argentina and got a job there which forced me to learn spanish well ( still stuck with el accento porteno ). In my opinion there's nothing better for opening up your mind like moving to another country, experiencing other world views, literatures, culture, etc.

Make a choice to learn something and stick with it until you master it (but make sure its something you enjoy). The toughest for me was sticking with Mathematics, because apart from trig, relational algebra, and discreet maths I hardly ever have a chance to apply the rest. So I just set apart some time daily and worked from the bottom up, its constantly more fascinating and I really miss it when I can't spend my daily time with my mathbook (currently 'pattern calculus' by barry jay - highly recommend.

I'd say delve into diverse subjects but don't try to be a master of all. Its one thing to know who decartes was, how he arrived at cogito ergo sum, and yea the cartesian plane, but you'll never be able to know it all and a lot of its completely useless. For me, after a year long period where I read into philosophy in depth I pretty much decided the whole field was pointless (for me), and decided to concentrate on disciplines that were more applicable and enjoyable for me such as physics and political history.

Lastly, to quickly answer your question about which subjects to learn I'd say the following a good for getting an overall understanding (and will keep you more than busy for quite a while :)

1. The world of the abstract - Math

2. Understanding the universe and our relationship to it - Physics

3. Life and living organisms - Biology and evolutionary theory (Dawkins, Dennett )

4. Humans and our cultures - History in tandem with at least near native fluency in one foreign language (and accompaning culture, literature, films)

5. The Mind and brain how we think and are - Cognitive Science - Gödel, Escher, Bach (GEB)

Best of luck its a very fun path learning things and then applying what you've learned!

bradleyjg 13 years ago |

What do you think college was for? You are unlikely to ever again have nearly as easy access to such a broad range of experts all willing to teach / train you in thier subjects.

Also unless you have a trust fund you should be spending a good part of the next nine years figuring out how you are going to support yourself for the following fifty.

mattgreenrocks 13 years ago |

What are you interested in? Start there and constrain yourself to a few topics. Just be sure you're doing it for the right reasons - that is, you truly love what you're studying.

But, more to answer your question: I'd choose a maximum of 3 (and even that is pushing it), then immerse yourself deeply in them. If you're wanting to make things, then practice it as much as you can, regardless of the quality. It took me many years to not feel ashamed of my guitar playing, but it has finally started to take hold.

Art demands a lot from you emotionally, but it's not any fun otherwise. :)

waivej 13 years ago |

Cool! That's how I spent the past 20 years...

Try to take classes, but just launch full speed into new goals. For example, to learn photography I bought a nice camera and darkroom and $1000 worth of film. To learn car repair, I bought a cheap Italian convertible and rebuilt it as a member of an online community (engine modifications, transmission swap, etc.)

You can speed up learning by setting daily structure, ex: Pick 7 things to work on each week (based on your weaknesses) and devote one per day of the week. Perhaps set month goals such as reading a book per month, competing in an event, etc. Set year goals, etc.

World study (travel, language study, history) Physique (martial art, endurance sport, yoga) Music (history, instrument, theory, singing, etc.) Art (photography, architecture, graphic design, painting, drawing, creativity, etc.) Mechanical (get a cool old car and learn to rebuild it, 4 wheeling, convertible, welding) Construction (improve a house, wood working, furniture, etc.) Acting (role in a play, improv, standup jokes) Psychology/Religion (explore meditation, church service, personal development.) Mathematics (history, chess, classic texts)

Business? Computer Engineering?

ActVen 13 years ago |

These are a tactical tips, but I have found them useful in acquiring a broad range of knowledge.

1. Stop watching broadcast/cable TV. Only watch a few really good shows via iTunes so you don't waste time on commercials.

2. Listen to non-fiction audiobooks when getting ready in the morning or driving/commuting. You can gain a broad range of knowledge with what is typically down time. The knowledge is valuable on its own, but really becomes useful when you start creating your own material.

3. Cut your news reading down to a few broad weekly/monthly publications like The Atlantic and The Economist.

4. Watch Charlie Rose. You would be amazed at the breadth of guests he has on.

5. When you meet others, ask them about what they do and really talk to them about it. Small talk is a waste of time. Ask detailed questions about different fields and you will find you learn quite a bit in the process.

6. Always ask "Why?" when you encounter new concepts.

dholowiski 13 years ago | |

Yes, #1 for sure. Once you get over it, you will find you have way more free time (plus no $100/month cable bill) to pursue more important stuff.

alpine 13 years ago | |

I don't think limiting your reading to The Atlantic and Economist is a good idea. I would advise reading fewer stories from a wider selection of sources then applying point 6. "Why" to the text. Why was the story written? Why was the story published? Why in this source and not others? You want to dig beneath the surface to uncover the agenda. There is always an agenda.

Understanding how others try to steer your thinking and actions is as important to a renaissance man as the ability to sketch the valves of the heart or conceive a flying machine inspired by nature.

cafard 13 years ago |

"The bulk of [your] time"? Unless you have an independent income, this may be the bulk of your free time.

Off the top of my head:

a. Live where you can get by mostly walking or riding a bike. That will help with fitness. b. Take some classes. If you already know a musical instrument or two, I suppose you can learn another easily. From a given level of mathematical maturity, you can learn more math on your own. But foreign languages, drawing, and painting seem like skills you can use some help with. Community colleges, university extension programs, organizations such as the Academie Francaise and the Goethe Institute offer things that can help you. c. On your own, you can read plenty of history. d. Philosophy is worth reading, but requires some context.

Good luck.

wyan 13 years ago |

Going for knowledge just because it sounds cool isn't going to be a motivator strong enough for success. Find stuff you're interested in and dive into those. The way to become a well-rounded person is to become obsessive in many things (possibly not simultaneously) that are unusual in some way. In fact, learning anything will feel like specialization, and in fact being a serial specialist is probably the most viable way to become a "Renaissance man" today.

Note that the first thing that came to my mind when I read your post was: "To be a true Renaissance man, you need to have been dead for 400 years". I won't write it here :)

majorapps 13 years ago |

What are your goals? A high level "renaissance man" is a good start, but how about breaking these down into tangible 'deliverables'. E.g. what languages do you specifically want to learn? Do you want to spend time in a country applying those language skills in a natural context...

The reason I suggest this is without clear goals and a practical application for those goals, you may not get the outcome you desire.

adrianwaj 13 years ago |

Start reading a physical encyclopedia from cover to cover. Start reading things you don't understand to make you open-minded and tolerant and hopefully humble. (specialization is not for insects) Start gardening, insects are found here. Only rarely downvote on HN, as that's the modus operandi of the Renaissance Man - positive choices and preferences, not caught up in condemnation.

sktrdie 13 years ago |

Personally I just do what I'm passionate about, and that's it. I don't categorize my passions and expect my passions to be more than 5 or 10.

Simply find what you love doing.

Things in life change and 10 years from now you'll have different interests. Cultivate the things your interested in now and don't over stress yourself with having to learn all those disciplines - things will come with time.

Sabrosa 13 years ago |

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I'm not wealthy by any means, so income is definitely going to be an issue. But I don't have very many expenses or responsibilities (yet), so it's not too difficult to live cheaply on 20-30k a year.

pasbesoin 13 years ago |

Good physical health is your first step. Seriously.

orangethirty 13 years ago |

Forget learning, find yourself. The true renaissance man knows himself. The other stuff is easy.