Renaissance Man and The Modern Male

A Renaissance (polymath) Man is a person who is skilled in multiple fields or multiple disciplines, and who has a broad base of knowledge. The term ‘renaissance man’ is largely based on the various artists and scholars of the European Renaissance, (starting in about 1450), who pursued multiple fields of studies.

Perhaps the quintessential renaissance man of this period was Leonardo Da Vinci, who was a master of art, an engineer, an anatomy expert (for the time), and also pursued many other disciplines with great success and aplomb.

The term polymath predates ‘renaissance man’ and is from the Greek polymathes. To thinking men like Plato, and then Aristotle, the idea of “having learned much,” the literal translation of the Greek word, was extremely important. Aristotle, in his diverse writings, strongly advocated that people who would choose to study rhetoric should be well versed in a variety of fields, since this gave them the opportunity to comment on a variety of situations, and develop “commonplaces,” short prepared remarks that could be used in extemporaneous speech.

Another polymath who followed Aristotle was Archimedes who studied and mastered numerous subjects, from math, physics, philosophy, and engineering. Being a polymath was something to aspire to, and occasionally remains so.

Though we have many people who would be considered geniuses in one specific area, the Renaissance man shows skill in numerous areas. A virtuoso violinist like Itzhak Perlman may be considered a genius, but he is not necessarily a polymath. If he also took up philosophy and engineering, then he’d have a better chance of being classed as a renaissance man.

In the actual Renaissance period, men who were educated aspired to become Renaissance men. They were expected to know several languages, understand philosophy and scientific teachings, appreciate literature and art, and further, to be deft sportsmen.

Such emphasis was inspired by earlier periods, and for the first time, scholars had access to many of the Greek philosophers and writers whose work had been lost for centuries. Further, becoming a renaissance man was clearly an extension of the earlier knights and courtiers who became educated during the Middle Ages.

There were few Renaissance women, since routinely, women were not educated. Today, women may prefer the term polymath when they are expert in several fields. For men, prejudice may still hold that a man must be both mentally and physically adept. A person who does not have prowess in sports may miss being labeled a renaissance man, and may instead be called a polymath.

You’ll still see the idea of the Renaissance man in a traditional college education. All students, in most cases, regardless of major, are required to take liberal arts classes, where they learn about topics unrelated to their major. This does not mean that most students become polymaths.

Generally you have to be considered to have mastery in several different fields in order to be one. True polymaths, and you’ll certainly find a few in any college, are often students who major in multiple subjects and minor in others.

Yet this concept of general education expresses ideas dating back to Aristotle, and reinforced in the Renaissance, that broad-based education helps form a more fully developed mind.

Renaissance Man and The Modern Male

The evolved male is comprised of four very different and powerful energies, The Awakened Warrior, The Enlightened Lover, The Courageous Leader and The Mystical Sage.

Each one of these energies is associated with corresponding aspect as follows:

• The Awakened Warrior is associated with power and the physical body.

• The Enlightened Lover is associated with passion for love and life.

• The Courageous Leader is associated with the soul’s purpose.

• The Mystical Sage is associated with mental strength and perseverance.

Awakened Warrior:

You will learn discipline, courage, determination, and skill as well as physical fitness. You’ll learn to compete, set goals, and when necessary, defend yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

Obstacles you will face: Fear of impotence leading to ruthlessness, arrogance.

You will benefit from:

• Choosing battles wisely, realizing that not every situation needs to be either combative or competitive.
• Seeking enough R&R to stay healthy and refreshed, taking time to recognize and express your vulnerabilities.
• Working to see the point of view of others, even your competitors or adversaries.
• Hanging back so that others might show what they can do for themselves (because not everyone always needs rescuing).
• Avoiding either/or thinking and seeking out win/win solutions.
• Balancing your virtues.

Enlightened Lover:

You learn about loving others, being romantic, intimate, and making commitments. You understand passion, commitment, enthusiasm, sensual pleasure.

Obstacles you will face: Objectifying others; romance or sex addictions, out of control sexuality.

You will benefit from:

• Clarifying values about sexual expression and friendship, maintaining good boundaries.
• Expressing sensuousness in all aspects of life, including very ordinary experiences (like waking up and smelling the coffee).
• Making a long-term commitment to care about others and their well-being, whether or not the infatuation of love or friendship or the excitement of new projects lasts.
• Cultivating a sense of identity and self-esteem that is independent of whether or not you love or are loved.
• Balancing your virtues and passion.

Courageous Leader:

You’ll learn to taking charge, being responsible, living according to your values. You’ll understand responsibility, sovereignty, control and how to be system savvy.

Obstacles you will face:  Rigidity, controlling behaviors, an attitude of entitlement, elitism.

You will benefit from:

• Having a commitment to governing for the good of all.
• Sharing power and encouraging as much self-determinism as possible in others.
• Remembering that you cannot make people do anything, but you can inspire them by sharing a worthy vision of outcomes that take their interests into account.
• Modeling the behaviors you wish others to exhibit.
• Balancing your values.

Mystical Sage:

You’ll learn to think clearly, critically as well as formulating your own opinions.  You’ll become aware of transformative, catalytic and healing power.  You’ll learn how to change what happens by altering your own thoughts or behaviors

Obstacles you will face: Manipulation of others, disconnection from reality, cultist guru behaviors. Being overly critical, pomposity, impracticality, lack of feeling or empathy.

You will benefit from:

• Taking a scientific approach to understanding how the world works, studying natural processes and tracking what actually works, not just what sounds good.
• Doing inner work that fosters awareness of psychological forces, heals wounds from one’s early life, and keeps you self-aware and aligned with your sense of life purpose.
• Being aware of how other people think and act, without needing to change them.
• Staying grounded through routine work, being in nature, and the joys of sensuality.
• Avoiding dogmatism and staying open to new information, even if it contradicts what you have thought previously.
• Paying attention to what works in the real world, rather than what simply delights the mind by its complexity.
• Communicating simply rather than showing off your genius.
• Staying in touch with gut or body knowledge.

If you’re a modern male and wish to embrace you Renaissance man please Contact Me.