The Modern Renaissance Person: How to Excel in Multiple Areas of Life
The term "Renaissance man" originated in the 15th century to describe men who had excelled in multiple areas of life. These where people like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who were artists, scientists, poets, politicians, philosophers, and teenage mutant ninja turtles. These were curious and creative men who wanted to experience as much as the world as they could before they died. They excelled in multiple areas of life and are remembered by history for it.
There is a desperate need for these types of individuals in the world today. You see a culture of anti-intellectualism everywhere you look. People no longer trust scientists or teachers, they celebrate people who actively mock and deride intellectuals, they are no longer curious about the world, and they don't have critical thinking skills. This trend threatens our futures, and the best way we can fight back is to not be like that.
Enter the Modern Renaissance Person. They are intelligent, they enjoy life, and they love learning and experiencing new things. These are passionate, involved individuals who have a diverse set of skills and interests which help them to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Whether this already describes you or it resonates with the type of person you would like to become, there are several areas you should focus on developing to become a true Renaissance person:
1. Embrace Lifelong Learning
Growth mindset means so much more than the cheesy "you can do it!" posters you see on elementary classroom walls. Having a growth mindset means not letting yourself grow stagnant. It's easy to stick with what's comfortable; it's hard to force ourselves into doing something new and difficult that we could potentially fail at. In today's world, where technology and industries are constantly evolving, it's more important than ever to be adaptable and willing to learn. Just because you're not good at it now doesn't mean you can't be good at it later. Take courses, read books, attend seminars, do whatever you need to do to keep yourself growing and learning.
2. Cultivate a Diverse Set of Interests
Don't limit yourself to a single field or interest. Maybe you know everything about cars but are left in the dark when it comes to politics. Or maybe you're an amazing writer but don't have the coding skills to build a website to show your work. You can't build a house with only bricks, you need all sorts of materials to make the house strong. Be curious about the world around you and explore a wide range of topics, hobbies, and interests which challenge you as a person. This will help you to develop a broader perspective, make you more adaptable to change, and help you grow as a person.
3. Be Creative and Innovative
Creativity is more than being able to write a book or paint a picture. Successful people in business, science, technology, and the humanities all need creativity to thrive. Creativity means being willing to experiment and take risks. You can make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas and see possibilities where others cannot. When you imagine up a new idea, you're persistent and put in the time and effort it takes to bring your ideas to fruition. Stay open-minded, challenge yourself constantly, approach life with curiosity, and creativity will come.
4. Take Care of your Health
Health means more than eating your apple-a-day and going for an occasional walk. There are eight dimensions of health: physical, spiritual, emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, and social. Maybe you have a great nutrition plan and work out every day, but surround yourself with people who leave you feeling drained. Or you read tons of books and keep your mind sharp, but you lack a value system (religious or otherwise) which gives you purpose and meaning. To excel in life, you must take care of yourself first.
5. Pursue Excellence
Make yourself into a person you can be proud of. Strive for excellence in everything. This doesn't mean that you'll always achieve excellence, but you'll sleep better and be remembered well if you put your best effort into everything you do. Have high standards for yourself and always look for ways to improve. Pursuit of excellence is a reflective process; set goals, track your progress, and seek feedback to continually improve.
Most of all, being a Renaissance Person means not letting life pass you by. You existing in this moment in this time is a statistical anomaly, a fluke of time and space and fate, if you believe in it. Surviving is not enough for us Renaissance People; we want to thrive and experience as much as life has to offer. Together, we can create a more enlightened and informed society.
Thank you for reading. As we strive to cultivate our creativity and intellectual curiosity, let’s continue to push ourselves and others to be lifelong learners. If you enjoyed this post and want to stay up-to-date on future articles, please consider subscribing to our newsletter for regular updates and insights.
