Sunday, August 28, 2011

Renaissance Man




I have been thinking about the renaissance and the meaning of a renaissance mind lately. The renaissance is my favourite historical period and in my late teens and early twenties I did a lot of studying of that period. Although I have not kept up my intensity of study I would still say that I am an expert on the Tudor period notwithstanding my lack of memory of dates. I was particularly interested in Jane Grey and her pursuit of learning; her mind was likely superior to her cousin Elizabeth’s. I began to study Latin on my own as a consequence of reading so many biographies of renaissance personalities.


The renaissance period is filled with interesting people from many countries but notable renaissance minds include Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Copernicus and Francis Bacon. The term polymath means someone whose expertise spans a significant number of subjects. It is rare to meet people who have interests in more than one or two subjects and even rarer to find someone who excels in one or two areas as well as having multiple other areas of interest. The pursuit of knowledge is something I think is invaluable to a person who wishes to live a full and interesting life. The first step is certainly to have a love of reading. Being open to new experiences is also a way to pursue knowledge, as is the love of travelling.


I think it is fantastic that once we reach 65 we are eligible to enter university to pursue a degree – for free! I can hardly wait. I picked up a booklet on Einstein and I am seriously thinking about studying physics in my old age. E=mc2 (to find Energy, you multiply the Mass by the Square of the speed of Light). If I wrote this on my bedroom wall and looked at it every morning, would I remember it? Maybe after 10 years! Yes, it will be a challenge but I am up for it!


Back up plan – Latin?



At the equator

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