Shawn Olson Creative Arts 142 18 http://www.shawnolson.net http://www.shawnolson.net/sitemedia/shawnolsoncreativearts.gif http://www.shawnolson.net/guest/1/?refType=article&refId=1090 Guestbook Posts http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 Thankyou firstly for writing this essay, because it is definately worth thinking about - I would say to you that, yes it is probably the modern education system that determines the deterioration of the typical 'Renaissance man', but this is not necessarily so bad; perhaps society is more balanced if everyone has more skill in a specific skill (obviously that's debatable). I personally don't think a man can be a TRUE master of all trades; as you said, a lot of us are likely to be minor polymaths, but I don't think being passionate about a certain subject is any less commendable as not achieving a recognisable level of education (legally) in that area, which would mean that in that case, you can still be seen as a renaissance man (sorry if I'm not making ANY sense). Conclusively, nowadays, I think you have every type of man/woman; it is up to the individual and their general enthusiasm. Perhaps, renaissance is too much of a generalist label...i don't know. Saul Rather not say 2009-02-08T14:27:09-05:00 http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 The renaissance man does indeed thrive in today's society, you must just look harder. Life is there for the taking and learning as much about as much as you can, only makeing for a better soul, a better mind, a better being. Maybe the modern day renaissance man is in a different form than the heroic polymath. Maybe hiding behind a computer screen or an eisle just not yet discovered for the rest of us to see. I highly recommend, trying to live in the shoes of a renaissance man. The days are filled with life and the nights are filled with dreams. And each day you can persue you prior nights dream. Life is for the taking. From strumming a guitar or splashing color or raising a wall to create a room then a building, maybe an invention to dazzle the world, it is all so rewarding, Why only do one thing when you can do everything. michael DiGiacinto 2008-08-12T21:00:38-05:00 http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 I believe the Renaissance Men still exsist. Maybe they aren't exhaulted like Franklin, but that's because nobody these days has the guts to stand up to the government. This is foolish because our nation was formed around taxation with represtation. I'm only eightteen years old, but I have never seen my thoughts represented by any branch of government. Where are the Renaissance Men when you need them right? I've been looking into this idea of Renaissance men for a while and strongly believe my generation is turning out Renaissance men but they don't know it yet. Seth Wilbur 2008-04-16T13:43:03-05:00 http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 Renaissance men still exist. The difference today is that they are not valued or heralded as such. Hip hop impressarios such as Jay Z (Sean Carter) or Sean (Diddy) Combs have both demonstrated extraordinary acumen and creativity in a number of fields both creative and practical. Sean Comb's fashion line (though underappreiated) is genuinely inspired. It reflects his personal input and style and plain and simple, the goods are sharp, smart and world class. JAY z is really a philanthropist, philosopher, entrepreneur, and CEO of a Fortune 500 company. A poet of enormous fluency. I am not in any way affiliated with these men, nor am I a "fan" per se. I am a deep , thought ful , and observant person and I can't help but marvel at both their accomplishments across a wide spectrum of fields. Modern Day Renaissance Men. Bilal Corbin 2007-05-07T22:16:16-05:00 http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 helllo my name is veronica and I think you are right.Because of all the technology that has been exposed to the world, men must excell even more, today,in order for them to be recognized as "Renaissance Man" veronica Cortez 2006-11-12T22:56:45-05:00 http://www.shawnolson.net/a/1090 Recently I stumbled upon a book by Barbara Sher titled "Refuse to Choose". It talks about a "class" of people called "scanners". From my interpretation of what I have read so far these scanners are the modern representation of the "renaissance man" a jack-of-all-trades so to speak. I agree with you in that it is impossible to attain the level of knoweledge that these previous people have had in the past. I think however that our society pushes us towards the single path and really looks down on the polymath. We are people of unique abilities and our society for the most part doesn't seem to like uniqueness. I think the concept is making a comeback however as a few sites have begun to appear on the net. I am a scanner and I am at my best when I am working on twenty different things at once. I think that renaissance people are wired differently which allows them to function so well in such a diverse environement. We thrive on the new, trying to learn as much as possible about the world around us. So to reiterate I think that "renaissance people" are still very prevalent but until we are viewed in a different light it is sometimes safer to blend into the crowd. I look forward to any response. Michael Michael Emery 2006-08-20T15:56:59-05:00