How To Become A Renaissance Man

It is Memorial Day today, which for those of you who don't know, is the day that Americans memorialize members of the United States Armed Services who have given the ultimate gift to their country: their lives.  This 'holiday' was originally instituted as a kind of reparation to begin the healing after our own Civil War, but has grown to encompass all of our storied military conflicts.  Today I am not only reminded of the undeniably admirable qualities of those men and women, but also once again of my own personal inadequacies.  I am, and will likely always be, somewhat sheepishly humbled when pondering the sacrifices of these commendable human beings.

This has also brought me to thinking of the preponderance of military men who are also renaissance men.  I once held the somewhat uninformed and perhaps prevailing notion that military jocks are mostly brawn but lacking in brains.  Obviously, this is a generalization which although possibly spreads its roots in truth, is an incorrect one perhaps half of the time, which is no good or useful generalization at all.  Many of the military men I've met in my life are thoughtful, sophisticated, worldly, and wise, not to mention pure bad-asses.  When you think about it, the military services are a breeding ground for renaissance men.  Not only do they train a man in the art of warfare, all the while keeping him in peak physical condition, but also they force a man to experience the world in his travels, often picking up multiple languages and sophistications along the way.  They also educate a man thoroughly in other disciplines, either while at the Academy, or later through the G.I. bill.  In fact, one almost couldn't help becoming a renaissance man as a modern-day soldier, unless of course one really was all brawn and no brains.

Which brings me to today's post, the purpose of which is to generally outline the ways in which a man can attain 'renaissance man' status.  This will be mostly in the form of a list which I will no doubt expand upon in later posts, but for now, and with limited long-winded explanation, here it is:

The Renaissance Man's Guide to Becoming a Renaissance Man:

1. Don't Be An Egotistical Douche-Bag.  Number one for a reason.  This is perhaps the most important rule.  No one likes a braggart, no matter what your accomplishments.  Learn as much as you can, but don't be the asshole who wants to talk about all the great things you can do all the time.  Use your knowledge and skills appropriately and at the appropriate time, with as little personal fanfare as possible, and accept compliments gracefully.
2. Never Stop Learning.  Number two for a reason.  Every day is an opportunity to learn something new or hone an existing skill set.  Don't let a day pass without learning something new.
3. Learn An Art.  Art comes in many forms.  Some renaissance men will try their hand at many art forms, and be successful with at least one or two of them.  Music, painting, chain-saw wood carving... whatever.  Just learn to express yourself through an artistic medium somehow.
4. Learn To Build Things.  A renaissance man is good with his hands, in more ways than one.  Learn to be 'handy'.  Learn how things are constructed and how things work mechanically.  If something breaks, try to fix it yourself.  Learn how to use a hammer, drill, and screwdriver.  Build something for the hell of it.  
5. Stay Active.  Renaissance men of old were not only great minds, but great bodies as well.  You do not have to be a professional athlete or a modern-day warrior to accomplish this rule, however.  Simply get out and keep your body in relatively good shape.  How you do that is completely up to you.  Hit the gym on a somewhat regular basis.  Take up hiking or climbing.  Join a local sports team.  The co-ed ones can be particularly rewarding.
6. Learn English.  English is without a doubt the most important language spoken on this planet at this moment in time (don't be the guy who argues that point with me - I will make fun of you).  For those of you who already speak English, learn to speak it well.  This is a skill that is quickly becoming extinct.  Learn to become a good orator.  Learn how to be persuasive and humorous with language.  While you are at it, learn to write in complete, grammatically correct sentences.  Also, learn to spell, or at least become proficient with the spell-check.  You might have the most interesting and profound things to say, but if they are misspelled or written like a grade-schooler, you will not be taken seriously.
7. Learn Another Language.  It does not matter which one.  Even Latin can be surprisingly useful, although it might be hard to find other people with which to have a conversation if you do choose Latin.  After you've learned another language, learn another one.
8. Learn To Be A Better Lover.  You think this is unimportant and does not belong in this list?  You have a lot to learn, young man.  Learning to be a better lover is a lifelong journey that contains a myriad rewards.  Be a man.  A complete one.  
9. Read.  And not just this blog (or any other blog for that matter).   Read classic literature.  Read the classic philosophers.  But, don't just read.  Think about what you are reading and analyze thoroughly.  These are classics for a reason.
10. Learn About Math And/Or The Sciences.  You do not need to be a brilliant mathematician or scientist to be a renaissance man, but it sure would help.  Learn how to figure out how tall that tree is over there without taking a tape measure to the top of it.  Learn who Pythagoras is and why he's important.  It's a good place to start.  At the very least, learn how to subtract, add, multiply, and divide without a calculator, and what element Fe represents on the periodic table, for Pete's sake.
11. Learn About The World.  Not just geography.  Learn about the rest of the people in the world.  Learn about the religions and cultural practices in countries other than your own.  While you're at it, learn about your own country and the religions and cultural practices in it.  Learn to be respectful of and even admire the differences between yourself and the rest of the world.
12. Learn History.  Don't just learn about history.  Learn from history.  Take care not to do the stupid things other people have done in the past.  There are plenty of examples.
13. Learn About Politics.  Learn about the different political systems.  And not just the demagogic misrepresentations that your own political leaders express in reference to their own system and the others.  Actually read some information written by the founders of other systems as well as your own, and learn about the advantages and/or pitfalls of each.  If you think you live within the greatest political system ever created, and that there will never be a better one, you are very likely not thinking broadly enough.
14. Learn To Be A Gentleman.  Be a confident man.  Don't act like a woman.  But, obtain a gentleness about your expression of manliness.  You don't always have to be the bad-ass.  Aggression is inappropriate in almost all endeavors, except of course boxing, warfare, and driving in traffic.
15. Learn To Appreciate Fine Things.  These are humankind's greatest accomplishments.  Someone strove to achieve greatness in some form or another, and in some cases succeeded.  Fine art, fine food, great literature, superb athleticism, a brilliant equation.  These are the examples toward which the renaissance man endeavors.  How will you know how to be great without knowing and appreciating what greatness is?  Learn and appreciate all things excellent, and strive to achieve excellence yourself.

This is by no means an all-inclusive or mutually exclusive list.  Each item is worthy of exploration and expansion.  The road to becoming a renaissance man is never-ending with many detours and forks along the way, and even some potholes and.... OK enough with the road metaphor, but you get the point.

As usual, I welcome the two or three people out there who might actually read this blog to leave your comments, questions, and/or diatribes.