“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.”
Quote from Robert A. Heinlein
Science-Fiction Author, Aeronautical Engineer, and retired Naval Officer
The modern renaissance man is at odds with our factory-based, corporate-driven, highly specialized society.
Hyperspecialization has been driving our economy for years. Adam Smith popularized the term “division of labor” years ago in his book, “The Wealth of Nations.” The notion is simple, when you divide labor, productivity increases. In the popular “Pin Factory” analogy, if each individual is responsible for one specific step in pin production, pins are developed more quickly than if one man makes the entire pin.
And in modern society, we see benefits of this application all the time. If I repeat one task several time a day, every day, I will likely maximize the efficiency of that task.
Many jobs in our modern society favor the specialist.
In all socio-economic levels, specialization is a driving force for the workers of the world. From the food lines at the sandwich shops, to the executives in the big IT corporations, hyperfocused jobs and roles are the norm. Even those C-level executives. Yep, even the senior status symbols of the corporate drones are locked into ever-narrowing focus.
Don’t believe me? Just look at the evolution of titles.
Twenty to thirty years ago, these were your C-levels:
- CEO – chief executive officer
- CFO – chief financial officer
- COO – chief operations officer
- CMO – chief marketing officer
Now, you can find these additions to the executive team:
- CIO – chief information officer
- CIO – chief innovation officer
- CDO – chief data officer
- CDO – chief digital officer
- CPO – chief privacy officer
- CPO – chief people officer
- CKO – chief knowledge officer
- CBO – chief brand officer
- ….
A quick Google search will uncover tons of other C-level titles if you care to peruse.
As our specialization increases, each human’s individual scope decreases. And as a rule, this puts a huge damper on innovation. The hyperfocus, lack of interconnectedness, and strict guardrails stifle creativity. Add some corporate competition tied to money, and innovation can take a dangerous turn toward blame. The courage to try new things gives way to the fear of failure. And failure, rather than being a lesson for growth, can become a reason for redundancy. All the way down the corporate ladder.
What’s worse? I argue it’s that very tendency toward specialization that exhausts us.
In a time when “innovation” has become the buzzword of the decade, we turn toward convenience in consumption before innovation. In short, specialization kills creativity and innovation. It stifles curiosity.
But there’s another way!
During the Italian Renaissance between 1400 and 1600, people believed there was no limit to the knowledge one could possess. One of the most famous of those was Leonardo da Vinci. His interests were broad, spanning painting and sculpture, science and mathematics, astronomy and botany… just to name a few.
Simply put, a renaissance man has knowledge in several areas. Deep, expert knowledge of some subjects, and broad knowledge in several others. The renaissance man is curious, engaged in his environment. A well-rounded individual.
Enter the Modern Renaissance person. This person can absolutely have deep knowledge in a handful of subjects, including their chosen vocation, but does not neglect other areas of their life.
This person strives toward good physical fitness and health. Embraces modern culture and arts, with a healthy respect for the classics. Healthy meals are whipped up using what’s available in the kitchen due to resourceful culinary skills. Knowledge of world events is common. The modern renaissance person keeps an eye on current events, engaging in conversation about global affairs. Comfortable with balancing a checkbook, financial investing, tending a garden and fixing a leaking toilet – the modern renaissance person embraces the modern technological age.
We can discover how to do so many things with a few clicks of a mouse, and the modern renaissance person wants to absorb as much useful knowledge as possible.
The modern renaissance person does not waste hours on the couch everyday watching pointless TV. Nor do they keep up with celebrity gossip, or office gossip, for that matter. They have few lazy days. Actively engaged in life, open to learning new things, and generally in good health with an elevated well-being and desire to embrace every moment. The modern renaissance person does not have large gaps of knowledge in their life. They cannot be an athlete with a massive credit card debt. Nor a computer programmer who has never read classic literature.
A Modern Renaissance is the answer to our Society of Specialization.
It supports a frugal, anti-consumer focus in life. The pursuit of becoming a modern renaissance person can lead to a much more well-rounded and fulfilling life, rather than a life that revolves around your desk at work and your couch at home.
When I compare my knowledge of everyday things to that of my grandparents, I am embarrassed. Sure, I can do some things they could not. I know a couple of computer programming languages, and statistical analysis… but the list ends right about there.
My grandparents were born into the farming life. My grandfather later went to school for business to become an accountant and eventually CPA. He owned his own accounting firm. Kept a vegetable garden in his backyard, tended to the lawn and all landscaping regularly. While I don’t recall him tinkering with his car, he tinkered with just about everything else. The garage had all of his lawn and garden tools. Inside he had a special workshop where he would repair any appliance in the house, or repair a table or chair. Sometimes he would do his own woodworking, or change out the faucets, light fixtures. Climb up on the roof and repair shingles.
The dude had skills. Granted, some of this is likely a byproduct of growing up in a slower time, tail end of the Great Depression that hit his family hard. But I admired his ability to fix everything. And the thing is, he didn’t always know how to fix everything… but he always tried.
It was curiosity that drove him. Curiosity and frugality.
Now, don’t get me wrong. He drove his car to get maintained and even cleaned on a regular basis. The man had his own business, and he enjoyed some luxuries and modern conveniences. But he also had a flair for self-sufficiency. One that many of us have lost today.
If something breaks down in our home, the knee-jerk reaction is to call someone to fix it. Can’t figure out what to make for dinner? Go out to eat instead. Not sure what to buy at the grocery store? Or what to wear? You can get almost anything delivered. Farmers market produce can be delivered to your doorstep weekly. Outfits delivered to your doorstep monthly.
And who can blame us?
We’re tired. Overworked, overstressed. Time and energy are our most valuable and least available resources. After a long day at work, most don’t have the mental energy to throw together a meal from scratch, let alone figure out how to fix the leaky faucet.
But let’s say you excel in your specialization! This is what we’re taught to do from an early age. Find what you’re good at and be the best at that one thing. Be the best bread baker. Or maybe the best data analyst. Even the best Chief Data Officer.
Becoming the best takes massive amounts of effort and energy. Leaving nothing left for the rest of your day. So, when you’re at a party, trying to get to know new people, the conversation will typically revolve around work. Because that’s all you know. When you talk about hobbies, you realize you haven’t actually done said hobby in several months, but keep it as a conversation piece.
So, imagine what happens when the world changes. And your specialized skills are no longer needed.
That’s what many have faced in the workforce throughout time. Perhaps jobs became automated. Or required a level of physical effort you couldn’t continue. Maybe the way of doing business fundamentally changed due to environment, or technology.
Bottom line, if all of your eggs are in that one basket, you are now out of eggs.
Moreover, what if you didn’t have to outsource so much of your life? Perhaps you can clean your own house, or make your own meals? For middle and upper class individuals, there’s typically a lot of opportunity to cut costs tied to convenience. And there may be more to gain than just money.
Take the typical office worker day. You wake up early to commute 30 minutes to work. Pick up a coffee and maybe even a breakfast pastry to kick-start your day. Work from 8am to 6pm with a quick lunch hour – just enough time to hop in your car, pick up fast food and eat. Then another 30-minute commute to get home. Maybe on your way home, you pick up some take-out. And you enjoy that, along with a beer, on the couch watching cable TV until it’s time to get ready for bed.
This is not atypical. I’ve done it. I’ve lived with roommates who’ve done it. Hung out with friends that have this same pattern. We trick ourselves into thinking there’s a lot more in those hours, but many times there just isn’t.
It’s just that we’re tired and worn out. And hours of TV viewing is a way to relax after a long day. Which is fine. Until it isn’t.
I stumbled into becoming a renaissance person quite by accident. After choosing to get my finances in order and strive for financial independence, I pared down a lot of my costly social activities and possessions. TV included.
Sure, I had my laptop. Staying at home, sulking after eating a crappy, home-cooked meal while watching Netflix on my laptop wasn’t terrible. But it didn’t keep my attention for long.
Eventually, I branched out my interests. After over a decade of inactivity, I took up light exercise. Began exploring my city and the free arts and culture events it offered. And I took on some new hobbies. I spent a lot of time learning how to cook so I didn’t have to eat awful food. Learned about real estate investing and property management as a side hustle that became a full time pursuit and vehicle to financial independence. I started frequenting the library, and gave myself permission to research and investigate any crazy thing that came to mind. The book topics I pursued were diverse: native landscaping, real estate investing, bird watching, classic literature, poetry, physical fitness, triathlon training, healthy eating, cooking, human anthropology, world religion…
Today, I still enjoy a range of hobbies, always trying to expand. The freedom to leave my corporate job after years working toward financial independence has helped me expand my skills and knowledge.
I have a beginning container garden in my backyard, with a range of success, and knowledge of growing cycles, soil pH, space and crop planning. Cycling out store-bought cleaning products with more natural, homemade cleaners has taught me about natural alternatives, how to make homemade soap, the benefits of hanging laundry out to dry. Training for a triathlon has honed an old love for swimming, introduced me to the torture of running, and reacquainted me with a bicycle that looks much different than the one I rode as a kid.
I just ate a bit of the kimchi we started making at home. Store-bought is more expensive, and homemade is fun to try. In the corner of my kitchen, a batch of not-yet kombucha is fermenting and creating the much coveted scoby, the blob of bacteria and yeast that will yield never-ending kombucha from simple sweet tea.
I wrote a screenplay. Sometimes, I buy a few canvases and paint some not-so-terrible artwork. Local and state parks are a weekly getaway for hiking, swimming and enjoying nature. I just signed up for a gardening class, and scoping out screenwriting classes. We’re doing an overhaul on the backyard over the next few months, but once that’s done I’ll give wood bending a go!
Luckily, my partner is patient with my various pursuits. And has plenty of his own.
I get a lot of joy from these activities. And besides the joy, I get health and monetary benefits from most of these hobbies.
Home improvement projects and repairs are seen through a different scope as well. As mentioned, our yard has been a mess. So we researched landscaping alternatives and have developed a plan. This plan includes a microclover lawn, Nellie Stevens hollies on the perimeter for privacy, and graveled side yard with proper raised gardening beds. Sure, the project will take many man hours, and won’t be done for a few months. And we’d probably get this within a week or so if we contracted it out. But, the whole process has been beneficial and fun. We took the time to discuss what we each wanted in the backyard. Researched types of plants that fit our criteria, planned out phases of the project so our dog can coexist with us in the yard while we work.
The point is, a project that could have been mindlessly contracted out has become a learning experience for me and my partner. I’ve learned a ton about growing ground cover and gardening in central Texas. And will likely learn more as we continue and finish this project. Pair that with the sun and exercise we’ll both get, and it’s a great way to spend a few hours over several days. And we’ll delight in seeing the fruits of our labor every time we hang out in the backyard.
Learning how to solve problems on your own, as much as possible, builds your skill set, your self-sufficiency, and your confidence. Knowing how to make repairs at home can save you money. Having a range of technical and trades skills can make you money.
It’s this curiosity, this desire to learn and engage with your surroundings, that brings energy to you and to life.
8/27/2020 Edit: A fellow blogger at Early Retirement Extreme recently wrote about the economic law of comparative advantage vs living a full life and having fun. And if you haven’t done so, please check out his book Early Retirement Extreme at your local library or Amazon. It’s in my top 10 list and I recommend it to anyone who will listen 🙂