Polymath (pol·y·math) - a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.
What’s the point of being a polymath? Why does it matter? I think being an all-rounded person can help in many ways. Being a polymath allows you to unleash the creativity inside you. You can bring ideas to fruition. You can adapt with these constantly changing times. There are so many reasons why, I could probably write a whole 5 paragraph essay about it! I think my ELA teacher would like that. My point is that being a polymath is good for you and for others. It makes you more curious, and learn more about this wonderful world.
Hi there! My name is Rohan Arni. I’m a 7th grade student living in New Jersey. I love reading, math, science, technology, and music. I’m also a huge gamer. But most importantly, I’m curious. And I think that I have what it takes to be a true polymath. So I hope you enjoy my adventures of learning to be a polymath!Let’s start at the beginning. Who were the greatest polymaths ever? Well, if you look in history, three prominent names pop out at me. They are Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. They all have studied and made contributions to many different fields, but in the end, they all had two thing in common: curiosity and imagination. They were always looking for answers to problems, even daring to look in places that were considered forbidden. Especially da Vinci. That guy broke so many laws that at any point in his life he could be arrested for breaking 15 laws. So we know that curiosity is important. Another important skill is imagination. They were able to use their imagination to connect the dots between a variety of topics. da Vinci used his mathematical studies to paint! I don’t think many people in the 1400s were learning to paint, much less study math. So we have established that curiosity and imagination are the key to the mindset of being a polymath.
Next, we need to look at the variety of topics they studied. They all studied more than 8 topics each. That’s why I have selected 8 topics. These topics are: science, technology, engineering, art, math, literature, sports, and gaming. I am passionate about learning about all of these topics, and sharing my learning with you!
I hope you enjoy your stay at Path to Polymath!
-Rohan
Note from the author: This article was written in 2020 on my old blog on medium. I am reposting it here for archival purposes. This article has been modified to fit the new blog.