renaissance man

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So what exactly is a renaissance man?

I kind of have the idea that it is someone who figures out what they are worse at doing and then improves upon it so that they are better (and repeats) with the motive of experience the most of possible lives (not finding a niche).

I've had the idea lately that I want to, instead of ignoring how bad of a rapper or dancer I am, improve my rapping and dancing skills.

Is anyone like this, or tries to be like this?

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

STIG OF THE DUMP!

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Danny DeVito, I believe.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

"I ain't no ox moron"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

From WordNet (r) 1.7 [wn]:

Renaissance man n 1: a modern scholar who is in a position to acquire more than superficial knowledge about many different interests; "a statistician has to be something of a generalist" [syn: {Renaissance man}, {generalist}] [ant: {specialist}] 2: a scholar during the Renaissance who (because knowledge was limited) could know almost everything about many topics [syn: {Renaissance man}]

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a wannabe renaissance man. Though, I don't actually think the term in itself infers talent.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Its kind of what I was banging on about re: Architects and Engineers.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Besides the obvious sexism of the title "Renaissance MAN," I still want to be one. I'd gladly spend the rest of my life taking courses in obscure topics and becoming a general know-it-all. But I don't want to have to get one of those dangly thingys to hang from my groin.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

a sporran?

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 26 February 2003 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Renaissance Men have to wear dressing-gowns and/or kimonos, smoke pipes, smile devilishly, have excellent hair skills and quote Rimbaud and/or Baudelaire. And cooking is A MUST, especially things like eggs which are found everywhere but often underutilised. Coming up with iambic blank verse at a moment's notice is useful but not required - there's such a thing as too much.

Anything less is known as 'Shit Man'.

― Al Ewing (Al Ewing), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

According to that definition, I'm one! I have very slightly more than superficial knowledge of all sorts of things! Hurrah!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Where does renaissance man end and dilettante begin?

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:12 (twenty-two years ago)

(possibly getting paid for all the things you are Renaissancing would win you an RM qualification. Anything less, dilettante)

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

In answering Amateurist's question, I was about to arbitrarily insult members of the ILE crew (including myself) but I decided against it (Tim Hopkins was the renaissance man, though).

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Do renaissance men have to know about sport?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 27 February 2003 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey look at the (non-sexist) American Heritage Dictionary:

Renaissance man n.
A man who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences.

Renaissance woman n.
A woman who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences: “In an age of specialists and technocrats, [she] was a Renaissance woman. The incisiveness of her mind in which there was not room for cant, was matched by the generosity of her spirit and by the grace of her style” (Smith Hempstone).

― A Nairn (moretap), Thursday, 27 February 2003 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, but the woman still comes second.

(that's not a sexual innuendo

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 27 February 2003 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

To hell with the comind second part!

I am now officially announcing my intent to become a full-fledged Renaissance woman. I will, of course, have to quit working to concentrate on my studies, so I am now also officially announcing that any and all donations (including warm food) are welcomed and even encouraged. Thank you.

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Thursday, 27 February 2003 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ah, but the woman still comes second."

Yeah, but it's in alphabetical order. it's a dictionary.
(The woman definition even has an extra quote)

― A Nairn (moretap), Thursday, 27 February 2003 04:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Woo-hoo!

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Thursday, 27 February 2003 04:22 (twenty-two years ago)

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