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Why the world needs deep generalists, not specialists
You should hire a polymath but you probably won’t find one.
It was a meeting of the minds — three of the world’s most unconventional thinkers in a delightfully conventional setting.
The glow of candlelight. The aroma of fresh oregano.
And the sound of vigorous debate, mixed with occasional bursts of laughter, filled the room.
It was a dinner party with an unlikely combination of guests. One man spoke Greek. Another Italian. And yet another English.
The trio communicated through an electronic translator, worn as an earpiece. Were you to eavesdrop on their conversation, you might assume they were old friends.
However, you would be mistaken.
These men weren’t old friends; they were just old.
One man was born in 1706. Another in 1452. The eldest? 384 BC.
The dinner guests were transported to the future with the help of a time machine.
And they were sitting at my kitchen table.
Despite their obvious differences, the men shared one thing in common: They were polymaths who disrupted the status quo during their respective time periods.
