Impossible? Perhaps, but the goal is tempting to those seeking to be the ONE person who can lead the country with almost every one's approval.
Almost everyone. Let's face it: if any person would have all the traits of today's Renaissance Man, he would be looked at suspiciously, frustrated pundits trying to pick out any flaw. John Quincy Adams (I.Q. 160 and could write classical Latin and Greek fluently) would instill fear in today's American plebiscite. Update to Adlai Stevenson who was thought too much of an "egghead" to be President. FOX News would have a field day, with instances like Sean Hannity's "Dijongate" too common to tally.*
Trump addicts certainly don't want to know that Trump knows how to fix a carburetor, paints, or reads Baudelaire (he doesn't). They're content with thinking that he can affix an enormous fence around the country.
Today's Renaissance Man (Wannabe)
Today's idea of a Renaissance Man is quite different than the Castiglione version: the internet demands a wider rang e of topics - it seems impossible to be a true Renaissance Man in the 21st Century. But people try. I know I have (see below).
It's the attempt at becoming a Renaissance Man that is most trying and enjoyable, frustrating and satisfying. It's addictive. And once you are hooked, it never ends: there is no twelve step program for Renaissance Men Wannabes because the quest for knowledge and experience is something RMWs would never even think of giving up. The allure of new experiences/knowledge and relating them to others is too powerful. The vicissitudes of old age don't dilute it because there are always books to read, people to converse with.
The Universal Curse: The Resume Sucks
Unless you have achieved true Renaissance Man status in a short amount of time (read: prodigy/genius level), there is one curse that affects all RMWs: their resume is sh*t. It's too long, too unfocused, too ... everything.
Today's Renaissance Man Wannabe has a hard time finding a job. Why? His experience and knowledge are all over the map. "Jacks of all trades" either wind up taking subsistence jobs ("Do you want fries with that?") or being on unemployment.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
