Are "Renaissance Men" gone forever?

[Jake]

In this day and age is it possible for a would be "Renaissance Man" to survive, let alone thrive in his/her works?

Unfortunately, I believe materialism (capitalism) has taken away any chance that we will see another "Renaissance".

In this current time, it seems as if people are judged by what school they went to, what kind of job they have, and how much money they make instead of what kind of person they are or what they have accomplished. It is, in my opinion a very sad state of affairs.

What do you think? Today is it possible for someone to excel in a multitude of varied fields at the same time, or are we getting to specialized?

Jake

[Jake]

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, design a building, conn a ship, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve an equation, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects "[Heinlein, 248].

How many of these things can you do?

I thought it appropriate, as society is, in fact, turning into an ant farm. We are compartmentalized, just like insects.

Jake

[Nicole Jimmelson]

That's a good point, Jake. Were civilization to end today, most people would be up the creek. Most can do half those things, but not all of them. 

Very few people can program a computer or design a building, for instance.

Like Edgar Evans Cayce (son of Edgar) once said:  "Most people are familiar with care, but very few of us know how to build one."

Same thing with the creation of YVs, radio, brain surgery or most of the things that make our society advanced (if it even is advanced) today.