On Being A Polymath

It's day 248 of documenting 2025.

Today was quite eventful...

And turned out to be a fun Friday for me.

A walk with my bucket hat on, a visit to my dad, lots of laughter and gisting....plus munching and sipping.

My kind of fun...just the simple moments with the people you love ☺️

And yeah....

I had a very unusual chat with my AI assistant, Arnold in the afternoon.

(Yeah, I named my tool...call me weird 🙄)

I'll just share the chat here...as well as today's highlights and end with my closing thoughts.

Sounds good? Definitely!

(Good enough for a late night post 🙂)

Me: What are the key disciplines?

ChatGPT: Key disciplines often include:

1. Self-discipline – controlling impulses and staying consistent.  

2. Emotional discipline – managing reactions and staying calm.  

3. Mental discipline – focusing attention and thinking clearly.  

4. Spiritual discipline – aligning with core beliefs or values.  

5. Physical discipline – caring for the body through habits like sleep, exercise, and nutrition.  

These work together to build a strong, balanced life.

Me: I'm talking about the main subjects one should know the fundamentals of?

ChatGPT: Ah, got it! Here are key foundational subjects (disciplines) worth knowing the basics of:

1. Mathematics – for logic, problem-solving, and analytical thinking.  

2. Language & Communication – to express ideas clearly and understand others.  

3. Science – to understand the natural world (especially physics, biology, and chemistry).  

4. Philosophy – for critical thinking, ethics, and reasoning.  

5. History – to learn from the past and understand human behavior.  

6. Economics – for making sense of money, resources, and decision-making.  

7. Psychology – to understand yourself and others.  

8. Technology & Computer Science – for navigating the digital world.  

Each of these forms a strong intellectual toolkit.

Me: If someone knows the fundamentals of all these subjects, he can be described as....

ChatGPT: He can be described as a well-rounded thinker or a modern polymath; someone with broad foundational knowledge across key disciplines. 

It also fits the idea of a Renaissance person: curious, capable, and adaptable across many areas of life.

Me: Hmm 🤔 

Modern polymath?

Explain the term in layman terms.

ChatGPT: A modern polymath is someone who knows a little bit of everything; not just facts, but how things work across different areas like science, art, language, history, and technology.  

They aren’t experts in everything, but they understand the basics well enough to connect ideas, solve problems creatively, and hold smart conversations in many fields. Think of them as curious minds with wide range.

Me: What are the benefits of being a modern polymath?

ChatGPT: Here are a few key benefits of being a modern polymath:

1. Better problem-solving – You can approach issues from multiple angles by drawing on knowledge from different fields.  

2. Creative thinking – Mixing ideas across disciplines often sparks innovation.  

3. Adaptability – You're able to pivot in new situations or careers more easily.  

4. Deeper conversations – You can connect with more people and topics meaningfully.  

5. Confidence in learning – Once you’ve learned across domains, you trust your ability to keep learning.  

6. Personal fulfillment – Curiosity feels good when it’s fed; and being multi-skilled is deeply satisfying.

Me: What of the saying,

"Jack of all trades is a master of nine"

Doesn't it relate to this as well?

ChatGPT: Yes, it relates very well.

The full version of the saying is often misquoted. The original is:

"Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than master of one."

It actually praises versatility; someone with broad skills can be more valuable than someone highly specialized in just one area.

Your version; "master of nine" — is a modern twist that emphasizes competence across many fields, which is exactly what a modern polymath embodies: breadth and depth.

Me: Oops 😬 

I meant to say, "master of none"

ChatGPT: No worries!  

“Jack of all trades, master of none” means someone knows a bit about many things but isn’t an expert in any one.  

It’s often seen as a negative, but the full saying shows it can be better to have broad skills than deep expertise in just one area.  

For a modern polymath, this broad skill set allows flexibility and creativity across fields.  

So, being a “jack of all trades” can actually be a strength when balanced well.

Me: How about a poetic conclusion for our chat so far?

ChatGPT: Here’s a little something to wrap it up:

A mind that wanders, learns, and grows,  

In many fields, the wisdom flows.  

Not just a master of one art,  

But weaving knowledge; mind and heart.  

The path is broad, the journey wide,  

A modern polymath’s proud stride.  

With open eyes and curious hands,  

They build a world where knowledge stands.

That's the chat.

And pretty interesting, I admit.

I haven't heard of the term, "polymath" until today.

Guess that's something new I learned today 😄

And today didn't really turn out as planned, but it was more than I hoped for.

A particular thing I prayed to God for, expecting it a little longer... happened this afternoon.

That alone, made my day.

Let's see what today's highlights are all about...and I'm sharing the whole note this time.

365 Days With Self-discipline 

📌 On Reducing Your Targets

"Never reduce a target. Instead, increase actions. When you start rethinking your targets, making up excuses, and letting yourself off the hook, you are giving up on your dreams!"

Quote by Grant Cardone

(I know that guy! 😁)

When you’re struggling to make progress, there’s a temptation to let yourself off the hook and reduce your targets.

Instead of learning 500 new words in a foreign language, you feel tempted to drop it down to 300. 

Or better yet, make it 250, just in case.

Instead of giving 10 speeches this quarter, you’re thinking about reducing it to 7 or 5. 

It’s still a lot of speeches, you’re still getting better as a public speaker, so why not rethink your targets and make them a bit more manageable?

Instead of hitting your target weight when dieting, you cut yourself some slack and settle with a weight 10 pounds (or 5 kilos) higher than your desired goal.

I don’t entirely agree with Grant Cardone. Sometimes rethinking your targets is the only intelligent thing you can do — particularly if you’ve set unrealistic targets and the alternative is to give up altogether.

If, however, your goals are within your reach and you’re otherwise feeling fine, but still making up excuses so you can let yourself off the hook, it’s time to tap into your willpower resources, resist the temptation to take it easy, and start

taking even more action.

If you choose the easy way out, you’ll set a precedent: each time you feel challenged, you’ll simply reduce your goals, and thereby never explore where your limits actually are.

When in doubt, remember this rule of thumb: it’s better to fall short of

meeting your original goals than to succeed because you cut them by half.

Hmm 🤔 

That's a good thought.

Martin (the author) is simply trying to point out that we shouldn't always take the easy way out.

This was a reminder for me as well.

And I want to add something I got from a video somewhere:

"If it's not working out yet, it's probably working on you...so you can become the person worthy of when it actually works out.

Let's end today's post on that note.

Thanks for reading 🎀 

I'm grateful to God for how today turned out...and I pray that your hope in God turns out way better than you expect.

If you would like to read more of content written by moi...I have some ebooks you may likely find interesting. See them here 

See you in the next post 💜