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Whatever happened to the Renaissance Men? by Aaron Jubar In today's fast-paced, high-tech society, the jack-of-all-trades is not a well-rewarded person. It seems as though the only way to advance in your career is to specialize in a very narrow field; to be the best you can be in a single area of competence. So what's a guy to do if he doesn't want to simply settle for a single area of activity? What'cha Gonna Be? As a child, I would draw constantly. It was a difficult thing to catch me without a pencil and pad of paper in my hands. I'm not bragging when I say this -- others can vouch for me -- but I was pretty darn good. I had numerous people ask me if I was going into art or architecture. I usually responded with a slight shrug of my shoulders and a non-committal "maybe". As I grew older and it became clear that I wasn't going to pursue art as a career, the artwork I produced came fewer and farther between, until one day, the drawings stopped. Why the reason for my gradual lack of enthusiasm for art? In retrospect, since hindsight is often clearer than the first time around, I think that I became bored with the idea of choosing art as a career path. I began to turn towards other, seemingly more challenging studies. Things like science and history intrigued me. I openly began to neglect my ability to create art. The last straw happened when I entered college. The first question that everyone asks you in college is "like, uh, what's your major?" Even though I was in a liberal arts college, I had to choose a field in which to specialize. In my case I chose biology, which I obviously didn't pick for the employment opportunities (see Words of Wisdom from the Office, volumes 1 to 7). Why biology? Because I was undecided on which talent I wanted to pursue. I was good in math, English, and the sciences, but I didn't know in which area I wanted to spend the next 40+ years of my life. Biology seemed like a pretty good choice. Specialization and Importance Modern society has little place for people who are multitalented. Let's face it -- the only way to really get ahead in this world is to find a career in which you can specialize. Engineer, chemist, accountant, historian -- these are all jobs on which you focus all your efforts, with little regard to other trades or talents. If you are an accountant, no one expects you to be very good at anything except crunching numbers. A lawyer might scoff at the stereotype that he is a conniving courtroom tactician, but that's the way our society will perceive him. As humans, we gain comfort in the knowledge that we are important, that our existence matters. Our work and career give us some sense of identity that we instinctively embrace. Others inherently judge us on two things -- our appearance, and what we do (or how much money we make). It is, unfortunately, true. So how do we break out of this mold that society has cast us in? Don't worry, I'm not going to suggest that you quit your high-paying job at Übercom to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. What I am saying is that we can all strive to improve ourselves by utilizing our God-given talents that, regardless of whether or not they produce a paycheck. Improving for Others We all have the tendency to work on improving areas about ourselves that aren't that great, for the benefit of others. Trying to improve that golf swing to impress your co-workers at the next employee outing, or putting in hours at the gym so that you look better to others can ultimately produce positive results. However, the ends don't justify the means. Do you think of yourself as strictly a specialist, such as a student, an attorney, or a teacher? Or are you like me, seeing yourself as a jack-of-all-trades? Personally, I don't want anyone to think that I am just a graduate student. That title defines only a small part of me, and nothing more. I also see myself as a historian, artist, intellectual, author, athlete, chess-wiz, and husband (to name a few). Improving for God My idol was television's Wilson from Home Improvement. Tim Allen's neighbor in that TV show was the epitome of the Renaissance man. Each episode, Wilson was either practicing an ancient martial art, or plotting the course of some celestial body via telescope. Wilson was truly a jack-of-all-trades. God has provided us with a wide variety of individual talents and abilities, with no two people being exactly the same. It would be a terrible waste of something precious if we didn't exercise our skills. When we have a talent, work to improve upon it, and then share the fruits of our labor in a way that benefits others, we are truly glorifying the Lord. So take some time to work on that hobby. Dig out that old tennis racket. Replace the strings on that old guitar. Peck away at that dusty piano in the corner. Brush up on that long-forgotten talent and then share the fruits of your labor with family and friends. In fact, I might just go looking for a sketchpad and something to draw with. I know there's one laying around here somewhere... Life Applications: What do you really love to do? When was the last time you exercised a special talent or ability outside of the workplace? What are some things that you'd like to do, but never took the time to learn how?
Copyright 2002 by Aaron Jubar |
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