If this ‘field’ is not forced upon us (as it is for most people around the world) then the necessity to choose one, inhabit it and close ourselves within its confines as soon as possible certainly is.

Intellectual polymaths are either scholars that excel in multiple unrelated disciplines (multidisciplinary), or thinkers who synthesise seemingly disparate areas of knowledge in order to make a serious contribution to one of more of them (interdisciplinary).

Vincent of Beauvais produced the Speculum Maius (or ‘The Great Mirror’); the most widely read encyclopaedia in the Middle Ages. It was a compendium of all the knowledge of the Middle Ages in three parts: the Speculum Naturale (natural sciences), Speculum Doctrinale (practical knowledge) and Speculum Historiale (History of the known world).

But the demonstration of versatility ought not only to apply to professional or intellectual life, but to life as a whole. Indeed, factors and considerations contribute to the development of an individual's well-roundedness: the diversity of travel, exposure to languages and cultures, moments experienced, relationships had, emotions felt,

It is they – the likes of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle – who came to define the Greek philosophy we are so indebted to. During the Roman Era, the culture of otium (‘leisure time’ undertaken by politicians, lawyers, merchants and soldiers in order to pursue intellectual or artistic activities) gained currency and the development of a multifaceted

A synthesis, it appears, occurs in the subconscious that somehow enables us to eventually arrive at creative ideas. This notion was recognised over fifty years ago by the creative advertising mogul James Webb Young in his acclaimed book A Technique for Producing New Ideas: ‘An idea is no more or less than a new combination of old elements’, he said

But what if humans – the creators of both technology and art – were even more elevated creations than both? What if we were inimitable, indispensable? Instead of trying to become super-effective machines like the ones we've created, what if we recognised our nature as being an infinitely nuanced emergent system, a sublime work of art and, perhaps,

Polymaths like Alberti constantly strove to attain their optimal state of being. Optimality is the fullest realisation of one's potential; it is different from pursuing an illusory ‘perfection’. Maslow said that ‘what a man can be, he must be’ and that one only attains a state of self-actualisation when ‘one becomes everything that one is capable

Lesser known is that Akbar pursued a lifestyle of continuous learning. Despite being illiterate, he surrounded himself with experts on various topics – often asking others to read books aloud to him. He was trained as a soldier and a huntsman, and ultimately became a formidable warrior who would lead and fight in his own battles as emperor. He was