Editing Polymath (section)

===Waqas Ahmed===
In his 2018 book ''[[The Polymath]]'', British author Waqas Ahmed defines polymaths as those who have made significant contributions to at least three different fields.<ref name=":1" /> Rather than seeing polymaths as exceptionally gifted, he argues that every human being has the potential to become one: that people naturally have multiple interests and talents.<ref name=":0a">{{Cite journal|last=Robinson|first=Andrew|date=11 May 2019|title=In pursuit of polymathy|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S014067361930995X|journal=The Lancet|language=en|volume=393|issue=10184|pages=1926|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30995-X|s2cid=149445248|access-date=24 December 2022|archive-date=7 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307221045/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S014067361930995X|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> He contrasts this polymathic nature against what he calls "the cult of specialisation".{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=85}} For example, education systems stifle this nature by forcing learners to specialise in narrow topics.<ref name=":0a" /> The book argues that specialisation encouraged by the [[production line]]s of the [[Industrial Revolution]] is counter-productive both to the individual and wider society. It suggests that the complex problems of the 21st century need the versatility, creativity, and broad perspectives characteristic of polymaths.<ref name=":0a" />

For individuals, Ahmed says, specialisation is dehumanising and stifles their full range of expression whereas polymathy "is a powerful means to social and intellectual emancipation" which enables a more fulfilling life.{{sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=282-283}} In terms of social progress, he argues that answers to specific problems often come from combining knowledge and skills from multiple areas, and that many important problems are multi-dimensional in nature and cannot be fully understood through one specialism.{{sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=282-283}} Rather than interpreting polymathy as a mix of occupations or of intellectual interests, Ahmed urges a breaking of the "thinker"/"doer" dichotomy and the art/science dichotomy. He argues that an orientation towards action and towards thinking support each other, and that human beings flourish by pursuing a diversity of experiences as well as a diversity of knowledge. He observes that successful people in many fields have cited hobbies and other "peripheral" activities as supplying skills or insights that helped them succeed.{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|pp=160, 164, 176}}

Ahmed examines evidence suggesting that developing multiple talents and perspectives is helpful for success in a highly specialised field. He cites a study of Nobel Prize-winning scientists which found them 25 times more likely to sing, dance, or act than average scientists.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hill|first=Andrew|date=11 February 2019|title=The hidden benefits of hiring Jacks and Jills of all trades|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/e7487264-2ac0-11e9-88a4-c32129756dd8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/e7487264-2ac0-11e9-88a4-c32129756dd8 |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription|access-date=2021-12-16}}</ref> Another study found that children scored higher in [[Intelligence quotient|IQ]] tests after having drum lessons, and he uses such research to argue that diversity of domains can enhance a person's general intelligence.{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=146}}

Ahmed cites many historical claims for the advantages of polymathy. Some of these are about general intellectual abilities that polymaths apply across multiple domains. For example, [[Aristotle]] wrote that full understanding of a topic requires, in addition to subject knowledge, a general critical thinking ability that can assess how that knowledge was arrived at.{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=148}} Another advantage of a polymathic mindset is in the application of multiple approaches to understanding a single issue. Ahmed cites biologist [[E. O. Wilson]]'s view that reality is approached not by a single academic discipline but via a [[Consilience (book)|consilience]] between them.{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=134-136}} One argument for studying multiple approaches is that it leads to [[open-mindedness]]. Within any one perspective, a question may seem to have a straightforward, settled answer. Someone aware of different, contrasting answers will be more open-minded and aware of the limitations of their own knowledge. The importance of recognising these limitations is a theme that Ahmed finds in many thinkers, including [[Confucius]], [[Ali|Ali ibn Abi Talib]], and [[Nicholas of Cusa|Nicolas of Cusa]]. He calls it "the essential mark of the polymath."{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=134-136}} A further argument for multiple approaches is that a polymath does not see diverse approaches as diverse, because they see connections where other people see differences. For example [[Leonardo da Vinci|da Vinci]] advanced multiple fields by applying mathematical principles to each.{{Sfn|Ahmed|2018|p=173-174}}