Leonardo da Vinci is by far considered to be the most popular example of a renaissance man, after all it's the only term that could encompass his vast skills. No other single moniker could show his true skill. Writer, painter, artist, inventor, they all leave out something that made his mark on history that much stronger.
Castiglione argued that a renaissance man must be able to entertain, telling a good story in particular. This trait tends to be forgotten in our pursuit of the modern renaissance man, but I don't think it's left out. After all, my dad has to be able to explain how to help. He has to be enjoyable to be around if people want his 'amateur' help. He does tell good stories.
It makes sense that Castiglione valued a good story. I think for similar reasons as the people around my dad, but also because entertainment was scarce. Histories were still, for the most part, shared orally. Its better to spend your time listening to someone entertaining than to have to listen to someone drone on and on about a history you know you should learn.
I agree. This world needs more renaissance men, ones who can hold our interest!
Good example -- and love the Danny DeVito poster, but I want you to go into more detail about how storytelling demonstrates a breadth of knowledge and a command of social skills.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling is a skill that is hard to come by, because is not valued in today's society. Nevertheless, people that are good storytellers have the upper hand in social interactions. They are able to establish credibility through their ability to translate their experiences in a manner that is witty and intelligent. It is through storytelling that one can attain dominance in interactions; thus, the storyteller becomes more persuasive.
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