![]() The point of my TED talk isn’t to teach you about this amazing new word I invented. This whole discussion about semantics is silly. What matters isn’t the word, it’s the idea behind the word When it comes to the “you can’t invent a word, there’s already a word for this,” argument, I think what might actually be going on here is that certain people don’t like that someone (particularly someone who looks like me/is of my gender) might dare to invent a word. It’s just a hunch I have, judging by how deeply bothered the authors of these emails and comments seem.Ĭause, you know, there can be multiple words that have the same meaning. If you want to describe yourself as polymath, then please, have at it. If anything, our curiosity is.īut this is just my interpretation. And while a multipotentialite might eventually evolve into what historians would call a polymath, our accomplishments are not our defining feature. The term polymath, on the other hand, makes me think of the great figures of the past: Leonardo, Franklin, Jefferson… It’s a person who has excelled in many areas. My potential is broad it isn’t discipline-specific. That said, I do think that multipotentialite suggests something slightly different than polymath. To me, multipotentialite evokes the idea that I could thrive in many domains, and that there isn’t one area that I am predestined to excel in. Identify in whatever way you like, but let us do the same. If you say you’re a scanner, then you’re a scanner. If you like the term polymath and want to describe yourself that way, then you’re a polymath. The reason I use the term multipotentialite, is that the other names don’t resonate with me, personally. I say right in my talk that there are several terms that connote the idea of the person with many interests: polymath, Renaissance person, scanner, jack-of-all-trades, generalist… I did not invent this idea, and you should feel free to use whichever term you like. Also, you’re missing the point of my work (and TED talk). If you don’t like the term, don’t use it. And anyway, we already have a word for this: polymath. “Multipotentialite” is a stupid, pretentious, unnecessary word. The main argument of my few detractors goes something like this: If you’re an out-and-proud multipotentialite, there’s a chance that you may run into this same criticism, so hopefully this post will help you address it if you need to engage. However, today I’d like to humour them or rather humour you by addressing their main claim. Most are simply not my audience, and therefore, not worth my time. ![]() They occasionally email me or leave comments on the blog (which I usually block).
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