Ask HN: How to be a "Homo Universalis" by 2020? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How to be a "Homo Universalis" by 2020?

11 pointssebkomianos3 comments

One of my motivations for asking this is personal: I am 25 years old and I would like to have my knowledge and skillset expanded, in a variety of fields and subjects, by the time I reach 30. But I am not sure about where to start from (eg: study history or focus on sciences?).

Another motivation is discussion's sake: Which fields do you consider important for one to have a solid knowledge at? Are subjects like history and arts as important as ones like science? Which characteristics are going to define the sharp mind of the next decade?

View on HN

The classic Homo Universalis wasn't just skilled in various field, they innovated in various fields, and with the highly specialized fields these days, that's hard to do. At least in science. Stuff like art, politics etc is arguably easier.

The only modern scientist I can think of who comes close, is Noam Chomsky, who revolutionized linguistics and pioneered formalized grammar, and I encountered his work in AI, psychology, linguistics and theoretical computer science (formal languages). On top of that, he's an influential political thinker.

This obviously isn't something you can do in 5 years; it takes a lifetime. You'd have to go deep into whatever science most appeals to you or you have the most talent for, find something truly new to do here, without losing your interest in other fields.

But if you simply want broad knowledge, just expand in whatever fields interests you. Science, history and art are all interesting fields in this respect.

The answer is no different for a 25 year old than it is for a 50 year old or 5 year old:

Be inquisitive. Question everything. Find out how things work.

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” ― Albert Einstein

Knowing history is extremely useful. You'll find that it puts everything you know about the current world into a context, and it'll help you navigate life more easily.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com