This past Monday, Leonardo DaVinci would’ve celebrated his 505th birthday. In celebration of the Maestro, I posted a brief Polymath Profile on the Becoming Polymathic Instagram Page. Trying to do a complete profile on him would take a lifetime. The Maestro’s ideas are as broad and enduring as any. However, Leonardo’s story also provides a cautionary tale of a pure idea generator.
Leonardo DaVinci – Master Idea Generator
When it came to generating ideas, there will likely never be another human who could stand toe-to-toe with the Maestro. His contributions to the art and aviation world are widely known. Here are some of his lesser-known concepts, ideas, and works:
Concepts: Comparative Anatomy, Gradation of light, Heliocentrism, Laws of sliding physics, Mathematical proportion, Spiraling nature of water, Topographic anatomy
Ideas: Diving suit, Fire sprinkler system, Lens grinder, Rapid-fire crossbow, Rolling mill, Submarine, System for draining the Pontine Marshes, Wire strength-testing machine
Works: First drawings of appendix, lungs, and urinary tract, Maps of Chiana Valley and Roman South Coast, Town plan for Imola
Like I said, his ideas are as broad and enduring as any. However, they were just that – ideas, which we only know of via the library of notes he kept throughout his life. The Maestro completed less than 20 paintings and manifested even fewer ideas. Even his most famous painting, Mona Lisa, wasn’t finished when he died on April 15, 1519. At the time of his death, Leonardo was regretful, stating “I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.”
Idea Generators vs. Idea Executors
His last words illustrate the danger of being an idea generator. To understand why, it’s paramount to define the characteristics of an idea generator and that of an idea executor, the yin to the generator’s yang.
An idea generator is an individual who has mastered curiosity and conceptualization. Everything inspires them, and they are able to imagine a world where their ideas are fully implemented. An idea executor has also mastered curiosity and conceptualization, but they prefer to apply them to implementation of a single idea.
The Danger of Being an Idea Generator
The danger of being an idea generator is the strength of the idea executor. Due to their whimsical nature, generators struggle to focus on a single or small group of ideas. Nowhere is this weakness more apparent than in DaVinci’s legacy of infinite ideas but few tangible works.
In fact, some of his ideas are so fantastic he’s criticized for lacking basic understanding of the mechanics underpinning them. I understand this critique, but I believe his lack of tangible work is due to a lack of focus as opposed to a lack of knowledge.
The Danger of Being an Idea Executor
In the same breath, the danger of an idea executor is the strength of an idea generator. Executors are driven by optimization. That may not seem like a negative trait at first, but it is when extrapolated to the extreme. The extreme is overemphasizing details at the expense of action, which can illuminate issues with the idea’s execution and stunt its implementation.
Karl Benz is a prime example of an extreme idea executor. Benz was incredibly timid. If it wasn’t for his wife Betha’s rogue 65-mile road trip in a stolen prototype, the automobile would’ve died in 1885 after its first failed test.
Balancing Idea Generation and Idea Execution
Idea generators and idea executors lie on a spectrum, with DaVinci and Benz at the respective extremes. Personally, I fall closer to Leonardo’s end. I’ve been reviewing many of my old notebooks as of late, deeply about Becoming Polymathic’s future beyond the next few years. In reviewing these old records I discovered a variety of ideas, which further confirmed my propensity to the generation end of the DaVinci–Benz spectrum.
But, like Leonardo, these ideas I discovered were nothing more than unfulfilled scribbles. I admire Leonardo greatly – Becoming Polymathic’s name is inspired by him. However, I don’t desire to end up on my deathbed apologizing to God for a lack of quality work. I also don’t want others to end up this way regardless of if they’re an idea generator or an idea executor.
These two groups need each other, and neither should use their label as an excuse to not strengthen their weaker side. This concept of transcending labels and natural propensities is integral to the journey of being more. If you’re an idea generator, surround yourself with idea executors and learn from them. If you’re an idea executor, surround yourself with idea generators and learn from them.
It really is that simple. Don’t let an identity starve yourself of progress.
Be More.
Become Polymathic.
Quote of the Week: “The more an idea is developed, the more concise becomes its expression; the more a tree is pruned, the better is the fruit.“ – Alfred Bougeart