Step 16 - Rousseau, The Renaissance Man & Iron Sharpening Iron
This Lesson is about the benefits of being a knowledgeable man, because different pieces of broad knowledge are like different pieces of ingredients, that are necessary to cook the good main meal known as the Good Life.
Most big man in history, like Bertrand Rousseau, Karl Marx, George Lucas and many more have been man of the Renaissance, meaning that they knew not only about their own key areas, but also about Literature, Astronomy, Languages, Geography, Mathematics, Economics and many other different parts of knowledge.
We should consider simulating this behavior, because the world is ruled by smart man.
Many man make the mistake, that they stop at certain areas and don't divulge further in the path of knowledge.
But even if you are an atheist, you should read about religions. If you are a conservative, you should read about liberal aspects. If you are a communist you should read about capitalism, because as iron is sharpening iron, a good friend is sharpening a good friend.
In the same way our mind is sharpened from the minds of other great men.
Therefore there is a lesson to be learned from Renaissance Men, who spoke a multitude of languages, knew about art, mathematics and all these different aspects.
The "edge effect" describes that most sparks of life happen where areas are meeting with each other.
At the edge of the forest to the meadows or to the pants and rivers is where the action happens compared to the depth of the forest, where mostly plants are growing.
Similarly a broad variety of different topics are generating the same edge effect in our mind and character.
Therefore read also books of areas you didn't want to consider before. Read about different religions. Read about Art and Psychology. Learn different languages because those are the supportive pillars that give your key main area the necessary edge.
Questions
What is one of your weaknesses and what is your solution to fix it?
Health, I haven't yet read anything about fitness, sport and physical life optimization, because I thought I didn't need it, as I am healthy. (Although I am currently reading the Story of the Human Body, don't know if it already counts).