The times, they are a-changin’. Whether you believe in the Age of Aquarius, the Book of Revelation, or more recently, the Fourth Turning. Change is in the air and more and more people are starting to sense it.
Why Should I Care
Come gather ’round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a-changin’
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
Now you might be thinking, “Why should I give a shit?”, which is the right question to ask, and, well, with changing times comes adaptation and evolution.
Old school strategies aren’t going to cut it in this new paradigm, people often talk about “old order thinking” or “being analog in a digital world” or also claim you’re “using a 20th century strategy for the 21st century game“.
Many people will tell you how the American dream is dead but one might simply claim it has been adapted to modern times. It has been adapted to a new era.
Second Renaissance
Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon for the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times, they are a-changin’
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
Whichever of the catchy names you prefer, we hate all of them. We believe we’ve gone through times like these before and it’s only proper to name this one after the previous occurence, presenting to you, the Second Renaissance.
But before we talk about the second, let’s return to the first.
The Renaissance (french for rebirth) is the name we use for the period covering the 15th & 16th centuries that bridges the Middle Ages and modern times. Or, what we’ve been referring to as “modern time” thus far. Old modern time, Previously modern time, whatever.
Just like half a millennium ago, we believe we have started a similar transition to the Renaissance hence, the Second Renaissance (this isn’t exactly rocket science).
The Return of the Renaissance Man
Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin’
Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times, they are a-changin’
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
The return of the Renaissance might also see the return of the Renaissance Man (or Woman).
According to Britannica, the term Renaissance Man refers to “a man [who] can do all things if he will”, a man of many skills. It’s also been referred to as a Universal Man or polymath.
Renaissance Men were thriving during the Renaissance era because they wore many hats, no longer were farmers or builders who specialized on one single task in charge, this was the time of the polymaths.
It led to a fantastic time for innovation, science, art, and culture we’ve never seen repeated. Humanity progressed more in mere decades than in complete centuries before.
Renaissance Men are not to be confused with jacks of all trades, these people still had their specialty (or specialties) but typical for this time was that they were also extremely skilled at a multitude of other things. The likes of Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Copernicus, are all men of many skills.
How This Fits in the 21st Century: Advantages of Being a Renaissance Man in 2024
Come mothers and fathers throughout the land
And don’t criticize what you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times, they are a-changin’
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
Anyone who’s over 20 might have heard conventional advice as go to school, get good grades, get a degree (any degree really), get a good job, and so on. Advice that led to a great ROI in the previous century which may be why your (grand-) parents are repeating it to you without really thinking about it, it’s just what you do right? It works!
But, the times, they are a-changin’, no longer is higher education a guarantee for the good life. Nowadays it will probably get you a job as a barista and a ton of student debt. This is a strategy for old times, we are now in the Second Rennaisance, and this strategy will no longer yield you any return.
This is the time of autodidacts and polymaths, we all have in our pockets a device that gives us access to all the wisdom humanity has acquired. Out are the gatekeepers at universities, in with the new, for 99% of jobs out there, all that needs to be learned can be learned online, we are the masters of our curriculum.
But with the new comes extra risk, new markets are unregulated (or underregulated if you believe in such a thing) which means there are also many scams out there so if you’re considering dropping a couple of grand for a so-called online university, you should do your research. Watch reviews, google the name of the course and the people behind it, or just stick to the many free courses out there.
Conclusion
The line it is drawn, the curse it is cast
The slow one now will later be fast
As the present now will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin’
And the first one now will later be last
For the times, they are a-changin’
The Times They Are A-Changin’ – Bob Dylan
These modern times lead to some interesting opportunities. We’ve removed gatekeepers and democratized education.
No longer is it required the get into debt for the rest of your life to learn some barely useful skills, anyone with an internet connection can learn from the greatest Renaissance Men and Women in history.
No longer do you need to struggle as a journalist or writer to get a good gig, anyone can start a blog or website. Anyone can become a creator. The possibilities haven’t been this abundant since, well, the First Renaissance.
The times, they are a-changin’!
