Response to Letting Go of Your Work

by Michael Ferguson

A wonderful second installment to the Roundtable. I look forward to more contributions from you, Nicole.

I absolutely agree with you that people too narrowly define their productive identity. However, as I discuss in my article, 'The Finely Crafted Life', I consider it a mistake to compartmentalize one's productive activities as if they somehow function in isolation from one's other life experience modalities. In other words, I subscribe to the philosophy that one should not balance one's career and personal life, but rather should integrate them.

In the Information Age, Knowledge Professionals will be required to do this. Certainly, in Michael Barnathan's writings about polymathy he has expressed the notion of cultivating and maintaining several facets to one's productive activities. They don't need to be overly related. While I generally agree with Michael's perspective, even here, I think he unnecessarily fights integration. In other words, the productive modality is satisfied across several life activities.

The Polymathic Institute is a collaboration between polymathic intellectuals, visionary entrepreneurs and risk tolerant investors. In one sense it is an expression of how Information Age productive environments will differ from their Industrial Age counterparts. However, even in this description, much of the role distinctions are illusory. It is my personal objective, in different settings, to occupy all three of these roles. In a definitional sense, I am not any of these. Practically, I am a Knowledge Professional or, if one prefers, a Polymath.

A contemplation of both your article and my response may awaken a sense of just how profound the Transformation will be. It is not just a revolution in technology, but a fundamental rewrite of our social institutions and even the very way we think about the world. It is not so much that job descriptions and career paths will change, but rather that the whole concept of a job description, for Knowledge Professionals, will end.

Again, I am not a scientist, I am not a writer, I am not an entrepreneur, I am not my creative output, whether in the form of an invention, work product or enterprise. I am an engaged intellect involved in the never ending process of knowledge acquisition, intellectual exploration and creation.

I tend to refer to myself as a Polymath and to the class of people to which I belong as Knowledge Professionals.

I have had this interesting exchange.

Them: 'What do you do?'
Me: 'I'm a Polymath.'
Them: 'I'm not familiar with that profession. What does a Polymath do?'
Me: 'Whatever appears to be worthwhile.'

Leaves them a little confused. I attempt to clarify by saying that a Polymath doesn't do everything, but rather, when sculpting a finely crafted life, does not define the productive process within any particular specialty. As the Information Age civilization emerges an ever increasing number of people will get it.

You discuss in detail a different aspect, which in the Industrial Age, tended to get conflated with career - that of one's personal sense of worth and status. If someone asks you what you do, there is a clearly different communication of status if you say that you are a garbage collector rather than if you say you are a Physician. I knew a highly regarded Chemist, who, when asked, told people that he was a cook and bottle washer. He was quite consciously playing with the status communication.

One of the objectives of The Polymathic Institute is to cultivate the term, Polymath, as one that communicates high status. Some people, especially those who are attracted to the idea of Polymath, denigrate the notion of status. That is not really wise. Status can be engaged in foolishly to be sure. However, in its purist conceptual form, it is a statement of one's worth to their community. In that sense, status is admirable. Yes, of course, we want our life to be about more than our worth to our community. That, however, does not make it a bad thing.

I look forward to a growing Polymathic Round table and cherish your participation as our second member.

~Michael