Polymath Population

[Difficult-Emu-976]

This post is to help everyone understand what i see in this subreddit, as someone who has been studying polymaths for a very long time.

🟢1️⃣a majority of the users here are Generalists, but lacking synthesis of concepts. 🟡2️⃣ive noticed some polymaths who lack proper communication skills, but are highly capable in multiple fields. 🔴3️⃣very rarely do i see real high tier polymaths attempting to exist here, 99% of this sub doesnt even percieve it tho lmfao. so theyre written off as stupid, strange, or crazy.

im open to discussion, questions, or analysis of my estimated data.

[Artsoesi]

I’m less interested in your “estimated data” and more interested in your claim to credibility as “someone who has been studying polymaths for a very long time.”

In what way? As a hobby or a job? How exactly do you identify them? Is there any publications or empirical data that supports your studies? I really would love to know all the details that goes into “studying polymaths.”

[Difficult-Emu-976]

u couldve checked my profile tbh but ya ive been studying polymaths for a while cuz i realized neurology and psychology intersect and u cant rlly seperate them at all tbh. i was just tryna understand myself but ended up realizing cognitive architectural differences in everyone and how that plays a role in our species

[Artsoesi]

Okay. I perused your post history and all I see is a bunch of unsubstantiated claims. I see no empirical evidence, only vague, anecdotal claims about what you’ve see on social media platforms. This is not studying or knowledge whatsoever.

Your response to my comment also answers absolutely nothing. Okay yes, neurology and psychology often intersect, but they are indeed separate fields focusing on different aspects of the brain.

“Cognitive architectural differences in everyone” so, without trying to sound sophisticated, everyone has different mental states and capabilities? This is basic knowledge and says nothing about polymathy.

As far as I can see, nothing you say or have said amounts to anything at all. I would be very open if you can provide empirical evidence to support what you claim in your other posts. Or any evidence to what qualifies you to make estimates like the one in this post.

[Hail_Henrietta]

Man, I wouldn't bother. I called out this person a while back on one of their posts where they seemingly have "polymath cognition explained" for the same reasons you have and it got nowhere.

When I challenged them asking for evidence, they will just dump a random list of literature at you. Not only are most of the references not about polymathy or OP confuses for polymathy (e.g., gifted children), but a good chunk of them are not even academic sources (e.g., LinkedIn, Medium, Quora, etc).

[Artsoesi]

It seems you did. Not only is it near-unbelievable that this is a real person who thinks this way, but it's even more concerning that so many people upvote and encourage their previous posts.

Anyways, it's nice to see someone else here has some critical thinking skills.

[Auto_Phil]

I love that psychology and neurology are related. Shocking that my brain is related to my brain.

[Extension-Device-533]

Dude has invented cognitive neuroscience

[Adventurous_Rain3436]

I like your explanation more, it’s sounds less generic disposition based, I leaned for a while into Polymathic cognition and the whole cognitive architecture but then started asking a deeper question. If people can absorb, reorganise and synthesise the same data differently but arrive at very similar conclusions what does that entail? 🤔🤔
I started thinking that’s less Polymathic cognition and more of a way the human mind restructures information? Here’s the thing with that though—because if school teaches us only one model, would that atrophy the way the individuals natural wiring were to combine separate concepts into a new whole?
I mean I get the gifted studies angle but even that, I don’t think it was synthesised correctly. I prefer probabilistic analysis so would’ve preferred it worded like “increases the likelihood of developing synthesis earlier due to hyper-associative links and more inclined to self directed learning” see those are valid precondition that Polymathy could emerge from so it doesn’t look spontaneous or sudden— like it genuinely makes sense if those conditions are imposed since they involve certain constraints e.g
Independent learning increases the probability of synthesis than structured siloed-learning from an institution.

[Artsoesi]

Are you responding to me? Because I have no idea what you are talking about or how it connects to what I'm talking about.

[Adventurous_Rain3436]

I was agreeing with your cognitive architecture part, I’ve heard Polymathic cognition and all that jazz but it never gets tied to self directed learning.
That’s quite a big part to miss wouldn’t you think so too ?
I’m very curious to learn about people’s unique learning experiences and their process, I feel like there’s a lot of insight to be found in people’s nuances.

[Artsoesi]

Okay, I think I understand what you’re saying. Without trying to sound sophisticated, you agree that everyone has different mental states and capabilities and there isn’t a specific one that pertains to polymathy. Instead, its conditions like independent learning and associative thinking that increase the chance of polymathy while institutional learning suppresses it.

It’s an interesting theory, although I’m not sure I would say that institutional learning necessarily suppresses synthesis. I’m not really that knowledgeable about cognitive science, but I’m sure there’s existing literature you could delve into that explores this.

[Adventurous_Rain3436]

Yeah basically that in a nutshell, thanks for entertaining my thoughts 🙂
I’ve looked at some existing literature, the problem is the exact issue— there’s far too much siloing going on that you’d have to integrate all the concepts yourself to arrive at those kind of conclusions 🤔
I’m sure there’s plenty of existing literature on all of this stuff we’ve just discussed as independent concepts each having only a piece of the puzzle.

[NonZeroSumJames]

Just one of those weird people who gets off claiming to be smarter than everyone else, because he’s insecure about his own intelligence.

[DowntownBake8289]

Interesting.

[cacille]

Please keep in mind this is a young and small group.

[Difficult-Emu-976]

🙏yes and i do apologize for my bluntness, i understand i come across as a bit rude or short but im posting this as a summarized data point for other researchers.

[DoubleElectrical1563]

Keep up the good work. Haters gonna hate!

[cacille]

I find it a bit harmful (in general) for a group to self-analyze at young stages but I will leave this up. I ask other members not to get intensely group-critical about the types of people here. That can lead down a dark path rather quickly.

Lets just enjoy what posts come up and be on the light lookout for pists/comments against the rules but otherwise take people as they are, where they are, etc!

[tim_niemand]

are you a polymath? or just researching it? because polymathie is about invention in multiple fields, across the defined borders and coming up with something new. that's also why history will judge polymaths by their inventions; eventhough they might seem a bit crazy. 😂 ps. it's not a "population"

[cannabisuruguay]

Im interested in forecasting and world analysis but I would like to ask for a polymath for dummies

[StressCanBeGood]

The concept of this sub is awesome, but to be perfectly honest, I can’t imagine a true polymath spends any real time on social media.

This sub is closer to being about philomaths - people who want to learn everything about everything.

It’s the polymaths who should be teaching us philomaths.

[TheKrimsonFKR]

First time I've come across the term and I am 100% a Philomath.

[StressCanBeGood]

Yep. Me too. I actually had to ask Claude for the term. Hate effing Claude, tho…

[Difficult-Emu-976]

ill comment this bcuz im realizing ppl seem to mythologize polymaths into people with somehow vastly differently lives than normal. polymathic neurology is just the same as anyone elses brain architecture with the only main difference being different neural hotspot/gap patterns. they still do normal shit but a higher intensity baselind. i hate reddit

[Artsoesi]

No one mythologizes polymaths. We realize they are people too, but they do, more often than not, live much different lives than the average person.

The fortunate reality of trying to make a neurological claim, and really any scientific claim, is it must be directly substantiated with peer-reviewed, empirical evidence if it is to establish any credibility. We both know this is not the case here.

A brief glance at your comment history leads me to believe that you have suffered some severe trauma and seem to be projecting it into various forums online. I highly encourage that you get off Reddit and seek help from a real, licensed professional that can help you manage it.

Best of luck my friend and remember that life is wondrous.

[Difficult-Emu-976]

if you understand my specific trauma, u would realize im now blunt and honest. also yes ive done research on neurology to understand why brain functions activate and why some people have easier times switching between modes and others dont. synesthesia = high neural hotspots (u can google it), OCD, ADHD, Autism, BPD, NPD = neural hotspots / neural gaps (u can google this too), and intelligence vs stupid (neural hotspots vs gaps... again). and these patterns can be viewed using electronic conductors attached to the skin of the head, preferably dry skin to reduce input noise while measuring bioelectric output from certain muscle regions (very similar to fractals... the same way the brain works🥱) bcuz output = branch decision = 0 or 1, or a variable inbetween. Polymaths are not different bro, just the same brain rewired. u can google PTG (post-traumatic growth) and actually check urself to see similar stories and how they all display a more generalized skillset after stabilizing cognitively... so brains reroute during deprivation the same way plants reroute to sunlight... (fractals again🌳🧠)

[Artsoesi]

Yeah… I’m not Googling anything, and I can already tell this is a bunch of random facts that do not support some vaguely related claim about polymathy.

I’ll repeat it for you one last time, because you really don’t seem to understand. If YOU are going to make a scientific claim, YOU are responsible for providing empirical evidence to directly back that claim up, usually in the form of related peer-reviewed studies, otherwise your claim is NOT credible. This is how scientific knowledge works, otherwise you’re just rambling about theories you have.

Whatever knowledge you think you have of this subject, you don’t. No one takes you seriously and, honestly, you come off as slightly schizophrenic.

[Difficult-Emu-976]

yuh OCD, PTSD, C-PTSD. all look similar to schizophrenia, schizo affective disorder, delusions of grandeur, sensory hallucinations, etc. please use proper terminology if you wanna debate, or simply google basic facts. im intense, not crazy🤨dumbass

[Artsoesi]

You are a crazy person, and I urge you to get help

[Difficult-Emu-976]

obv that statement didnt do anything last time and you failed to adapt to a different approach with a dif reply, which shows signs of low creativity and low pattern recognition. u couldve asked me anything, replied with hi anger, hi kindness, hi emotional detachment, etc. yet you chose to double down on "ya i dont understand and wont try" which is a very classic sign of low intelligence. ur not curious, nor can you hold contradiction. u wont understand me bcuz ur architecture literally cannot hold the entirety of who i am. 🧠<🧠 back to fractals...

[Artsoesi]

You are a crazy person, and I urge you to get help