This website and blog is created only for you multi-potentialites, multipods, scanners, polymaths, multi-talented, multi-directional, multi-passionate people, Da Vincis and other renaissance men or women.
Looking at all these names, the least you could say is that we’re having a serious branding problem here. Because what do all these terms exactly mean? And is it all the same?
All these terms are used interchangeably and mean more or less the same: they are used for people who have a lot of different areas of interest, a lot of different passions, a lot of different projects, past projects, finished or unfinished, currently ongoing projects and even more projects for the future and lots, yes lots of different ideas for projects to-be. You can imagine these people are busy from dawn to dusk…
Now I hear you saying: “Hey, I have a husband/wife, kids, a career, a few hobbies and a big bucket list of ideas and things I would still like to do. And I am always very busy too. That makes me a multi-potentialite, doesn’t it?” Mmmm, maybe, maybe not. It depends…
Take the quizzzz
Like I said in my first blog post ‘Passions Pilot: What is this blog about?’, in all the different terms used, I like the word ‘Multi-potentialite’. Why? Well, I like the word ‘multi’ and even more the word ‘potential’, and the combination of the two words for me means something like ‘endless possibilities’.
Now, how to know if you are a multi-potentialite? Easy. Take this simple quiz. You can answer the following twelve questions with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. And relax, there are no wrong answers 🙂
- Are you basically interested in ‘everything’ or at least in a VERY large range of subjects?
- Are you unable to focus on just one thing, because you’re interested in so many other things too?
- Are you a reading addict and/or a learning addict?
- Are you unable to choose just one area of interest or career for life?
- Do you have difficulty to choose one project or thing to do because you fear that by choosing one thing, you would miss out on so many other things?
- Do you easily get bored once you ‘get’ the subject, once you know what there is to know about it?
- Do you hate doing things twice? Do you hate repetitive tasks?
- Do you keep changing your mind about what it is that you want to do (in your life)?
- Do you have 3 or more projects on-going concurrently?
- Does it ever happen that at the time you finally find time to work on your projects that you can’t choose and you end up doing none of them at all or doing something totally useless?
- Do you feel very aware of the clock ticking? Do you feel like you will never have enough time to do it all?
- Do you wish that you were immortal so you would have all the time you need to explore all of your passions, run every project you want and work out all of your ideas?
Well, are you a multi-potentialite?
I guess now you really would like to know the answer. It is simple: If you have answered ‘Yes’ to at least 4 of the above questions, then you are definitely a multi-potentialite!
Does the answer surprise you? It shouldn’t. But maybe this is a kind of ‘aha’ moment for you, a moment in which you realise that unconsciously you knew it. When I found out I am a multi-potentialite, it felt like all the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place and it explained a lot of the decisions I took in the past.
Now, what if from the quiz you found out that you’re NOT a multi-potentialite? Well, that’s perfectly OK as well; You’re a specialist, someone who IS able to choose one career or subject he’s interested in for life. You’re someone who can dive deep into a certain subject, into the tiniest little details and learn all about it. And you’re very lucky because this is exactly what the world likes the most: Specialists.
Embrace you multi-potentiality!
So if you’re not a specialist, now you know it, you’re a multi-potentialite. Are you happy about it, now you found out?
Multi-potentialites are in general bright and intelligent people who are very talented in a number of areas. That’s where the term multi-talented comes from. They have a lot of different interests and passions. That’s where the term multi-passionate comes from.
They also come with a high dose of energy and they’re basically happy as long as they can learn and explore. To learn and to explore, like Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo did in the Renaissance period. That’s where the term Da Vincis and Renaissance men or women comes from.
And they often have expertise on a large range of subjects, like Aristotle, Archimedes and Pythagoras. That’s where the Greek term polymath comes from.
In general, they’re interesting people and they love to talk about what they are involved in. And that can be a lot, in a lot of different areas of interest. That’s where the term multi-directional comes from.
And is all that really so bad? I don’t think so, quite the opposite! So embrace your multi-potentiality and be proud to be a multi-potentialite!
Your view?
Indeed being a multi-potentialite is a privilege and I’m blessed to be one! The problem here lies in the societal structures of modern life, in which schedules are packed and life is so fast paced that people can barely keep up. IMO, a MP’s vest bet is having a consistent source of income, one that is not so labor intensive, and hence can invest thier resources to pursue other fields of interest. Cheers!