There poses an existential threat to an intellectual culture, a genocidal sweep upon a population still in its infancy. It suffers from a symbolic violence actuated by the masses and birthed by our social structure. While the term “polymath” may be one largely unknown by the general populace, its synonym, albeit a negatively perceived one, is one that is ubiquitous— The Jack Of All Trades. A polymath is a person with a volume of knowledge spanning a wide variety of fields, with which they use in solving various problems. It goes beyond the superficial acquisition of knowledge which will be admitted is rather widespread in the country; it is a pursuit of depth as much as breadth. The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” has structured the common mindset into perceiving the polymathic endeavour as worthless. This subtly hostile environment thus creates conditions which retard the spread of polymathy in our Nigerian society. It is an infant whose mother seeks its demise, one trapped in a womb lethal to its development.
Of course, the motivation behind the polymathic culture deserves investigation if we are to understand its unpopularity. In an interview with Gabriel Ngban Jr, a young polymath in Calabar with interests ranging from psychology and anthropology to astrophysics and economics, he revealed that, for him, it is “a boundless and incurable curiosity usually. But mostly, I like to trace the crossroads between so-called separate disciplines, and being a polymath helps me to do that.” An interview with another polymath versed in quantum physics, poetry, astrophysics, and so much more, William-Faith Obi, informed me that it was the search for truth that was at the core of all his interests. “I don’t like boxing myself with ‘he’s a this and that’. I don’t like boxing myself with boundaries.” A form of curiosity seemed to be a recurring trend among them, an interest in how the world works.
“The large number of people in this country are afraid to be original,” said William-Faith. Perhaps, the reason for its unpopularity might then lie in the public’s lack of curiosity in intellectual affairs, a preference for quotidian affairs. On the matter, Gabriel said, “People basically do not like to think a lot, and being a polymath necessitates thinking in many different directions. People instead prefer the simplicity and linearity of a predictable path; they are not big on intellectual exploration.” This has a profound impact on any aspiring polymath, as the community they are in can stifle their drive for knowledge. Even the lack of a community in educational institutions, which would normally improve their development through the interaction with like-minded individuals, is discouraging.
Of course, it can be argued, as William-Faith pointed out, that “balancing the pursuit of polymathy with securing the basic needs like money, security, food, etc, can be challenging for most people in Nigeria.” The economic issues that plague and have been plaguing this country act as a hindrance to one’s diversification of knowledge, despite their curiosity. Polymathy then assumes the form of an elitist practice, one the common man has no time of delving into. The condition and “othered” perception furthermore drives the majority of the population who do succeed in becoming polymaths out of the country; a great migration, never-ending, a search for greener pastures.
The harsh treatment of polymathy is undeserving. The “Jack Of All Trades” saying has nowadays been expanded into “A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” It describes the information asymmetry— a party possessing better or more information than the other party— between the specialist and the polymath. This asymmetric competition results in an imbalance of power during negotiations or transactions, whether economic or symbolic. In the job market or in overall problem-solving, polymaths are able to draw from their large well of knowledge and bring solutions difficult for the general public to conceive. Research is even being conducted to investigate, if any exists, the link between polymathy and creativity. For William-Faith, the idea of polymathy is not necessarily mastery per se, but expression, an expression of originality, as mastery is relative; people should seek out whatever it is that brings out their originality.
With the current situation of thought, one can only imagine the future of polymathy in the country. When asked about the evolutionary stability of polymathy as a cultural trend, Gabriel said, “Polymathy, if at all it is growing in this clime, it would be by accident. So far, the faintest traces to be seen of polymathy here are as survivalist skills where being street smart in many different ways is vital for survival.” The economy, general dislike, and perpetual emigration from the country seems portentous of the death of a race hardly even born. One can only hope for the best.