A "competent man" (or competent woman) according to Wikipedia is a stock character in a novel who exhibits a wide range of abilities and knowledge; a form of fictional polymath.Many superheroes in comic books and science fiction novels are of this character type. Sherlock Holmes, as another example, was a Competent Man. Howard Roark (The Fountainhead) was, in my opinion, Ayn Rand's "competent man" characterization. Batman is another example.
The late amazing science fiction author Robert Heinlein - who had an unbelievable imagination, in his award-winning novel "Time Enough for Love" had his "competent man" character Lazarus Long speak the following words:
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallently. Specialization is for insects."
I like that.
Why am I thinking of Soubriquet right now?
Or even Re... Well, that would be TOO arrogant. :)
No, Max is not a polymath. He is an indefatigable philomath, though; this blog's very existence is some evidence of that. And now he knows of Robert Heinlein and Lazarus Long. And even Hildegard of Bingen.
There is nothing like a long-distance shot to the head to make Max talk oddly in his posts.
A man should also know how to clean up his own messes and sew a button back on his shirt (or pants).
ReplyDeleteAnd read.
You, a philomath?
ReplyDeleteWhen I find out what that means I will disagree.
I can't even shoot straight enough to hit a wrinkled little walnut-sized heart at 5,000 miles, so don't be accusing me of competence.
ReplyDelete"Die gallantly"?
ReplyDeleteDream on. I intend to become a zombie. And I'll wear a baseball bat-proof helmet. Maybe in kevlar, to better resist chainsaws.
I love Heinlein and his work (at least until his mind started to go there toward the end - still great vocabulary and characters but rather obsessed with orgies).
ReplyDeleteI probably qualify as a polymath and there's no shortage of them in my novels either. Not everyone of course, but my own background is very jack-of-all-trades and I find it gives one a different perspective, particularly when faced with the unknown. It's one reason I favor those kinds of characters when I throw them to the wolves.
I love reading your posts... they always enlighten me.
ReplyDeleteI have to go consult my dictionary. Them thar's big words. At least I know what shard means.
ReplyDelete@Shakespeare - Sew a button on the back of his pants? I don't get it. Well, the part about writing a sonnet while changing a diaper made sense.
ReplyDelete@Addulamite - a philomath is a burner of bagpipes.
Wait. That's "pyromath."
@Sobriquet - winged helmets is where it's at. I don't know how those didn't make his polylist. Dunno about the baseball bat. I don't think there is such a helmet to protect against baseball bats and chainsaws.
@Stephanie Barr - Leonardo Da Vinci was a polymath. I think the word you are looking for is dilettante. :) No, you may well be a polymath, if you have the competence and not just the knowledge. I would never argue with you. You know yourself, like Socrates said. But then, Socrates was no polymath. You conn pretty well, I'll say that. :)
@Jeff King - You have such good taste. Polydent will do that. :)
@Sue - Why couldn't the Asian dry cleaner get the stain out of the salesman's suit? Polyester. Hahahahaha. Does the pope crap in the woods? Is a bear Catholic? Sigh. I got a million of 'em. I am a polyhumoroid. :)
btw, I called PBS and made a pledge and gave them your name and address. In case you get a bill, you'll know. I told them you just loved the 40 year old Masterpiece Theater reruns and just wanted to do your part to keep the excitement coming.
Well, I didn't tell them your address because I don't know your address. I just told them "Sue from the Midwest; 500 dollars."
@Sheila - Hi Sheila.
@Max - Hi Max. Why are you dragging me into this one? I can do many of the competent things that Lazarus Long thinks important, but so far I haven't tried dying gallantly. I'll have to get back to you on that one.
ReplyDeleteI was a Heinlein reader, back a ways.
ReplyDeleteI liked his style, his worlds, in which there were futures that seemed eminently plausible.
Some of his later stuff was a bit loopy, and a bit sinister. Like the darker side of him creeping out.