Renaissance M    N

The eight Factotum aspects are: Wealth, Fame, Beauty, Family, Career, Humanity, Leader & Civic.  Completing a majority of these indicates a well-rounded life.  Anyone who appreciates and aspires to the ideals of Renaissance Myn already has achieved many of these.

 Factotum

Beauty

Wealth

Fame

Leader

Civic

Family

Humanity

Career

Appearance, Affections, Flamboyance

Beauty is often mentioned in describing someone. Skin deep beauty may be fleeting, delicate and insubstantial but it does leave an indelible impression: tall people are inordinately promoted, and athletically built people are admired. Many people are born beautiful but most have to work at it, and some people are not physically beautiful but they distinguish themselves through affection: recognizable attire, feigned speech patterns, outlandish behavior, or simply an attractive personality. Also, beauty can be in things, for example fashion sense, decorating skills, or a general je ne sais quoi.

Earned, Inherited

Society recognizes wealth as a sign of success regardless of rather it was earned or inherited. One must be a millionaire to be considered wealthy, and exhibit the indicators of wealth, such as a big house, fancy car, or other accouterments. Whatever your personal sentiments on the issue of ostentatious displays of wealth, your association with money, its use and investment, and the social stratification it causes, all contribute to wisdom.

 

Athlete, Lottery, Actor

Fame can be lucky or predicated. It can come from your job, talent, or pedigree, but however fame comes, experiences will make themselves available to you that would not otherwise. People will treat you differently and your relationships will change. How you adjust will modify your personality, adding nuanced wisdom. Though somewhat arbitrary, fame is indicated when people want your autograph.

CEO, Captain, Priest

The signs of leadership are sometimes easy to identify, like a title, but the title does not necessarily make a leader. True leadership is an uncommon attribute, and not always easy to discern because a leader does not necessarily command the recognition, gratitude, or even the admiration of those who follow. The true definition of a leader is one that guides, and even creates events out of shear force-of-will..

Politician, Fraternal, Activist

A citizen of society participates and supports the underlying framework of the social contract, and can enunciate the legitimacy their society is built on. They understand civics, respect the rights of others, support the common cause, contribute to the general well-being of all members, and weave any of the many threads in the fabric of human interaction.

Spouse, Children

Successful people need not experience society-defined relationships within a traditional family unit but there is no doubt that most people consider “the family” as the starting place of wisdom. Close, intimate relationships certainly mold one into the person they become, and maintaining a spouse and children may seem mundane but it is intensely difficult, and nothing has more of an impact on one’s personality. Your formative years as a child have no counterpart in adulthood, and the experience of parenting has no substitute. Intimate personal interaction, trust, loyalty, obligation, and love contribute greatly to wisdom. Any committed relationship counts, usually evidenced by marriage but of course alternate forms exist. Raising a child to adulthood is an important indicator.

Journalist, Engineer, Entrepreneur

Our first impression of people is defined by what they do, and success is often subjective.  However, a measurement of one’s career would be recognition by your peers, organization, or industry, or honored in your field.

Volunteer, Advocate, Patron

Part of wisdom is showing compassion & empathy, including the sacrifice of self-interest in preference to others. Achievement may be noted via recognition by fraternal organizations, volunteering at legal or medical clinics, promoter of the arts, or other significant contribution of your skills, time, money, or property.

The title given to a person who has achieved facility in many aspects of wisdom is “Factotum.”  The dictionary definition of Factotum is, “a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.”  Its origin is mid-16th century Latin as “do it all.”  “Magister factotum” meant “master of everything,” and “Johannes factotum” translates colloquially as “Jack of all trades.”