Universal Man

Today I had to write a job post/description of skills required for the person who will come in to replace me on the project. Its dangerous for a delusional megalomaniac like myself to write something like this. Some of the rejected criteria for my replacement included:

• Gordon Gecko ruthlessness and hair
• Perfect balance between Albert Einstein and Julius Caesar
• Woo-er of women
• Ability to master all things and people related to computer activity
• Able to bend spoons and other small metal objects using mental powers
• Pirate

This all gets me thinking back to (I think I was in high school) when I first heard the concept of a 'Renaissance Man'. I prefer the other title, 'Universal Man'. I like the idea of a person who is completely at home in their world and has all the skills to live in their own times. Theoretically our high-school and college education is geared around a liberal arts ideal and we should all come through with some specialization over the top of our liberal arts. It doesn't always stick but that's the intent.

What follows is my free association list of skills I think a man living today should posses at a basic level. I have no idea what women can or should be able to do, they remain to me as always totally unknowable. I of course am basing this on my experience (obviously not meaning that I can do this stuff) and it is by no means comprehensive. Let me know what you think should be added (or removed).

An American Universal Man > 25 years old in 2005 should be able to (in no order at all) :

1. Tell a joke in both polite and impolite company
2. Eat at a formal table
3. Dress formally
4. Play at a non-embarrassing level any Team Sports (Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer)
5. Play at a non-embarrassing level Individual Sports (Golf, Swimming, Billiards, Tennis)
6. Play at a non-embarrassing level a musical instrument
7. Identify the most famous standard works of Classical Music
8. Identify at least the era of music from the Modern era and identify of a given sample of artists for music <>
9. Recite Poetry (5-10 from memory)
10. Appreciate and Discuss Literature (Classics and Modern), maybe a list of books too
    
11. Cook (Grill and Standard
12. Clean (General Household type)
13. Work with a Computer (some form of macro, coding or scripting, basic web design, general Windows troubleshooting)
14. Ride a Horse
15. Handle Firearms
16. Drink Socially
17. Act as a bartender
18. Play common games of chance/skill (poker, craps, bridge, chess)
19. Demonstrate General Camping Skills (Basic Orienteering, build a fire)
20. Demonstrate skill in leadership
21. Speak > 2 languages
22. Handle math up to and including the intro level of Calculus
23. Accomplish difficult physical challenges. Both single event (marathon) and long duration (prolonged participation on a team).
24. Dance Un-selfconsciously (Slow and Fast)
25. Demonstrate Historical Knowledge (Western Civ emphasis....should be able to place a given event w/in 150 years)
26. demonstrate Financial understanding (balance a checkbook, explain compound interest, mutual fund, stock)
27. demonstrate understanding of basic Philosophy (historical movements generally and logic)
28. Write expressively
29. Discuss movies w/ specific focus <20>
30. Discuss television w/ specific focus <20>
31. Discuss American sports trends and results (Basketball, Football, Baseball)
32. Drive a car fast
33. Drive a Manual Transmission
34. Perform car maintenance and basic repair
35. Build simple structures from wood, hammer and nails
36. Type fast enough to chat
37. Identify major current world leaders
38. Locate all 50 states on a map
39. Locate 15 European countries on a map
40. Speak in front of a group
41. Have studied the bible (read some and familiar with major characters in new and old testaments)
42. Something about talking to girls, this is a tough one to pin down
43. Something about science here