5 Things We Can Learn From Leonardo (di ser Piero, not DiCaprio)

Recently I finished a fantastic biography by Walter Isaacson detailing the life and works of one of my favorite historical figure of all time - Leonardo da Vinci.

The Turin Self-Portrait, 1512 | Source: leonardodavinci.net

Born on April 15th, 1452 as an illegitimate (and oldest) son of notary Ser Piero and peasant lady Caterina, Leonardo was markedly different from his peers and relatives from a very young age. He proved too curious to follow his father's wishes of him becoming a notary and proved that until the day he died in 1519. Many of us know of the left-handed genius from the popularized Mona Lisa or The Vitruvian Man, and many aspiring artists and scientists have tried imitating his brilliant works. Handsome and social, he was respected by many people in his time as well as the present. Today, our discussion will not draw primarily from his famous works, but what we can learn from Leonardo's characteristics and actions.

1. Be Tremendously Curious about Yourself and the World

If I could take away anything from Walter Isaacson's biography and Leonardo, it would be to have an inquisitive mind that ponders every aspect of the world. The man filled thousands of notebook pages and made groundbreaking innovations in art, physics (optics, mechanics, and fluid dynamics primarily), military design, geometry, theater, anatomy, astronomy, and even theater. He predicted that the sun did not move before Copernican heliocentrism, and described that an object in motion/rest would stay in motion/rest before Newton's Principia Mathematica. He spent years designing military weaponry for the Duke of Milan and drew the oldest surviving top view map of Imola centuries before planes or drones existed (He did so with incredibly detailed measurements with a chariot odometer). It was said that a kite (a type of hawk) landed on Leonardo when he was baby, and throughout his life, he felt compelled to study bird flight and flying machines. One could only imagine what Leonardo would come up with in our modern-day technological world.

What we can learn: Write copious notes and thoughts down (one of the purposes of The Od Life blog) about anything that fascinates you! One day they will be stories to tell or ideas to revisit - unlike temporary Snapchats or brief Tweets.

2. Experience vs. Scholarship

Perhaps the most impressive fact about Leonardo is that unlike the typical Renaissance man, he never received proper education - although Ser Piero ensured that he received an elementary education, for most of his life Da Vinci did not have formal schooling. As a result, it may be surprising (or not) to learn that he struggled with algebra and arithmetic throughout his life, but enjoyed geometry and found ways to incorporate that into his studies of optics and his paintings. His notes and artwork derived almost exclusively from his astute mind and prolonged observations - Leonardo once condemned those who simply repeated and upheld the merit of classical text, without being skeptical and experimenting themselves. It should be no surprise by now to learn that Da Vinci foreshadowed the Scientific Method.

What we can learn: Citing sources and reading textbooks is praised by teachers and all, but sometimes it's not enough! To take your learning further, immerse yourself in the field of study and experiment. Learning Spanish? Travel to Spain!

3. Observe Every Little Detail, and Make Analogies

Leonardo took drastic measures to study everything that could possibly satiate his curiosity or improve his skill. How many artists in history have actually dissected a horse to better portray a drawing of a horse (Now you know of at least one)? He even detailed the tongue of a woodpecker due to his curiosity's compulsion. However, these tiny details didn't just take up real estate in Leonardo's brain but instead helped improve his work and connect seemingly unrelated ideas together. For example, he saw analogies between the branches of trees and rivers, how rivers, like trees, only split into narrower widths of itself. He also saw the likeness of water waves and sound waves which contributed to his understanding of diffraction.

Of course, not all of Leonardo's endeavors proved helpful, for example, he tried hundreds of ways to solve the difficult puzzle of drawing a square with the same area as a circle with nothing but a ruler and pencil (which was later proven to be impossible without computers, as pi is not just irrational but a transcendental number). Nonetheless, the effort was a valuable testament to Leonardo's character.

What we can learn: Study in depth and in breadth - not just because new topics are fun, but because they can help connect to previous knowledge.

4. Create for Yourself, and Be Strict

Leonardo was very clear about what he wanted to do with his time and interests. He was not swayed by the offerings of rich patrons. For example, the famous Mona Lisa was originally for a humble silk merchant, in a time when he was pushed to do a variety of other commissions. Furthermore, he wanted to ensure every endeavor he took was done perfectly - he never finished the Adoration of the Magi for Florence because it would have taken much too long to display the expressions of the civilians to his liking, and would not settle for simply "good enough". Leonardo also carried his favorite paintings for years, understanding there can always a new stroke to add when new discovery or inspiration strikes. For example, he redrew the neck of Saint Jerome in the Wilderness after studying the correct structure of neck muscles decades after the original unfinished painting.

What we can learn: Create for yourself, not just others. And if you decide to commit to something, commit to doing it well.

Leo's imaginative giant crossbow | Source: Walter Isaacson's Leonardo Da Vinci

5. Art is a Science, Science is an Art

Leonardo Da Vinci proved that arts and science are not mutually exclusive, not only did his scientific studies benefit his paintings, his artistic skill helped him visualize natural phenomena and build incredibly detailed machine design. The Last Supper was drawn with incredible attentiveness to light sources within the painting as well as the angles and distances that the mural would be viewed in the refectory. His artistic prowess helped him design everything from cathedrals to water screw perpetual motion machines, although many of his most imaginative ideas (see giant crossbow above) were never conceived. Leonardo also romanticized scientific phenomena, suggested water is like the "blood of the earth" and devoted many sketches to turbulent waves as well as human anatomy. Admirably, Da Vinci is not afraid to admit lapses in thought. He rescinded his water/blood analogy upon observing that water is always recycled in the Earth's atmosphere and ground, while blood can be newly created. 

What we can learn: Engineering majors shouldn't make fun of humanities majors, and vice versa.

Lovely man.