Renaissance Work

I am an avid Jeopardy fan. I watch daily, follow the winners, and love seeing how I could improve and expand my knowledge base. I feel that this show requires knowledge and quick-witted responses rather than "luck" like other game shows. No random ball drops, no random numbers, no commercial breaks every 2 questions, just knowledge and ability to decipher clues. I love it.

During yesterday's episode, Matt Amodio won his 34th straight game, 2nd all time in the record books. He has total winnings of $1.4 million, 3rd all time. His run is incredible and puts him into the conversation of "GOAT players." This streak aside, the final question yesterday centered around "A man who lived during the Renaissance and who actions in 1503 influenced his most famous work 10 years later" (paraphrasing). The answer was Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher and diplomat who wrote one of the most famous books, The Prince. The novel focuses on political philosophy and power among those who rule, along with a set of guidelines and scenarios to achieving the end result. A fantastic book that should be required reading for any college student, especially those in political science.

What's even more fascinating is that this book is one of many works during this time that left their mark on the modern world. The quality of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Christopher Columbus, Johannes Gutenberg, Martin Luther, and others all have withstood the test of time and influenced life 600 years later. Compare that to our times in the 21st Century: we have men such as Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg and women such as JK Rowling, Michelle Obama, Angela Merkel, and Malala Yousafzai. All of these individuals have achieved great amounts of wealth, fame, and prestige, but are their legacies going to hold up for 100 years let alone 600? I doubt it. 

That begs the question: are we getting dumber as a society? Pick up a "classic" book from 70-100 years ago and focus on the grammar and syntax. Admire the word choice and vocabulary. The work seems to be from a whole different time, yet your parents or grandparents were around at that time. Do they speak like that now? Ask them how their parents spoke and acted, considering most probably did not attend high school or college back then. What is fueling this decline, if there is a decline? What work will be known by future generations in 600 years? Will my future family descendants read The Prince or travel to Italy to see David? 

Just some thoughts on a gloomy Tuesday morning...