“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 gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
Welcome to the Renaissance Humans Newsletter, where I focus on sense-making and story-telling in the turbulent twenties. The Renaissance (“rebirth,” in French) spanned from the 14th to the 17th century and marked a period of cultural, artistic, and intellectual renewal in Europe. A Renaissance Human fosters curiosity, critical thinking, and character in a journey of never-ending learning. They cultivate Mind, Body, and Spirit, in service of Community, and oriented to the Transcendentals.
We are living through a time of turbulent transition. Humans always seem to think their times are chaotic and full of change (because they are). Most periods of history have had an eschatological bent – people have always thought that they were living through the end times. Apocalypse means “unveiling,” after all. This is a time of Liminality — “A Time Between Worlds” as many have characterized it. A time of Networks and Nonlinearity.
My name is Adam Karaoguz. I recently retired after 27 years in the US military, most of that as a Naval Special Warfare officer. You can see my full background here.
I also write fiction, so you’ll see some of that here, with thoughts on how to create stories that entertain, inform, and transform.
Like everyone else, I want to 1. effectively make sense of reality, and 2. properly attune to that reality. This Substack will be devoted to those two goals.
Website here: https://www.adamkaraoguz.com/
