B.

Seven Da Vincian
Principles
Reporters:
Didal, Dianne S.
Sabanal, Erlito M.
An interesting book entitled The Book of Genius written by
Tony Buzan and Raymond Keene once ranked the world's
greatest geniuses and came up with the following list:
10) Albert Einstein 5) Michelangelo
9) Phidias (architect of 4) Johann Wolfgang von
Athens) Goethe
8) Alexander the Great, 3) The Great Pyramid
7) Thomas Jefferson Builders
6) Sir Isaac Newton 2) William Shakespeare
1) Leonardo da Vinci.
Why put
Leonardo on top
of the list?
Perhaps, the easiest
answer we can give is
because he was a man of
many talents - a polymath
- just like the others
included in the list. But
one thing that separates
him from the rest is the
fact that he was also an
inventor of many things.

Fig 1. Leonardo da Vinci

Credits: nationalgeographic.com
Many of his designs, such as the movable dikes to protect
Venice from invasion, proved too costly or impractical.
Some of his smaller inventions entered the world of
manufacturing unheralded.

As an engineer, Leonardo conceived ideas vastly ahead of

his own time, conceptually inventing the parachute, the
helicopter, an armored fighting vehicle, the use of
concentrated solar power, the car and a gun , a
rudimentary theory of plate tectonics and the double hull.

In practice, he greatly advanced the state of knowledge in

the fields of anatomy, astronomy, civil engineering, optics,
and the study of water (hydrodynamics).
One of Leonardo's
drawings, the Vitruvian
Man, is a study of the
proportions of the human
body, linking art and
science in a single work
that has come to represent
the concept of macrocosm
and microcosm in
Renaissance humanism
His work-ethic followed seven principles
which he suggested were the key to success.
These included:
1. curiosita (inquisitiveness)
2. dimostrazione (learning from experience),
3. sensazione (use of the five senses)
4. sfumato (openness to the mysterious)
5. arte/scienza (balanced learning through the arts
and sciences)
6. corporalita (cultivating mental and physical
fitness)
7. connessione (combination and connection).
Curiosita
Learning starts with a sense of wonder. When we were still little
children, we always asked questions like "Where does the rain
come from?", Why is there night and day?", "Who made the
earth?", "Why do people grow old?" and so on. Leonardo da
Vinci likewise possessed the same kind of curiosity as a child
when he wondered about the world surrounding him. In fact, he
never took yes for an answer and continued to press further for
more answers. A person with such character will have an
opportunity to go far and discover more things. That type of
person believes in the old maxim which goes, "Hitch your wagon
to a star!"
In like manner, an artist never stops going over his
finished work and is ever curious in looking for ways to
improve it. A painter, for instance, can always change
the colors in the canvass if he thinks it lacks contrast.
Likewise, a writer is never tired of revising his work and
even goes to the extent of asking others for their
opinions. Only those who are conceited can live in the
ivory tower of their own illusions. As the Greek
philosopher Socrates once said: "I know that I know
nothing."
Dimostrazione
There are two types of learners
• those who simply observe and watch what is happening
before them.
• those who get involved by immersing themselves to the
nitty-gritty of things surrounding them.
As a young boy, Leonardo learned how to paint when he
became an apprentice in the studio of his master
Verrochio who first taught him how to prepare canvases
and paints. The term "apprentice" is now used in several
professions, particular among seamen and pilots, to
indicate someone who is just learning the ropes of the
trade. Mastering a certain skill or profession, obviously,
requires one to learn first the basics or fundamentals for
it is in such procedure that one is able to grasp the whole
process of any job. There are just no shortcuts to one's
success.
Exposure to the world outside the four walls of the classroom is
undeniably a better way to learn. Unfortunately, due to some
untoward incidents as a result of field trips organized by some
schools, outside-the-school activities have temporarily been
suspended. More so in today's pandemic world, gatherings are
being discouraged to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Everything is not lost, however, as students can still do "virtual
field trips" by watching documentaries or short films about a
chosen site or place of interest.
Sensazione
For Leonardo, the eye is the window of the soul. He was, of
course, giving special mention to the sense of sight because
he was a painter. Nevertheless, he did not mean to say that
the eye is the only way by which we can learn. He likewise
emphasized the importance of the other senses in learning.
He lamented on the fact that the average person "looks
without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without
feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical
awareness, inhales without awareness of fragrance and talks
without thinking." Clearly, true learning can only take place if
we maximize the use of our senses.
Sfumato
Literally, the term sfumato means "turned to mist" or
"going up in smoke." Both the terms mist and smoke
mean one thing: uncertainty. In other words, we do
not see clearly an object that is covered by mist or
smoke. By embracing uncertainty, Leonardo was bent
on introducing a theory: the tension of opposites.
He emphasized this kind of tension in his paintings,
most notably in such works as The Virgin of the Rocks
and the Monalisa, where there is a contrast of light
and darkness.
The Monalisa itself is a painting that is shrouded in mystery. There
are several opinions as to the true identity of the woman in the
painting, including the claim that perhaps it represents the
maestro (Da Vinci) himself. Leonardo wanted to emphasize that in
life, one faces uncertainty in almost all of his activities. Only those
who are willing to face uncertainty would be able to succeed.

Figure 2. Da Vinci's Most Famous Painting (the Monalisa) Figure 2. Da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F Photo Credit: ItalianRenaissance.org

%2Fnews.artnetcom%2Fexhibitions%2Fmona-lisa
Arte/Scienza
According to the Nobel-prize winning research of
Professor Roger Sperry, the human brain has two
dominant hemispheres: the left brain and the
right brain.
The former is more inclined to analytical and
logical thinking, which follows a step-by-step
process while the latter is more into imaginative
and creative thinking, which is given to artistic
and literary works.
Perhaps, it would be quite a biased opinion to put the
blame only on the schools offering science courses.
There are actually several factors for such
phenomenon.

If there is anything that Professor Sperry laments

about today's system of education, it is the fact that
most schools would emphasize the left brain which is
evidenced by the abundance of courses majoring in
computer studies, mathematics, nursing, medicine and
the like. In short, there is a dearth of courses catering
to the arts.
 For instance, parents especially in the Philippines would wish
their children to graduate from, say, nursing or computer science
because they perceive it to be the fastest way for their children
to go abroad. Another factor is the fact that most companies in
today's world would hire those who graduated from science
courses and seldom only those who graduated from an arts
degree.
The world is becoming a highly technological environment and
so right-brained individuals are becoming unfit to face such
challenge.

Nevertheless, Leonardo emphasized a balanced personality-one

which values not only the scientific mindset but likewise the arts
- what is commonly termed as a Renaissance Man. In today's
parlance, this is what we call holistic learning.
Corporalita
Usually, when we mention the word genius, what comes to our mind is an image of a
man wearing thick glasses, his shirt and pants swaying almost like a flag that is blown
by the wind and where his thin body frame serves as the flagpole. This guy seldom
goes out of his room (not because he is on home quarantine) but because he spends
most of his time reading books. If there are invitations from his friends to have some
fun outside, he would vehemently turn them down and "I'm too busy. I'll get along
maybe some other time." say,

Contrary to our usual impression, Leonardo would have none of those characteristics of
a genius mentioned above. In fact, he was an expert equestrian who was fond of
stopping horses at full gallop by catching their reins. Indeed, he was not only mentally
alert, but also physically fit, one who espouses the ideal Roman adage "mens sana in
corpore sano" (a healthy mind in a healthy body).
To maintain a healthy lifestyle, he
recommends the following rules:
1. Beware of anger and grievous moods. 7. Keep upright when you rise from the dining
table.

2. Rest your head and keep your mind

8. Do not be with the belly upwards or the head
cheerful.
lowered.

3. Be covered well at night. 9. Let your wine be mixed with water, take a little at
a time, not between an empty stomach.

4. Exercise moderately.
10. Eat simple (i.e. vegetarian) food.

5. Shun wantonness and pay attention to diet.

11. Chew well.

6. Eat only when you want and sup light. 12. Go to the toilet regularly.
Connessione
A familiar joke goes, "If America sneezes, the whole world
catches colds." The pun is, of course, intended to emphasize the
fact that America, as the most powerful nation in the world, has
a great influence in the lives of people around the world.
Whatever is the latest trend in the U.S. concerning, say, high-
tech gadgets or fashion will surely have a great impact to the
rest of the inhabitants in this planet. Likewise, whatever
developments are happening in China will also affect other
countries. Another joke goes, "God made the world. The rest is
made in China." Just imagine anything from electronic devices to
branded shoes and pants and you will see the familiar mark
attached to the label: Made in China.
A bombing incident in Indonesia or in any other
territory regardless of its size will surely send
shockwaves to visiting tourists and to the countries
where they belong. Nevertheless, it would be a
biased position if we only think in terms of big
countries affecting smaller ones. For even smaller
countries could affect bigger ones. For instance,
what is happening in the disputed Spratlys islands
has become a major concern among world leaders.