Nerd Jock or both?
The Scholar Warrior and why the answer should always be both.
In Ancient China, statecraft generally broke down into the use of two types of people: martial/military aka warriors, and civil/bureaucracies aka scholars. Both were seen as equally important and, depending on what the nation needed at any given time, one would take precedence over the other.
Over time, though, it became apparent that what was really needed was someone who had proficiency with both skillsets. Men of action who were also thinking men. In modern parlance, nerdy jocks. There are several reasons for this. Simple-minded warriors often failed to navigate with subtlety the schemes and political machinations of court life, while ivory tower scholars often chose comfort over the hardship necessary to prosper long-term. Warriors needed to cultivate themselves to be fit for contending with the challenges of peacetime life, while scholars must do the same so as to be prepared for wartime. This is why you have Samurai composing Haiku, and Confucius recommending that everyone master archery. A deeper spiritual aspect exists in both physical and mental training, and only by practicing both can one gain the full benefits available to every human being.
It’s a great prescription for modern life as well.
Despite that 80s movie breakdown of classroom cliques into bookish nerds and meathead jocks, the truth is that it’s never enough to be one or the other. Nor is it impossible to become a master of both. Especially today, when martial arts are within driving distance of just about every resident in the developed world and boundless wisdom and knowledge can be accessed from the devices in everyone’s pockets.
There’s truly no excuse not to be the complete package: to master the ability to conquer your intellectual pursuits and outthink your enemies. In ancient China, only such people could be considered true gentlemen (君子).
Times, as we are quickly discovering, can change very quickly. It isn’t enough to be a master of the arts of peace hoping that chaos never happens, or a master of war who fights for one’s obsolescence. Even in the most peaceful of times, there is violence. Even in the most turbulent times, there will be a need for deep thought. To thrive, one needs to be a complete talent.
As Thucydides said, “The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.” Chinese, with its love for brevity, summed up such a person in four characters:
文武全才 (Scholar Warrior Complete Talent).