It is hard to master even one narrowly scoped field of knowledge (see The cost of specialization), let alone two or more. Some people therefore claim that it is impossible to be a true polymath anymore. In my opinion, the modern ideal of a polymath should therefore not be an absolute measure of mastery in all subjects. Instead, the objective should be to strive for competence in a range of important subjects. Don't worry about whether you can eventually become an expert (see Gauging mastery). Rather, try to constantly improve on the subjects you already know and seek out useful things to learn. With a process-oriented attitude you'll eventually master several subjects. Once a threshold is reached, the synergy between different subjects will help you create new solutions. Since all human knowledge is based on a limited number of mental models, the stronger and wider this foundation of models is, the easier it is to gain new knowledge. A similar principle holds for physical abilities, emotional maturity, social networks, economic power, technical understanding, and one's ability to integrate with the world. Perhaps now more than ever there's a need for people who understand and are able to connect different interdisciplinary topics, lest we end up in a Tower of Babel situation where specialists and experts no longer understand each other.