One day Leonardo was walking through one of the central piazzas of Florence, talking with some friends.

He was extroverted, personable, and popular, and so he always seemed to have a retinue of followers, associates, and friends following him around to discuss intellectual issues.

And at this particular time, they were discussing a passage from the great Italian poet and writer Dante.

Some of his friends had just asked Leonardo his opinion on the meaning of a particular passage,

and at that exact moment, Leonardo noticed a fellow artist walking by.

So Leonardo decided to bring this fellow artist into the conversation.

He turned and called out and asked him what he thought of the passage.

But it went horribly wrong. The artist

took offense. He thought Leonardo was mocking him. No, he shot back. Explain it yourself and say,

aren't you the idiot who started that big statue in Milan and wasn't able to finish it and had to

give up the attempt in shame? The young artist then stormed off. It must have been very awkward.

I imagine Leonardo's friends looking down at their

shoes or their hands, just kind of shuffling back and forth awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

And Leonardo shrugging and saying something like, well, that's Michelangelo for you.

Michelangelo and Leonardo are a good comparison in opposites.

Leonardo was the ultimate polymath. He liked to flip from topic to topic, subject to subject and field to field. One day he was a painter,

the next he was an architect, the next he was a scientist. Michelangelo, on the other hand,

was intensely focused on whatever he was doing and had no room in his mind for anything else.

He was not interested in science or technology or invention.

He just wanted to be the greatest artist in the world.

And whereas Leonardo was popular, collaborative, and handsome,

Michelangelo was reclusive, secretive, abrasive, and ugly.

...