Greensleeves, Facebook and Humanism

I'm coming out of the closet. There is something you need to know about me.

...I'm a human!

Well, that's no big surprise. There are probably few if any normal adult humans who have not, at some time or another,thought about the fact that they are a human.

Of course, some are more narcissistic than others (avid Facebook users, anyone?) Narcissism usually refers to one individual who is obsessed with examining themselves, and when there are a bunch of individuals who exhibit narcissist-like behaviors about humankind, and are obsessed with examining the achievements of humans in general, we often use the word "humanists." Humanism was a big part of the 16th and 17th centuries - the focus then was on the beauty of humans and their accomplishments. At the time of the Renaissance, humanism was influenced by the study of classical Greek and Roman works, cultures, and art. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire, many Greeks moved to Italy, causing a mixing of cultures and bringing in new ideas. During this time, Leonardo Da Vinci came up with his theory of proportions for beautiful people, reflecting the era’s focus on the beauty and importance of individual humans. Even music changed to reflect humanism, moving from the old, impersonal plainchants like “O Come O Come Emmanuel” to more beautiful, complex songs like “Greensleeves,” which used dynamics and meters and ornamentation to put more focus on individual notes, reflecting the increase in individualism that happened during the Renaissance.

Well, that's cool - people back in the 16th and 17th centuries were obsessed with themselves, too! Hey, though, if it brought us "Greensleeves," I'm happy. Since you are human (as I assume you are), then you have ears shaped like golden spirals (divine proportions are also a legacy of the Renaissance), so have fun using your mathematically proportionate ears to listen to this version of "Greensleeves"! I'm off to check my Facebook...