From the French facette , a facet is one of the faces or sides of a polyhedron . The term is used, according to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) , to name the faces of a carved precious stone.
In everyday language, a facet is an aspect that can be considered of a matter , a person, etc. For example: “Eric Cantona surprised with his role as an actor in a film released a few months ago” , “The protests are very serious and have an economic aspect that we cannot minimize” , “The singer demonstrated his humorous side in a concert full of jokes.”
Facet as aspect or characteristic
Facet, therefore, can be an aspect or point of view of an issue. This implies that this issue can be considered from more than one perspective or taking into account various criteria: “We have to analyze the crisis in all its facets, without limiting ourselves to finances,” “Discrimination is the most serious facet of this conflict.”
In addition to everything stated, it should also be emphasized that, on many occasions, the term in question is usually used to refer to the characteristics of a historical stage or a specific artistic movement. A clear example of this is that we frequently talk about the double facet of the Renaissance to refer to the fact that it was characterized by its marked passion for classicism as well as by great intellectual interest.
The case of Leonardo da Vinci
Precisely within that stage lived one of the men who has been considered one of those who cultivated the most facets and all of them with great success. We are referring to Leonardo da Vinci, who became a perfect example of what the Renaissance man was.
In his case, he played a great role in areas such as these:
• Paint. Within this field he has bequeathed important artistic works such as “The Last Supper” or “La Gioconda”.
• Sculpture. In this sector, the equestrian statue representing Francis I Sforza, the founder of one of the most important dynasties in Milan, stands out especially.
• Science. There were multiple activities he carried out in this field, highlighting, above all, the establishment of divine proportion. He also developed alchemy, defined the laws related to the solidity of beams, studied human anatomy in depth, thanks to which he carried out the dissection of corpses, and made one of what are considered the first drawings in which it is represented. to a fetus in its mother's womb.
The facets of a human being
The different characteristics of a human being can also be mentioned as facets. Human beings are not one-dimensional but, beyond specializations, we can all develop various activities: “I didn't know your side as a singer,” “He is a well-rounded and very talented artist, but what I like most is when he exploits his side.” histrionics in comedies .
It is understood that, when a person can develop several facets, they are exploiting their full potential . The case is different for those who are forced to always show the same facet and are limited in showing their different abilities.