Paul Marie Ghislain Otlet (23 August 1868 – 10 December 1944) was a Belgian author, entrepreneur, lawyer and peace activist; predicting the arrival of the internet before World War II, he is among those considered to be the father of information science, a field he called "documentation". Otlet created the Universal Decimal Classification, which would later become a faceted classification. Otlet was responsible for the development of an early information retrieval tool, the "Repertoire Bibliographique Universel" (RBU) which utilized 3x5 inch index cards, used commonly in library catalogs around the world (now largely displaced by the advent of the online public access catalog (OPAC)). Otlet wrote numerous essays on how to collect and organize the world's knowledge, culminating in two books, the Traité de Documentation (1934) and Monde: Essai d'universalisme (1935).In 1907, following a huge international conference, Otlet and Henri La Fontaine created the Central Office of International Associations, which was renamed to the Union of International Associations in 1910, and which is still located in Brussels. They also created a great international center called at first Palais Mondial (World Palace), later, the Mundaneum to house the collections and activities of their various organizations and institutes.
Otlet and La Fontaine were peace activists who endorsed the internationalist politics of the League of Nations and its International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation (the forerunner of UNESCO). Otlet and La Fontaine witnessed an unprecedented proliferation of information, resulting in the creation of new kinds of international organization. They saw in this organization an emerging global polity, and wished to help solidify it. La Fontaine won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1913.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Paul Otlet has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Intense, Sophisticated, Passionate, Curious, Adventurous, and Imaginative.
Smart and Sophisticated
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Paul Otlet is someone who is a smart, sophisticated, and organized person who displays kindness and grace in every day interactions, and who also has a passionate soul. A person who is ambitious and motivated.
Warm and Caring
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Paul Otlet well know them as someone who can be warm, caring, and compassionate, like a lamp or torch.
Ambitious and Forceful
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Paul Otlet as someone who is ambitious, hard-working, determined, and intelligent.
A person who has a knack for identifying opportunities, has amazing concentration and focus, who can work independently, who likes starting new things, and who is somewhat of an intellectual.
Charismatic and Instinctual
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Paul Otlet is someone who handles stress better than most people, and who tends to have a powerful charisma and convictions.
They are also someone who is calm, comforting, and stable, and who loves stability and being a good friend and loyal partner.
Altruistic and Purposeful
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Paul Otlet tends to be someone who has a desire to be of service to a higher calling and who is always trying to perfect things. Who can be practical and polished, reserved and methodical, and who tends to trust internal judgment before trusting anyone else at face value.
Some of Paul Otlet's challenges
While Paul Otlet has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Paul Otlet can be Difficult, Perfectionist, Complicated, Brusque, Impulsive, Careless, and Relentless.
Difficult and Perfectionist
One of Paul Otlet's key challenges is that they are someone who can be difficult and too much of a perfectionist.
Paul Otlet must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Relentless and Inflexible
Paul Otlet is someone who can be relentless, obsessive, and inflexible, who can be confrontational with work colleagues, can have difficulty communicating feelings and be somewhat reclusive, and who can be self-destructive, overindulgent, and extravagant.
Critical and Bossy
Finally, Paul Otlet also can be too focused on the small details of life, try to control whatever is happening, and be finicky and demanding.
