Aug 2, 2020
The Truth about Learning
There are 5 things every learner should know about the art of learning and they aren’t complicated.
It all gets better with experience and an innate thirst to know.
The conventional education system has it backwards; not that it’s anything new, of course.
But when I look back at the times in my life when I have learnt the quickest, it’s come down to a few key factors.
- You must really be keen to learn
Do you know that desire to finish reading a book well into the night even if it means you forego sleep for a few hours?
That kind of keenness is the most fertile ground for learning to flourish.
2. You must be ready to absorb what you learn
Learning happens at that intersection of readiness to expand your mind and a willingness to be open to ideas. In that sense, learning is very much a case of the growth mindset.
3. You must stay open to new information
Learning only happens when you can challenge what you already know. Never stay rigid, except where your values are concerned. Everything else is flexible.
4. You must be ready to learn from multiple sources
We are the most blessed generation of the human species. With information at our fingertips, everyone can learn! What an infinite pool of value we have before us.
5. You must make learning fun and practical
A few years ago, I’d never have imagine sitting through an entire Biology lecture. But today, after voluntarily reading about fitness body types: endomorphs, mesomorphs, ectomorphs and the different nutritional requirements together with how our body works makes me wish two things; that I could re-visit high school Biology and that things like these would be taught at the school level with a practical emphasis on why these things matter.
Sadly, I don’t see any of these things happening soon, despite this post I wrote two years ago, for parents who wanted to encourage a love of learning in their kids.
What that means is learning must not end at school; push it beyond the confines of a classroom and keep learning.
It is in that willingness that we find our greatest joy: to keep growing.
