Lifelong Learners

 

How many people do you know whom you could call lifelong learners? Off-hand I can think of three people this could apply to and I am not one of them. Active leaners, who go out of their way to read, watch, research, remember, dig into subjects and pass on information when it is relevant. I learn new things daily and then promptly forget them, or I look up information when doing a job but afterwards it goes from me.

Recently I have been reading older authors, such as John Buchan and Austin Coates, and it struck me just how much broader their base of knowledge seemed to be compared to people I read now. Their life experience was also broader due to having served in the war, but after that they did not mentally atrophy, they continued to be curious, to investigate, research and dig. I think this mental curiosity comes across in the quality and depth of their writing. This could be said for only some present day writers, scientists, artists, teachers and others.

For my friends  I believe their learning is a mindset. Everyday concerns, living, problems or topics of conversation are a source of curiosity, they aim to improve or do a job better, they research to get things right first time, and if it fails, do further research to repair errors. New ideas cross their orbit and they read, watch, dig and dig, practice old skills and new skills and entertain friends with their ‘did you knows?’.

Would you like to have the mind of a learner? I would. I think with practice it is very possible to develop mental curiosity as well as the habit of honing skills. I recently read ‘Grit’ by Angela Duckworth which made me wonder how much more we could each become if we truly tried.

I aim to work on skills and learn and retain something new every day, join me!