“I grow old ever learning many things,” Solon said. Learning as you grow old is very rewarding, as well as essential for maintaining your well-being. But there is something more important than learning about science, history, the arts, or anything else. And that is learning how to learn.
But what does it mean, to learn how to learn? Moreover, how can one learn how to learn, and is this sort of learning accessible to everyone? Let’s try to unwrap this with a little personal story.
A relative of mine worked all her life behind a computer. That was in the 80s, long before graphic desktops, and there was significant complexity. If you wanted the computer to do something as simple as filling in a form or printing out a table, you had to enter a series of complex strings and commands. This relative of mine had mastered the entire system and performed efficiently and accurately.
And then she retired, and Windows came along. And it took her years to learn how to use the mouse, and only recently did she understand (sort of) how an Internet browser works. Concepts like “the cloud,” “signing in to Google to save YouTube videos you like,” or even “organize your bookmarks” are entirely alien to her.
Why is all this important? Because it’s a great example of how someone can be an excellent learner of any particular method, concept, or discipline, and yet a very poor learner of learning.
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