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| The Science of Self-Learning: How to Teach Yourself Anything, Learn More in Less Time, and Direct Your Own Education (2018) by Peter Hollins, Ebook |
The title and subtitle say it all. Some books are easy to read and quick to finish simply because you already agree with the main theses of the book. And extra if you already applied most of the ideas. So, what is the benefit of reading a book that doesn't challenge me to do or think about something new? Well, for one, the feel-good effect I had due to confirmation bias. And the other, for self-reminder, that it is the right thing for me to continue to pursue. Peter Hollis, a psychologist by profession, wrote in such a way that is engaging and balances theories with practicality. He reminds me that the path - for me, not necessary for everyone - to education is through self-learning.
We all should've realized that the process of acquiring information has changed significantly over the last few decades. The author seriously joking that 30 to 40 decades ago, one of the main ways for people to look up general info was inside an encyclopedia! Today, all we have to do is just Google-ing absolutely anything and find out very specific info about any subject of interest in less than a few seconds anywhere, anywhen. What hasn’t changed, sadly, is our educational system. It is still based mostly on a traditional model, where students still learn what somebody else has decided for them to learn. Although there are exceptions and some positive sides to it, the outdated model is overall limiting and intimidating. Mr. Hollins writes, "[Motivating] someone to learn by threats or reproach isn’t just ineffective - it’s impossible. If one is feeling hurt or mistrusted, or if they’re dealing with depression, stress, difficult personal issues, or fear, they don’t have any resources left to help them learn."
Enter the keyword: autodidact (or a self-educator). It simply means a self-taught person. He or she is both a teacher and a student at the same time. Self-taught is not a new pursuit. There are famous people like Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo da Vinci who are autodidacts. The advantage for us today is that it is easier and faster for us to be one. “Courtesy of the Internet, the world is your oyster,” writes Mr. Hollins, “and we have the ability to learn anything we want these days.” Due to my personality and learning style, classroom-type, professor-guide, assignment- dateline like Bible seminary is not suitable for me. My process of directed personal education growth is via proactive intellectual curiosity. Thus, my motivation is not from the outside forces but from the inside a.k.a. intrinsic. Nobody can 'force' me to learn, I WANT to learn. The author puts it like this: "Rather than performing a task to gain rewards or avoid punishment from someone else, a person experiencing intrinsic motivation does an activity for how it will enrich them on an intangible level." Right!
If you are an autodidact, reading Chapter 1: Principle of Self-Learning is a good reminder for you to keep doing what you are doing (probably Chapter 1 is just enough). If you are aspired to be one, reading this book is a good starting point. You will learn the Learning Success Pyramid, the classic SQ3R Method, the Cornell Note-Taking System, Speed-Reading tactics, and more. The author is generous with his resources. I love this quote, "Anyone can be an autodidact - there aren’t any restrictions on age, gender, or background. All that’s required is the willingness to actively find new knowledge and to do so with a discerning, evaluative mind." Yes! ☕
#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheScienceOfSelfLearning #AutodidactForever #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain
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