Knowledge emerges only through . . . the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.
Here are 11 ideas—some epoch-specific, some timeless—for an efficient and holistic approach to self-education.
1. Tackle what is beyond you
The best protection is always to be working on hard problems. . . . Hard means worry: if you’re not worrying that something you’re making will come out badly, or that you won’t be able to understand something you’re studying, then it isn’t hard enough. There has to be suspense.
2. Have several specific focus areas
Kids are curious, but their curiosity is broad and shallow; they ask why at random about everything. In most adults this curiosity dries up entirely. It has to: you can’t get anything done if you’re always asking why about everything. But in ambitious adults, instead of drying up, curiosity becomes narrow and deep. The mud flat morphs into a well.
3. View everything as a chance to learn and expand
Rather than viewed as something boring or laborious, learning can be seen, especially nowadays, as a sort of intellectual play or even a form of entertainment. Consider the richly sensory and interactive learning opportunities now available—stirring and thought-provoking films, mathematics video games, penetrating documentaries, insightful music, incisive podcasts, Codecademy, TED Talks, mind-broadening subreddits, philosophical comics and crash course.
4. Utilise the best online resources
Already suggested but worth repeating with more emphasis: the Internet is a proverbial smörgåsbord of learning—an intellectual Thanksgiving dinner with far more variety, versatility, and searchability than any prior library of knowledge.
5. Find networks of learners and mentors
It is a common myth that brilliant minds work in isolation to create artistic masterpieces or world-changing inventions. This is rarely true; collaboration and feedback networks are important aspects of learning or building most anything.
6. Use ever note
Ever note is one of the most versatile web and mobile applications. I use it constantly—to take notes on what I’m studying, to save passages from reading material, to jot down ideas for writing or creative projects, to record random life happenings, dreams, or musings, and more. Writing things down allows you to clarify, organise, and extend your thinking. It also allows you to remember and understand on a deeper level. So, write and let ever note help you.
7. Use Pocket
Pocket is another indispensable application for online learning. It allows you to save anything you want to view later—articles, videos, courses, etc.—to one place and provides a sleek interface to view all of your saved content. It syncs to all devices and integrates seamlessly with chrome and other browsers. If you want to digest books rapidly, try Blinkist.
8. Search for the right books
With millions of publications out there, choosing good books is arguably important as reading itself. Aside recommendations from friends or various forums, find books via Goodreads.
9. Share and teach
Sharing work is imperative in any discipline. It means receiving feedback, moving forward with projects, gaining connections and holding yourself accountable for continuing your work. To find if you truly understand something, try explaining it clearly to someone else, either verbally or in writing.
10. Reorient yourself towards social media
When used mindlessly, social media can easily become a trivial, time-sucking black hole of bullshit. However, if we’re able to limit the time that we spend on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and re-imagine the time that we do spend on those sites, we can have a totally different experience.
11. Establish a lifestyle of learning
The most liberated autodidacts are those who are able to establish a lifestyle and livelihood of near-constant learning. That is, people who are constantly researching, thinking, and producing things—professors, entrepreneurs, writers, artists, scientists, etc. The catch is that not everyone can attain such a position, nor are all of the people in these professions able to inquire broadly or to work specifically on what they’d like to be working on. Some are, though.
