The Big Self-Education Project. How much can one person learn without going to an institution?
Can we be ‘successful’ without academic credentials? Is there a limit to how much one person can learn? These are all questions that have occupied my mind for some time and I’ve decided to explore the answers. For as long as I can remember I’ve had the belief that academic institutions are overrated and that most people limit their potential by focusing on becoming an expert in just one field. I’m going to challenge the status quo. Why pursue self-education? There are a ton of positive reasons to pursue self-education and I could write many books on the subject, but here are three of the most important: A) There are no more guardians of knowledge. We’re living in the information age where practically anything we want to know or learn is available at our fingertips. James Altucher, Scott H Young and the guys over at Expert Enough are already doing a great job. The 27 Principles to Teaching Yourself Anything (aka The Self-Guided Education Manifesto + PDF download)
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” —Mark Twain Note: This post is intentionally long. It’s meant to be our compass for learning the skills that matter in the world and throwing theory out the window. Read it. Save it. At the end of this post I’ve even provided two free PDF downloads to further guide you towards learning what matters (one is a list of over 30 of the best online resources for creating your own passion-filled curriculum). Enter the Unofficial Self-Guided Education Manifesto… Last week’s article on The Birth of Self-Guided Education caught like wildfire.
When that happens, I know a topic deserves some respect. Many of last week’s comments blew my mind. Living Legends create their own education. The truth of the matter is every Living Legend (whether they dropped out of high school or got a couple PhD’s) took their education and their learning into their own hands. So without further ado… 1. 2. 3. Introduction to Self-Education. Welcome to SelfMadeScholar.com. This blog is all about self-education – people learning what they want to know without formal schools or classrooms. Let’s start with the basics: What is self-education? Self-education is learning in its purest form.
You decide what you want to learn, when you’re going to learn it, and how you’re going to master the subject. You can start at any age, whether you’re one or one-hundred. Why self-education? Take a look at almost any great historical figure and you’ll find that he is a product of self-education. Consider these examples: Abigail Adams received no formal education. Renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell decided not to follow his plans to earn a doctorate degree. And The Hero With a Thousand Faces – works that are still studied on college campuses today. Early American patriot Benjamin Franklin ended his formal education when he was just ten years old. Too old-fashioned you say? And Fahrenheit 451 • James Cameron didn’t need film school. Never Stop Learning: How Self-Education Creates a Bullet-Proof Career. Business writer Tom Peters once said, “A career is a portfolio of projects that teach you new skills, gain you new expertise, develop new capabilities, grow your colleague set, and constantly reinvent you as a brand.”
At the heart of expanding your social graph and reinventing yourself is an unquenchable desire to learn—a mindset that stays fluid and facilitates personal growth. It is the learners, those willing to open their minds and augment their skillsets, who will be poised to succeed in the future. But how do we foster this desire to learn? Don’t we all want to learn? Who ever says, “I really hate learning new things?” That said, complacency does not beget success. The concept of getting and holding a job in one industry for decades is outmoded, a byproduct of the industrial mindset. The concept of getting and holding a job in one industry for decades is outmoded, a byproduct of the industrial mindset. Here are some ways to ignite and sustain a passion for learning: 1. Why Self-Educated Learners Often Come Up Short.