Can you remember every single little thing that you have ever learned? You may remember a few things, but the reality is that you lose any knowledge that you don’t use. It is the same as with physical exercise, in other words. You have to stretch and work your brain if you want to keep it in tip top condition. That is why lifelong learning is absolutely essential, which is precisely what Thomas Rollins Teaching focuses on.
The Importance of Continuous Exercise
Imagine, if you will, consistent, productive, and intensive exercise for 12 years in row. Then, suddenly, you stop and don’t work out at all anymore. No more jogging, no more sit ups, no more bench presses. What do you think will happen to your body? After those 12 years, you were flexible, you were toned, you had excellent muscle mass, and fantastic endurance. But suddenly, and quickly, it will all disappear if you were to suddenly stop using those muscles. Should you then, even just a few weeks later, decide to do a couple of pushups for the fun of it, you will find that you are nowhere near your previous level anymore.
This is exactly the same with learning. It is a process that never ends. Our b rain requires challenge and engagement if it is to stay in shape, and there are always things that you haven’t learned yet. You simply cannot imagine just how much information exists in the world today, and it would take you at least a hundred lifetimes to learn it all.
Furthermore, our brain’s comprehension and capabilities change over time. Our life experiences change how we see things and enable us to reanalyze the things we already know. When we learn, our mind is expanded and becomes open to new ideas. When we provide it with new information, we start to make new discoveries as well. Should people stop learning, the world would stop with them.
Lifelong learning is a practice we should all take part in, and it has been the backbone of our society since humans first started to roam the world. Those who were curious and researched things are the ones who grew societies, built them to what they are today. And our generation is the lucky one, because we have so much information available at our fingertips, for instance through The Great Courses developed by Thomas Rollins Teaching.
Did you know that two and a half billion billion bites (extabytes) are produced each and every day? Of course, much of that isn’t true information, nor is it relevant. However, we are surrounded by information there for the taking. By learning every single day of our lives, we give ourselves the capabilities to wade through those extabytes and find out what is true and what is useful. This, in turn, ensures we can make informed decisions and become better versions of ourselves.
Lifelong learning is incredibly important. We are one planet and one people and we must all work together and learn together, to make the world a better place. The more we know, the more we are able to grow.