169- The Art of Learning

                     I spent many a day at UAL campus libraries during my time as a grad student. 

Many people seem to detest learning new things. I suspect that this might be because of the fact that learning heightens expectations. There isn't anything inherently scary about taking on something new. People tend to build fear out of "fictional monsters", so to speak.

I read a lot, but, I tend to jump from one piece of content to the next. I chalk it up, partially, a short attention span, and I may just need to pop over to my local optometrist and get a pair of prescription lenses. Everyone has a different modus operandi for learning, for absorbing knowledge, for enrichment.

I love learning through experience, and reading compelling content of modest lengths on a variety of subjects.

One day, I might read about abandoned historical landmarks in Singapore- a country that seems to be engaged in a perennial push and pull with urbanization and the preservation of artifacts that ought to be passed on for future generations to appreciate.

One day, I might go to a random indie pop music gig and encounter a future star. Case in point: Freya Ridings and Charlotte Campbell in London. They were, and still are, absolutely wonderful.

It's ironic, really, that we tend to go about higher education so that we can come up with simple ways of explaining complex things. Sometimes, the harder we try to be simple, the more complicated we tend to make things.

In this life, there are instances when the more straightforward the road, the better it is for everyone. The writer in me took a while to have that sink in. I've become much more pragmatic over the years.

Learning is a multifaceted exercise. It involves a defined rhythm (processing and absorption, underscored by goal setting), but does not always have clearly marked beginnings and endings. One is a day's work for some, ends up being a 5 year odyssey for others. That's sort of what makes learning beautiful- the fluidity of it, its lack of borders, and its lack of absolute structure.

In the past couple of years, I have learned a lot by seeing new places and meeting people from different walks of life. I cannot understate the thrill of being able to wake up and not have a cut and dried set of errands to do. I am not saying that I don't like having plans. That isn't necessarily the case. What I am saying is that sometimes, it helps to let the world come to you. You gain more sometimes by letting things come to you because you are forced to think on your feet and forget that there are boundaries to anything. In a weird way, it's akin to running a marathon. There's a cadence to it, and predetermined distances and routines attached to every race, but, every foray into mountain trails or city streets is different. You plan, you train, you book ahead, but at the end of the day, every journey tends to have its own, unique, flavor.

So really, learning is what you make of it- and what fate chooses to have you learn (and how).

What we know isn't necessarily about "what we know". It is, really, more about how much we choose to know.

MC