The theme of #Lifethisweek is 'how I learn best' and I was going to skip it when, while procrastinating, I filled in a survey that asked me why I chose Canberra as a destination and one of the responses was "Who can say, I don't know why I do half the things I do". That is pretty much my brain. Some random idea floats in and I run with it.
I often learn languages, usually in the car with CDs. It amuses me no end. My German was ACE and I spoke German to everyone. My Dutch was terrible, and I didn't use it. My Maltese was just random words and the occasional phrase, only used for hello's and goodbye's.
I often learn from my kids. The latest 'fact' was that the croissant originated from Austria, not France.
I learn from movies. I use movies as therapy (maybe I need therapy) and to puzzle out the universe. As you would know from my highly entertaining series 'What I learned from...', right? RIGHT??
I learn a lot from books. Similar to movies.
I learn from travel. My whole world view changed in Cambodia. I learn from seeing history through different eyes (and told differently to how our books taught it). I learn through cultures and people. I do think it's one of the greatest teachers, and it's hard to be unchanged by experience.
I unfortunately often learn by getting it wrong. Those hard and horrible lessons that leave us once bitten and twice shy (or older and wiser, depending how you look at it.).
Sometimes I learn only in order to support my beliefs. Before Trump was elected, I asked Trump supporters what they liked in him, and read his platform in full. I could see on paper the appeal of the tax reform, though I could also intellectually argue it wasn't economically sound. I think Robert A. Heinlein was on the money when he said "I never learned from a man who agreed with me."
There is a quote floating round the internet a lot by Alvin Toffler and it pretty much sums up how we need to learn best. "The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
Going early for Monday's #Lifethisweek
I think that's so true - remaining open to new ideas and concepts is key.
ReplyDeleteReading is my favorite way to learn. I call reading my part time job now that I'm writing novels.
ReplyDeleteI love reading but my memory is so God-awful that I can never remember what I've read, hence I don't really think I learn anything because I can't properly recall it. The only other language I've learnt is Maltese, but I think that was easier for me to pick up speaking/reading and writing because I'd grew up hearing my parents speak it.
ReplyDeleteLanguages for me are impossible. Although I did learn upEnglupish as a teen. It's where you put the word "up" before every vowel sound. UpEnglupish is of course English with "ups". Hupellupo Lupydupia, hupow yupou tupodupay?
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeleteThat is a magnificent quote. I think I'm a visual learner. But I'm also very forgetful and stuck in my ways... Sigh.
ReplyDeleteThis is hugely interesting to me as you are learning in different ways and for different purposes. I admire your variety and the way in which you go about the learning and acquisition of knowledge. Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek 21/52 and next week's prompt is Hobbies.
ReplyDelete