Let’s Talk About The Power in Being an Autodidact
The important skill of being able to teach yourself.
Have you ever heard of the word autodidact? The word first entered my vocabulary a couple years back. In fact, I think I have written about it before. When I first came across it I thought it was a peculiar word with an odd sound. One of my first thoughts was that it didn’t really match what it meant. An autodidact (a noun) is someone who is self-taught, and someone who can teach themselves is autodidactic (as an adjective).
Ever since I first stumbled upon the word I’ve had a noticeable interest in it. Not sure if it’s because I think it’s an odd word, my love for the meaning behind it, or both. The ability to teach yourself is a very powerful skill to possess. I find it to be an empowering skill that greatly helps to connect our mind, body and soul. It can be a priceless tool in navigating this often complicated and strange world. However, being autodidactic is much more than just simply saying, “I can teach myself.”
It’s easy for anyone to state that they can teach themselves something. The hard part is actually putting that into action in a way that educates yourself and adds to your own wisdom. I understand that this is obviously open to a difference in opinions (and that’s ok), but I believe there is a certain set of principles that need to be followed in order to really embody the true nature of being self taught and take on the power of being an autodidact.
Facts and science are real, but can be questioned with verifiable data. We are living in a time where facts and science are regularly being attacked by misinformation campaigns with no verifiable data or misleading/false data. These campaigns cause mass confusion (and division) in society and ultimately lead to a downward spiral. It’s quite a unique (and even scary) time to be alive. This is why I believe it’s especially important for an autodidact to respect actual facts and science.
I would also say it’s pretty critical to understand bias. Know your own biases and be open to challenging them. Additionally, it’s important to be aware that everyone else has bias too. You can’t escape bias, but knowing how to balance between what’s subjective and what’s objective is key. Being aware of our biases can help greatly when it comes to discernment. There’s a difference between learning and just consuming information. Learning requires critical thinking, which involves looking to understand multiple sides of a problem. You should be willing to change your opinion when presented with new verifiable information. There is never just one side to any story. You should want to actively seek the information on as many sides as possible.
Lived experiences matter as well. They are just as important as scientific data, but are usually on a completely different metric. The two complement each other, they need each other, and do sometimes blend together. Lived experiences evoke the human side of us. The side where we can all relate in a way that words sometimes can’t describe. Education is truly about understanding, and not so much about judgement. Lived experiences play a huge role in how we see each other. Listening to the stories of others (especially those who are different from us) in a non-judgement and a non-discriminatory way is a powerful thing. Hate has no place anywhere and we should always strive to understand and accept more. I would actually argue that doing so is part of our evolutionary journey as humans. Always strive for more love, and less hate.
I think developing and knowing your own best practices is also an important part of being autodidactic. We all learn in different ways. I believe it’s foolish to assume we all learn in the same exact way. Reading, listening, watching, traveling, or just living life are just some ways we may or may not learn.
Today, learning on your own has never been easier. However, the power of information has never been abused like it is today. The internet can be a great starting point tool for education, but should never be an absolute educational tool. The internet is not real life and is filled with inaccurate information presenting as absolute fact.
The interesting thing is that I’m sitting here writing out my own views on the internet. It’s important that I note here that these are only my views (as with anyone else). As an autodidact, I would encourage you to question and explore what your own principles and practices are, but do it in a way that is respectful to others. At the very least, I hope you have that as a take away from this piece. I believe a great teacher doesn’t just feed information, but teaches others on how to be autodidactic as well.