Learning Like a Grandma
Why do we learn? This is perhaps the principal question guiding much of the student population of this world. Some will say learning is for the ultimate goal of finding a good job, some will say learning is the path to personal glory, and some will say learning is the tool to change the world. So, to most people, learning is just the route to greater things: personal success, personal glory, and personal impact. All imbued with some sense of practicality and self-righteousness. It's all great.
Some weeks ago I stumbled across this New York Times report detailing the story of these illiterate grandmas in the Gangjin county of South Korea who were enrolled into the local elementary school amidst declining birthrate across the nation, an inevitable trend. Seeing the photos of the smiling grandmas attending school seemed somewhat distant from my personal experience with going through primary education, but aside from that, there's something rather touching about the joy these people are experiencing—the joy of learning.
By constantly going to school non-stop, I think many of us lose perspective of why we learn. Yes, there's a practical side to all this, even the grandmas learn in hope of living more conveniently, but then shouldn't there be more to it? Maybe many of us have forgotten our very first few days learning how to read and write, but looking at the photos I am reminded of a more primal joy in learning. To put it plainly, the joy from the pure act of learning.
Oh yes, to learn for the sake of learning! What a daring thought! The notion of learning for its own sake has probably become rather foreign to most students after hunching their backs for years going through primary and secondary education. But I think there is great worth in just the act of learning itself. There is no limit to learning, of course, but that shouldn't discourage you from doing it. Every step is a gain, and every gain is an improvement upon itself. I think to a certain extent, learning is something encoded in our DNA, that the primal curiosity we once had as babies is proof that learning itself should be a natural act.
This is rather irresponsible for me to say, but screw the exams, screw the job market, and screw all those damn self-righteous career mentors. Stop learning because it'll get you a job or whatnot, learn for the sake of it, learn things you truly enjoy, and learn things that make you want to learn more. Don't sulk over the knowledge that you feel unhappy to acquire, look for the original curiosity we were all imbued with, and learn with joy. Instead of trying to squeeze through the crowds of people racing to the finish line, maybe enjoy the view that everyone is missing: the never-ending sea, the soothing breeze, and the mystic fog. Maybe, try learning like a grandma—with joy and simplicity.
Some weeks ago I stumbled across this New York Times report detailing the story of these illiterate grandmas in the Gangjin county of South Korea who were enrolled into the local elementary school amidst declining birthrate across the nation, an inevitable trend. Seeing the photos of the smiling grandmas attending school seemed somewhat distant from my personal experience with going through primary education, but aside from that, there's something rather touching about the joy these people are experiencing—the joy of learning.
By constantly going to school non-stop, I think many of us lose perspective of why we learn. Yes, there's a practical side to all this, even the grandmas learn in hope of living more conveniently, but then shouldn't there be more to it? Maybe many of us have forgotten our very first few days learning how to read and write, but looking at the photos I am reminded of a more primal joy in learning. To put it plainly, the joy from the pure act of learning.
Oh yes, to learn for the sake of learning! What a daring thought! The notion of learning for its own sake has probably become rather foreign to most students after hunching their backs for years going through primary and secondary education. But I think there is great worth in just the act of learning itself. There is no limit to learning, of course, but that shouldn't discourage you from doing it. Every step is a gain, and every gain is an improvement upon itself. I think to a certain extent, learning is something encoded in our DNA, that the primal curiosity we once had as babies is proof that learning itself should be a natural act.
This is rather irresponsible for me to say, but screw the exams, screw the job market, and screw all those damn self-righteous career mentors. Stop learning because it'll get you a job or whatnot, learn for the sake of it, learn things you truly enjoy, and learn things that make you want to learn more. Don't sulk over the knowledge that you feel unhappy to acquire, look for the original curiosity we were all imbued with, and learn with joy. Instead of trying to squeeze through the crowds of people racing to the finish line, maybe enjoy the view that everyone is missing: the never-ending sea, the soothing breeze, and the mystic fog. Maybe, try learning like a grandma—with joy and simplicity.
you can do both! learning to get that cool job can still be fun, its just a perspective
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