Learning is sexy! Photo by- Librarian Avengers
Total Reading Time (Bolded Parts): < 2mins Total Reading time : <6 mins“Formal education will make you a living;
self-education will make you a fortune.”
-Motivational Guru Jim Rohn
Carlos Slim Helu, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Amancio Ortega all made the Top 5 on Forbes “The World’s Billionaires List.” All of them dawned next to their “Source of Wealth” two magical words ”SELF-MADE”! No one on the face of the globe could teach Warren Buffet how to invest, nor could anyone tell Bill Gates how to build cutting edge software company. So how did they do it? … By themselves! Following a simple path of : valuing skills, Autodidactism, (a big fancy word which I’ll define below) and taking action.
Have you ever taught yourself anything?
My guess is that at one time or another in your existence, you have taught yourself . WITHOUT A FORMAL EDUCATION!!! No tweed jacket dawning, chalk-on-ass, paper disturbing professors! (However there are still a few awesome professors out there 
) Just you, a book or a skill! In fact, I bet that the learning on your own experience was far more rewarding than getting an arbitrary A on a paper. That rewarding ”Hell yeah I can do this all by myself” feeling is the power of a self-education ! Here is you induction into the world of self-education !
SKILLS VS. EDUCATION
Skills give you an education, but an education may not give you a skill. Now you are probably saying “Moose, WTF I am in no mood for a paradox?” Dude/Dudette, I am totally with you on that one! Instead of going into an abstract rant about the difference, I am going to give you a simple example and then move forward with our lives! Hooray Our example beings with a simple college student named Smart Alec.
Smart Alec, is taking an accounting class at his local accredited University. Where Alec’s tweed jacket dawning professor lectures at him about the value of tracking data in excel spreadsheets, until Alec is sleeping in a pool of his own drool. Fantastic! An hour of his life has been spent having “wet dreams” and being told the value of an abstract concept. No where in the class did Alec touch a spreadsheet. -5 points for Not so Smart Alec.
Smart Alec, realizes after countless wet dreams that, “Hey, I can track my own financial data in a spreadsheet to make more cash?!” This moment is the birth of a learner! With a few simple clicks of a trackpad he has a spreadsheet…With revelant statistical information ! Alec sees that he is spending 20K a month on premium narcotics! Crap, this is poor choice of cash flow! Immediately he takes the feedback of the spreadsheet and acts. He chooses to call his dealer and tell him that he is sobering up. Alec instead takes the money and invests in a Roth IRA. He has his money make money for him! From a simple excel spreadsheet, Alec realizes the value of tracking data, and narcotic withdrawal! Round of applause!
The first example showed the issues of passive education aka waiting to be spoon fed information. Which in less than six weeks a majority of the information will be forgotten! A Passive education is rigid, and has a low ROI (return on investment)! AH-BOO!
Instead
The second example shows Skill building! Alec now knows how to increase his success by a few clicks. is active interest in the activity creates a skill that he will remember! The benefits of Skill building are: personal choice in subject matter, knowledge that can be applied anywhere, and a higher ROI! In the process of skill building Smart Alec reaches a fabled land…A land described below.
AUTODIDACTISM: Self -Made Land
Autodidactism (pronounced aw-toh-dahy-dak-tuh-siz-uh m) is simply the process of learning a subject without a teacher or a formal education aka Self-education. Self-education creates a massive land of wonder.(Without Fairies and Magical Rainbows!) You have the ability to test and question anything of your choosing. Total freedom your finger tips.
An added bonus, a self-education is the way of the successful few. Bill Gates created the first Microsoft computer program in his garage; Warren Buffet first business classroom was barbershop; Amancio Ortega started a multibillion dollar clothing company Zara in his living room! Be one of the brave few who choose what they want to learn and want to take control of their life ! Read the table below for the benefits of autodidactism versuses conventional learning.
| CONVENTIONAL LEARNING |
AUTODIDACTISM |
| DEFFERED APPLICATION:You wait between 4-6 to begin to apply your knowledge to the “real world”. Even with internships, the workplace evolves. New skills are needed to compete and thrive. This waiting period lacks practical application, which is a killer for your skill development. | PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Skills learned through personal studies, have practical examples backing them up. You can evolve if necessary, you know if things are changing in the “real world”.This makes you invaluable, A Linchpin! A BAD-ASS! |
| DEFFERED FEEDBACK PLAN:Wait for employer feedback. Wait for approval. You may not even get feedback on your performance the first few weeks. The knowledge of 4+ plus years of education hasn’t been tweaked or refined. Que Lastima! | REALTIME FEEDBACK: You are learning on the fly. Being in-field/the real world testing and retesting the best ideas. You figure out what works for you and what doesn’t! You cut your learn curve, because learning occurs everywhere! Welcome to the winners circle! |
| SECURITY ORIENTED:Conventional learning is centered on being obedient and compliant. Listen to the boss, be a good worker/student/employee you will be rewarded with a secure source of income. A paycheck from week to week or even worse two weeks., To survive from check to check or even worse day-to-day (D2D). | RESULTS ORIENTED:Unconventional way of learning, centered on your interests. Allows freedom, selectiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Adds a sense of deep accomplishment to your life. With passion coming out of you, a new found sense of wealth comes from within! The wealthier you feel inside the more wealth you attract outside! Allows you to Thrive! |
TAKING ACTION
Update:
Here is a TED talk from a ground breaking study in self-teaching!
Eric Campos February 14, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Excellent blog! I love what you are saing. What people tend to forget is they are the driver on their own life road. Individuals have immense potential but often times through laziness or even the lack of imagination they limit themselves. A college education is a tool, not a guarantee of anything, it is how you use what you learn, explore different avenues of your own talent that leads to success. What I like about this post is that it urges an active process in building ones future. Just sitting doesn’t cut it, you have to seek your interests out yourself get your name out there. People will notice and you only grow.
mustafawahid February 15, 2013 at 12:20 pm
Eric,
Taking the driver’s seat is the most important step. A proactive approach cuts your learning curve in life. Plus, sends you on an awesome trajectory for success, Go physics. Make sure to Share the process each day!
Thanks for the awesome words.
-Moose