A progressive addiction?

We do many things throughout the day. Any activity which is done effortlessly and on a regular basis is called a habit. The habit which attracts and keeps a person constantly hooked is known as an addiction.

One of the activities which all of us unknowingly do, is to learn. Life is the greatest teacher, they say. That’s because it’s made up of experiences. And most of us learn from our experiences. Right?

However, many of us go through a deliberate learning process called education. 

In my opinion, the sole objective of educating oneself should be to discover the unknown, to enjoy the process of learning and not because of external rewards. School and the first few years of college life are probably the ideal times when one can decide for a career. For this, these external rewards such as marks, degrees and certificates are necessary. However, the activity of learning or education shouldn’t be only motivated by these outcomes alone but encouraged by the happiness of discovering new knowledge and the joy of going through the process of learning. These rewards then, should come automatically as a by-product!

In the age of constant change, the need to learn new and multiple skills, the ability to unlearn and relearn calls for everyone to continually adapt.

As one grows from an innocent child into a practical adult, it is crucial to cultivate and keep developing an attitude of curiosity. Explore! Experiment! Ask questions! For this to happen from the very beginning, the work should start from home itself. The parents should not say things like. If you do your homework on time, I’ll let you play video games! Or Study well to get good scores! The motivation shouldn’t be these external rewards. Let the child take pleasure in doing his/her homework. Show him/her the fun in doing it! And that’s the new roll that today’s parents, relatives, the teachers and we as a society have to play as a whole. From controllers, we now have to become the conductors. From conditioning what to learn, we now have to be the guides as how to learn.

To achieve this goal, the first step is to kindle the interest in education. The young generations are continually seeing new things in innovative formats.

Therefore, today’s educators should design experiences into curriculums. They should create/communicate through stories instead of just narrating lessons. The methods can be different as per the choices of the educator and appropriate for the subject and the student’s understanding. From learning languages to gaining knowledge from books, the students, teachers and everyone should equally make this process so much fun, so interesting that it should become an addiction!

Education, or the pursuit of knowledge uplifts us in life. It improves our thinking. It presents more opportunities to be more successful.

In all, education or the habit to continuously learn, is indeed a progressive addiction!

Your thoughts?