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Don’t Waste the Greatest Gift of our Generation

Why infinite learning is our biggest asset

Education used to be a limited resource that was hard to find. Books were the only source of learning while going to university was the only gate to new knowledge and was the privilege of the few. Because of its scarcity, people highly valued it.

Today we live in the most fantastic era, the one of information, free and abundant knowledge, and the ability for constant learning.

You know you can learn anything and anytime. How incredible is that?

And yet, many don’t realize the tremendous value that is being offered to us almost entirely free. Why?

I see two problems.

Firstly, we take many things for granted, because unfortunately, we tend to appreciate things only when we lose them.

The glass will never be full, so be happy with the amount it has. Our generation is definitely not the one to complain.

Secondly, we don’t know how much we don’t know. To illustrate this visually:

Source: https://fredricksonlearning.com/

Realizing that there is so much knowledge we have no clue we don’t know opens space within and creates excitement for new learning. Just because you went to college and read a few books does not mean you know everything, even if you’ve been successful already.

So what are you supposed to do then?

Every Day, Appreciate What You Have

Let’s assume that the Internet breaks down globally, and there is a problem so serious we’re not sure we can restore it. Your perception of what was available to you would suddenly change. If this magnificent access we have today is not possible anymore, even for a short period, everyone will value it much more.

Let’s think, for example, of other areas of your life:

• If you get sick, most probably, you will appreciate your health more.
• If you haven’t seen your loved ones for some time, you will miss them more.
• If you lose certain things in your life, such as your beautiful home, your sexy car, your free time, your fantastic job, chances are you will realize how important they are to you.
• If you lose access to drinking water, or food, even for a few days, your mindset will change on what it means to have them provided to you daily.

Why do we have to reach that point? We should always appreciate the presence of great things, but also the absence of painful things.

A very funny, but at the same time, meaningful video you have to watch is Louis CK’s Everything is Amazing and Nobody is Happy. He captures this point in the best way possible.

Every morning, appreciate all the beautiful things in your life, including the ability to educate yourself continuously. When your day is over, make sure you are smarter, wiser, and know more since you woke up that morning.

“I constantly see people rise in life who are not the smartest — sometimes not even the most diligent. But they are learning machines; they go to bed every night a little wiser than when they woke up. And, boy does that habit help, particularly when you have a long run ahead of you.” — Charlie Munger

Change your Habits

In evaluating your habits, look back at them and consider what impact they’ve had on you if any.

I realized that I was watching way too much television, on movies or series that took endless hours from my life but offered nothing in return, just instant pleasure.

It's been a year now that I decided to substitute television time with reading, writing, and self-development activities. It’s been, by far, the best gift I’ve given myself. I’ve developed personally more in the last year than I did in the previous five.

Make the right choices for you by following good habits that develop you as a person.

“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” — John Dryden

Treat Books Like Your Most Valuable Gems

For many centuries, the production of books used to be expensive and slow. The significant change was in 1440 when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. The production speed increased dramatically, the cost of books dropped massively, and the prices of books have been dropping until at least the 1800s.

We have different studies on book prices, but on average, it seems they have been relatively steady during the 1900s.

Even when comparing prices in the last few decades, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for recreational books were 2.39% lower in 2020 versus 1997.

Books are, by far, one of the best investments in your life. For the price you are paying, nothing else will get you a better ROI (Return on Investment).

So far, so good, but what about the selection of books with so many options?

According to Google’s advanced algorithms, currently, in the entire world, there are nearly 130 million books.

I realized that if I manage to read a book a week for the rest of my life, which is another 50 years (let’s be optimistic), I’ll read 2,600 books in total. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like a lot. So be picky.

With endless online reviews on every book that is out there (another fantastic thing of our era!), within ten minutes of researching on Goodreads and Amazon, you can easily choose quality books for you.

Because of the significant trend in online books and audiobooks, we do not expect hard copies prices to rise anytime soon. Digital formats are excellent and accessible easily and immediately. But don’t forget your good old paper books. I strongly recommend you invest in a high-quality personal library. One day it may prove to be something powerful to have.

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.” — Sindney Sheldon

Infinite knowledge can lead to human breakthroughs.

The most significant discoveries happened because of the passion for knowledge and evolution. Most of them took place during a period where access to information was nowhere near today, such as:

• The Telephone, by Graham Bell in 1876.
• The Lightbulb, by Thomas Edison in 1879.
• The Internal Combustion Engine, by Etienne Lenoir in 1860.
• Penicillin, by Alexander Flemming in 1928.
• The DNA in the 1950s. (many contributed)
• The Internet in the 1960s. (many contributed)

Today, we have infinite knowledge, resources, and tools available to us. That allows any individual in this world to make a breakthrough, and that includes you. That could be a discovery, an invention, or a creative idea that will make our world a better place.

Back in the day, options were limited, but some still made a global difference. Today, there are no limits. All the things you need are literally in the palm of your hand.

Making a difference in the world is a choice.

I would sum up the process as follows.

1. Appreciate — your life, your resources, your access to learning, your capabilities.
2. Work — by studying, learning, discussing and sharing ideas, developing yourself, opening your mind to the endless possibilities, and going after them.
3. Create — bring value to the world with everything you’ve learned.

“Strive not to be of success, but rather to be of value.” — Albert Einstein.