Openness to New Ideas Lifelong

Openness to New Ideas

Lifelong learning can take the form of deliberate and accidental educational pursuits. For many fortunate enough to find the intersection of what they excel in, have a natural affinity for on the one hand, and a passion for on the other, there is fulfillment in lifelong learning. These are the perennial learners who delve deep into their chosen areas of passion, quietly becoming the leaders in each of their specific areas of focus. Lifelong learning becomes a joy when someone finds an area they have a natural affinity for and a passion to pursue it. Often the deliberate direction of lifelong learning takes place in these peoples' lives, with passion propelling them further and faster into their chosen areas of interest, more so than any outside rigors of education could ever enforce. These are fortunate lifelong learners and often have the innate ability to put the complexities of their learning areas into the most simplistic of terms.

The other extreme of lifelong learning are those that are accidental in their pursuit of educational pursuits, often letting the randomness of life take them into a specific direction. The accidental lifelong learners enjoy the thrill and joy of discovery, and look forward to the randomness of discovery. Unlike those deliberate lifelong learns who have an eye to mastery of a craft or specific area of interest, the accidental lifelong learner enjoys to intellectually meandering the paths of their areas of interest, enjoying toe surprise and "aha" learning moments. Underscoring both the deliberate and accidental lifelong learning styles is an innate sense of curiosity. While the deliberate vs. accidental lifelong learns anchor both ends of the spectrum with many forms and styles of learning populating the lifelong learning spectrum, there are major benefits that pervade the effort of those committed to having a life dedicated to constantly learning.

To begin with, a commitment to lifelong learning keeps a person's mind active and perspectives constantly attuned to what's new. This is critical for someone to be able to question their own perspectives of the world from time to time -- from the people they interact with daily to the more global trends -- so the person's mind stay sharp and maintains a level of acuity and focus. Secondly, lifelong learning's passion is what keeps many people moving forward to goals they set, even if the goal has nothing to do with outward accomplishment, but more with realizing a specific level of competency in an area of interest. The fulfillment that comes from setting and accomplishing goals only visible to the person setting them in the context of lifelong learning strengths a person's ability to continually grow. Third, lifelong learning is the best insurance against becoming a dinosaur -- someone stuck in the past not able to relate to the current environment and its exciting aspects in addition to tis challenges. Fourth and most important, lifelong learning gives the persons choosing to commit to it a strong sense of purpose, and what is si powerful about this purpose is that it requires no validation outside the person -- they validate their strengths as they reach learning goals.