Lifelong Learning Because life is learning, it never ends. This is true, especially for society in this era, where we have access to knowledge and many learning formats for us to choose from.
Learning is never ending.
This word has appeared in many research studies, articles, and the words of many famous people or successful people because the situation of the world in this era has changed completely. Working people or ordinary people alone will not be able to rely on old knowledge, old information, or old experiences to work in this era. It is definitely not enough and not enough.
Because the real world and the working world move faster than the knowledge gained from traditional education systems, that is why working people or people in general these days have to rely more on self-learning.
“Live today as if you were to live tomorrow, and learn today as if you were to live forever.”
This is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, which shows the importance of learning for real life because learning is a process that must occur and be done continuously. Every knowledge gained, no matter what kind of learning it comes from, always affects the progress and success of that person.
Even Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, also gave importance to learning. He defined learning as:
Investing in knowledge is the investment that gives the best return.
Henry Ford , the founder of Ford Motor Company, also shared his thoughts on learning. He believed that “Anyone, whether young or old, old or old, whoever stops learning will immediately become old. Learning keeps us young.”
In Henry Ford’s view, old people mean that if we stop learning, we will become people who are not open to new things. Over time, we will not be able to keep up with new things or changes. On the contrary, learning helps us to keep up with changes all the time, as if we are always young.
If Henry Ford did not have a good idea or attitude about “Lifelong Learning”, we would not have had the opportunity to see or use Ford cars. In addition, he was one of the pioneers who made the automotive industry become a great industry as it is today. With the idea of developing cars that were once considered expensive and extravagant, into something cheaper, better looking, but still strong and durable, allowing the average middle class to have access to cars.
Brian Tracy, who is one of the most influential thinkers and inspirations who has created results and success for many people around the world, believes that:
“If we want to succeed, we have to take responsibility for ourselves.”
Brian Tracy has an interesting perspective on lifelong learning: “We must commit ourselves to lifelong learning. Knowledge is the most valuable asset we can have, and we can gain knowledge on our own.”
That is why he pays attention and spends about 3 hours a day reading books in various genres, whether it be philosophy, history, psychology, or others. He has been doing this for over 50 years, which has allowed Brian Tracy to accumulate a great deal of knowledge and be able to extract the crystallized knowledge from his distillation and thinking into the many works that we see in the market, such as more than 40 books and many lecture tours around the world, which has made him a world-famous person today.
In terms of giving importance to learning, we also have this in our country.
For example, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great has granted royal ideas on education, the content of which is shown in documents covering a wide range of content and depth, such as:
“Education is everyone’s business, and it is not just a one-time responsibility. It is not like that. From birth, one must study. When one grows up, one must study. Until reaching the level of higher education, as you all are studying. That means complete, rich, and complete education. But later, when one goes out to work, one must continue to study as well. Otherwise, one cannot survive. Even after one has a doctorate, one must continue to study. That means that education never ends.” (April 20, 1978)
That is, when we graduate from the regular education system, it does not mean that we have to stop studying and gaining knowledge because learning is never-ending.
Many world-class figures who have been cited have clearly explained and defined the meaning of “Lifelong Learning” and have a similar perspective on learning.
Conclusion
“Knowledge is opportunity and future.”
This statement is, therefore, probably a summary that shows the importance of why we must continue to learn endlessly because knowledge is an important vehicle that will take us to our destination or future as we want.
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