I Am A Lifelong Learner.

“I am still learning”

Some attribute this gem to Michelangelo, some to Ralph Waldo Emerson, some to Seneca, but it really doesn’t matter which great mind uttered these four words. It makes very little difference how brilliant or famous the original speaker was, or what they accomplished. This phrase should be on the tip of everyone’s tongues every single day. It might be one of the most important things we can impart to a child, and to remind our adult selves of.

“Lifelong Learner” gets thrown around a lot. It shows up on resumes, gets uttered in interviews, and is posted in social media profiles. It seems like a really good thing, but do we really know what we’re saying when we proclaim ourselves to be this kind of person? When we sign our kids up to be lifelong learners, what exactly are we committing them to?

Lifelong learning is about more than being dazzled by novel things that come our way over time. It also entails:

·        Genuine, sincere curiosity about other people, places, and points of view.

·        A willingness to spend time and effort digging beneath surface details.

·        The ability to keep going back to ideas to add to them and reevaluate them.

·        Active listening.

·        An acceptance that some new ideas will make us uncomfortable, at least for a little while.

·        Ongoing critical thinking.

·        Admitting we’re wrong.

·        Admitting that we don’t know.

·        Finding connections between ourselves and the world around us.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it still seems hard. And it is hard, and it never ends. However, if you can commit to wearing this particular hat, and if you can commit to helping your kids to wear it as well, there’s so much good that can come of it.

Being a lifelong learner enables us to:

·        Really engage with others, because we’re genuinely interested in their take on things.

·        Communicate and collaborate, even when we don’t agree with others.

·        Find our way through the mass amounts of information that 21st century humans are faced with, because we don’t settle on superficial details or questionable sources.

·        Sit more comfortably with uncertainty, because we know there’s always more to learn, and we’re up to the task of learning it.

·        Create intergenerational bonds, and opportunities to pass along what we’ve learned.

·        Take ownership of our education, both during and after our years at school.  

·        Be inspired and creative, because we’re constantly on the lookout for new and better ideas.

·        Solve problems, instead of just pushing them aside.

·        Find joy in asking big questions and seeking new answers.

·        Build thinking skills that last a lifetime.

This is by no means and exhaustive list either.

A desire for lifelong learning, and the skills to actually support it, might be the best thing we can instill in our little thinkers, and reinforce in ourselves. Here’s to a world of curious minds that just don’t quit!