There are many reasons why being a lifelong learner is smart. Besides making life more interesting and fulfilling, there are benefits to lifelong learning that you probably don’t realize.
It’s not about formal education, but rather, learning new information and skills all long your life path. Here are just a few ways lifelong learning can improve your life.
Job Security
In our fluctuating economy, it’s important to be wide-versed in many areas of our chosen professions. With technology advancing all the time, those who stay current with new progress in their field will be those who can feel much more secure in their jobs.
Work is no longer like when our grandparents, and even our parents, experienced. We don’t tend to stay in one position, or even company, for 30-40 years. Things move fast in our global economic climate. Even informal training can both protect you from downsizing and make it possible for you to earn more money, since the more you know, the more valuable you are.
Local Influence
Those people who can carry on an intelligent conversation about a wide variety of topics command more respect and are thought of as being intelligent. Others naturally gravitate towards interesting and intelligent people. It matters very little if you have a high level of formal education.
Many self-made men who are household names had little formal education, but did great things for society–think about how Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison changed our worlds!
Healthier Brain
It’s long been believed that keeping your mind active as you age keeps it sharper, and neuroscience has now proven that it is true. Those who continue to pursue knowledge, either formally or informally, in advanced age are 2.6 less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s, according to one recent study. Since we are living longer and longer, this is a big reason for making lifelong learning a priority.
Self-sufficiency
In our modern world, we’ve all but lost the ability to be handy around the house. If something breaks, we are at the mercy of expensive professionals to fix it. But in past ages, it was common for people to know how to do things around the house. In days gone by, when their sink was clogged, they could fix it. When their oil needed changed in the car, they did it themselves.
And, they had less information at their fingertips than we do! Knowing how to repair something not only saves money, but also feels great! Using the Internet and books to fix and maintain your own stuff is a great way to benefit from lifelong learning!
