Formal Education readies us to join the corporate world. It grooms us to be a part of the work-force that gives all in to fulfill the dreams of others.
It prepares us to follow the prevalent trend of clocking 9 to 5, waiting for the paycheck & weekends to live a life.
Formal education has its limit in shaping us & that was noted by many.
Robert Frost:
I still say the only education worth anything is self-education.
Isaac Asimov:
Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
Tony Robbins:
I think self-education is the greatest and best thing you could ever make.
The point is not to demonize the formal education but to understand the fact that there are more things you can do to match your potential when you take the responsibility of learning the things that interest you.
Self-Education is nothing but the journey you take to curb that curiosity.
Unless & Until you are curious to know something new, you would not be driven to learn it with all your heart.
Sometimes pending promotion or other such external circumstances might force us to walk on the path of self-education. It will be helpful to harness that new skill with self-learning but as soon as that external factor will dissipate, the motivation to carry on the path of self-learning will also disperse.
Find a reason to learn something new and what can be better than knowing that it will help you excel in your life. It will help you build a fortune and will free you from the shackles of the 9 to 5 desk job.
Jim Rohn said it perfectly:
Formal education will make you a Living; Self-education will make you a Fortune.
Informal education driven by your curiosity will help you thrive in your life as the remote control to your success lies in your hand.
By gaining formal education, you limit yourself to one particular field in life. It is not a universal fact that formal education can dent your progress but it is also a common observation that to excel in any field, you have to explore it with your curiosity.
Self-education overcomes any difficulties you face while gaining the knowledge of your chosen field. It is helpful as we choose the source of our knowledge, unlike the formal education where the source is predefined & hence limited.
Many have excelled in life by relying heavily on self-education. To curb that curiosity, many took learning into their own hands & results were amazing.
On the other side, people seek education for a degree that will give them a chance to earn their livelihood. They limit themselves to the coziness of their comfort zone and their every step is driven to ensure the continuous crediting of their salary. Seldom is the occasion when such an individual makes a dent in the universe.
People who are driven by curiosity & match that with self-educating themselves continuously, make a dent in the universe. Like the founder of Apple did.
So, introspect that whether settling with that formal education is enough or is it time to do something more? Are you happy fulfilling the dreams of others or do you have one of your own?
If the answer is the latter part of both questions, then it is time to start educating yourself.
Society has formally educated you to fit in & fill in the necessary element of the assembly line for the rest of your life.
It is up to you whether you want to make your own assembly line or to just carry on being a part of other’s assembly line for the rest of your life.
The choice is Simple, Obvious & Motivating, but the perseverance & patience that the Choice demands are unbearable to many.
That’s why there are few who have their own assembly lines to manufacture their dreams.