…and again, and again…
Basically don’t stop thinking. You’ve graduated from a fine school perhaps, but that’s no reason to stop learning. The benefits of education don’t end.
Some studies even suggest a correlation between longevity and continuing education.
Reading won’t just stave off Alzheimer’s by exercising your mind, you will learn to make better decisions in all aspects of your life.
Learning new things improves your job prospects or can help you succeed in your own business.
The Internet is great for researching topics and quickly jumping to a piece of information with a Google search. But what about deeper learning? There are libraries of ebooks that you can read for free. Many of the classics of literature. There are course that you can take online. Free course materials that you can dig through at your own pace. Educational Podcasts.
A great place to start would be the Self-Education Resource List.
You could easily lose yourself for eight hours a day with all of these resources. However, you know the Families and Technology shtick: The Internet is a wonderful tool, but it should not supplant the very valuable interaction with real people, the outdoors, and actually doing things.
If you find yourself getting addicted to online learning, install ComputerTime to reintroduce some balance in your activities.
How do you make good use of information resources?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I wholeheartedly agree with you here. My grandmother passed away after suffering with Alzheimer’s disease and it was so sad to her lose her memories like that. I recently came across several articles that indicate your brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Whether it is completing cross word puzzles or playing bridge, it is important for your brain to maintain it’s ability to retain information. Studies even suggest that people suffering the physiological effects of Alzheimer’s can reduce (or eliminate) the symptoms by exercising their brain.
And my Uncle Blake that just passed away at 89 was pretty sharp right up ’til the end. He was an avid reader I am told. He liked to discuss politics and keep up with things. So I’m not surprised with the studies that bear out these correlations. It does seem that in general “keeping the saw sharp” really helps.