The Journey Of Knowledge: Do Not Underestimate The Power Of Inquisitive Learning

Some inspiring reads from our reading corner

When you invest your time, money and attention towards learning something new, a magical experience unfolds. You don’t know who this new person is and what this person’s updated capability can perform.

2022, 2023 and 2024 were 3 of the most intense years of my life in terms of learning. I never thought I would challenge myself so much, that I would start from scratch in a completely new profession and industry after a decade of building rep and expertise in a different one, learn what it is like to be a husband (and figure out how to do a good job at it), upskill in so many different and wonderful areas to thrive in living my dream life.

While in school, I never gave too much importance to studies. In fact, I could never understand why it was important to study all those subjects that were made requisite, concealing any possibility of choice. By 11th grade (or 1st PUC, the Karnataka state syllabus equivalent), I could decide and pick from the combination of subjects I wanted to study, albeit the options were tight and ungenerous. Well, I liked only 1 subject, but the other 5 came along with it. Mandatory! Still, I never got the point.

I faced a similar challenge during my engineering days. It hit me during my 3rd semester, and when it did, I realised that engineering students were being prepared to be compliant and handle the pressures of the modern workforce, and it wasn’t so much of developing problem-solving skills or mindset, or creating marvellous technological smashers, which is taught in only less than 10% of the “Institutes of Technology” in India, like the IITs (Indian) and the BITs (Birla).

This narrative of forced education did not sit well with me. But I did not partake in any student walkouts with my fellow engineering students to oppose this bland experience of learning, or exhibit any alarming hissy fit with my family. I did, however, begin to dislike the nature of education and the experience of learning as a whole.

I liked playing games and sports. I liked watching certain movies. Gamification and dramatisation weren't really a part of educational experience in school. I, however, definitely liked a few teachers who were absolutely entertaining. An ambidextrous teacher would often fascinate us with his penmanship while being fascinated with his own theatrics, creating a lot of gigglesome moments in class while we enlightened ourselves with barren information.

Some of the spiritual lessons taught by my PT (Physical Trainer) teacher in middle school still comes to my awareness on occasion. It’s funny how he would not let us go play on the field during PT blocks, but instead he would thwart his idealistic patriarchal narrative of religion, spirituality, race and gender, combined with his interpretation of supplementary newspaper articles onto us 10 year olds.

And then there was our SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) teacher, who would walk into our class, place a jug or a plant pot on the teacher’s table and expect us to replicate a 2D version of that 3D object into our drawing books, without any sufficient training on visualisation, measurement, perspective or technique. Heck, the guy didn’t even convert it to 2D himself, for us to, at least, observe the process.

After years of being subject to a highly questionable method of education, I discovered a deep understanding of self and the world through studying music. I grew in it with equal amounts of logical understanding and vague moments of bliss, an experience that was gifted to my soul every time I “discovered” something in those notes and sound textures and the silence all too fairly placed in between. I was also blessed with music teachers who understood that studying music is beyond having the ability to replicate songs.

Just like music, when I discovered personal development, I was hooked. I found meaning. I found expression beyond my unintentional limits. I started growing in my consciousness. And thus began catharsis.

Through discovering textures of rage, fantasy, oblivion, all emerging from within my subconscious and engaging with my conscious self, I started to decide what I wanted to learn, for the first time. I realised my dependance early enough and stopped myself from the addiction of accumulating personal development books and courses that were suggested to me by every personal development self-proclaimed saviour, and started exploring areas which I wanted to create a deeper shift in. Philosophy, Business, Neurology, Sound Healing, Cosmic Consciousness, Atomic Biology, and a few other unrelated subjects caught my attention. I certainly could not understand why I wanted to know more about something, I just did. It was more an inner guidance that allowed holistic expansion at the rate I could handle. I certainly didn’t dive deep into every subject I came across, I only pursued what I thought made sense.

And that liberation, of having choice, of being guided from within, of learning more about myself than anything else, created a powerful sense of identity.

I continue to go after what I seek to learn. It may not make Business sense. It may not make University sense. But it feeds the very existence that is me, giving me in return the experience of a journey where I design my own prosperity.

Some questions that I asked myself, that got me here. Answer them for yourself:

What have you kept aside from reading or learning for years now?

And what have you been telling yourself by keeping yourself from reading or learning it?

Is it a deeper want or need? Or is it something someone asked you to learn or read?