Observing the behavior of children reveals the inherent learning habits we humans are born with. It is as fascinating as it is inspiring.

Children are born full of curiosity about the world around them. They love to grab stuff, explore their environments, and are are often able to absorb concepts and things such as a new language much faster than adults.

It is also during those youngest years, up until five, that learning is fun and even effortless. Our dreams are big and the possibilities seem endless but then for too many of us, something eventually goes horribly wrong. Something happens.

… school happens.

Courtesy of Symic

All of a sudden our inherent learning habits begin to get crushed mercilessly. We can’t learn at our own pace anymore. Rules get enforced and we’re made to sit inside a box with four walls, in neat rows filled with other kids whom we can’t even interact much with.

We get placed within a restrictive learning environment, one in which we get told what, when and how to learn. If you’re lucky enough to be living in a free democratic country, then at least you grow up getting taught democratized knowledge. If you’re unlucky, the knowledge can contain all kinds of subtle misinformation which usually results in the intended conformity it was designed to achieve. In extreme cases our minds even get treated like empty vessels meant to be filled with supposedly important facts.

Luckily some teachers, ones who are deeply talented and passionate, successfully manage to create great classrooms where “fun” and “learning” are fused together creatively. My high school physics teacher was one of them and until this day, I still remember something he told us. He said “there is no such thing as a boring subject. There are only boring teachers.”

Needless to say, he made physics, a subject I initially hated, a lot of fun. He made it so through his style and by reminding us of how naturally curious we are born as young kids.

Instead of nurturing and enhancing the amazing inherent learning habits we are born with as children, schools unfortunately kill them but it’s never too late though. Luckily, you can still revive your inner child.

1- Learn to Dream Again

One of the first things you should do is to simply learn how to dream again. Throw away the mental constraints, relax and go for it.

2- Deschool Yourself

You are the master of your own mind. It’s time to re-ignite your lost and forgotten passions for learning the things you love.

3- Create a Personal Learning Environment

Embrace the power of the internet and immerse yourself in the infinitely vast ocean of democratized knowledge it provides. Enjoy the freedom of nurturing your mind the way you want.

We are all born passionate learners. It’s not something that “special” people invent for themselves. It’s there with all of us at the start but then it gets buried. You don’t need to create it. You just need to bring it back. Revive your inner child.

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