In Regards To Going Full-autodidact

[Socrates]

If i have to give props to formal education on something it would be that there is some structure there although it is like having a map of Paris and being on London.

Quote

If you're a serious, ambitious, self-motivated youngster between the ages of 10-25, I highly encourage you to take your education fully into your own hands.

It's almost a year since i started being an autodidact and the only issue i face is that i don't know what to study and how to structure my education. It is maybe the fact that i don't have a definite life purpose yet which makes things rather difficult but if you set that aside:

1. How do I structure my autodidact journey?
2. Should i also find a job as long as i am educating myself or is it justifiable to just self-educate on itself?
3. What can i do to bring some concrete purpose on my self-education process and eventually on my life?

 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Socrates

[eskwire]

@Socrates My brother was an autodidact. He dropped out of school at 15 and now makes MUCH money.

But he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to make a lot of money in computer science. He was always focused on that money, so he strategized his learning based on that. 

Otherwise, he also taught himself a lot of social garbage from Reddit that could have been avoided with formal education, perhaps. Be careful with that. Not having a teacher or fellow students means you can fall into some belief systems based on whatever you happen to read. 

Recommendations would be...

1. Have a job so you socialize and see how humans operate. You don't want to live out your life purpose as a total Martian...like some home schooled kids turn out.

2. Do the life purpose course so you know what you want to know.

3. Read syllabi online for classes related to what you want to study. Spend time in research and development for your own curriculum.

4. Find a mentor in the field. Do an apprenticeship instead of work (suggestion 1) maybe. 

Just ideas. I haven't done the life purpose course and have never been focused in my studies. 

 

[Leo Gura]

@Socrates Yes, which is why I said this approach is only gonna work if you're very driven and entrepreneurial. The whole point is that you're going off-roading. If you desire a paved road when you go off-roading, then you shouldn't really be off-roading, you should stick to the highway.

Also, to be clear, going autodidact shouldn't be thought of as rejecting formal schooling. Many autodidacts had formal schooling.

Obviously you need a way to feed yourself, whether that's your parents or your savings or a job. It might be worth going to college just for the scholarship money, if you can get it. That's way better than working at McDonalds for 4 years.

[Socrates]

@eskwire I aim to get the life purpose course for sure but i am resisting the idea of finding a job since i don't really think it is going to be a valuable expense of my time and i am also really comfy at the moment.

@Leo Gura I don't believe some structural advice is going to pave the off-road. It is not that black and white and there is some room for guidance for sure. Maybe a book recommendation or some subjects i should put my focus upon or even some generic technical advice. Anyway i can think of too many ways to tweak my education but If i knew the "correct" answer i wouldn't be asking the question in the first place. Also are you going to add more books on the Paranormal/Metaphysics & Epistemology categories?

[Leo Gura]

@Socrates If you find your life purpose, that will serve as the backbone for much of your education guidance. But also nonduality, etc is sure to come in handy no matter where you go.

Just following your curiosity and bliss is also a good way to go. Study what you LOVE.

Yes, more great books coming.

[SOUL]

I never really used that word for it but I am on that path spiritually. Although there definitely is some thick ironic paradox all over self taught enlightenment.

We can use different methods for different areas of our life, one area may be more "auto" than another, some may be very formal in the learning process while another not at all.

There is something to be said for having someone or something give insights and specialized understanding that may take much longer to find on our own if we find them at all.

There is also something to be said for the process of discovering something intuitively and through our own natural process that makes the insight or revelation much more valuable to us.