Learning stops in adulthood because people think all they’ll be doing the rest of their lives is working. But the cubicle, formerly called the ‘action of office,’ is where ideas and learning go to die.
You can put your head down and work for the same company for 20 years if you want. You’ll gain title and support the family. Everything will be safe and stable.
But you’ll never use up all your vacation days. You’ll get stuck in the maelstrom of email and meetings and come out feeling no smarter than where you started. Even worse, no company offers pensions these days.
Learning is a life-long endeavor
You can attach all the meaning you want to your job, but it’ll never replace the significance of continued learning that the Internet makes so accessible.
Tools for continued learning in adulthood include podcasts, tweets, blogs, newsletters, and a place to synthesize it all — whether that be your notebook or a blog.
The best part about the web is that most of the information is free, like air, minus a few paywalls. And yes, being a paid subscriber to a few respectable publications will make you appreciate shared intelligence even more.
Reading the right stuff can give you the knowledge and motivation to do your job better.
Sustenance, or in some cases chasing the Benjamins, is no substitute for education. Throwing in the towel helps nothing but time fly, a distraction from the things that matter.
Business isn’t necessarily learning. It’s just business.
