On Learning Skills

I think it’s accurate to say that all skills learning is preceded by necessity. This is true for kids who go to school and kids who don’t. In school, learning skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic are necessary to avoid punishment. The need, though artificial, is there and strong enough to motivate learning, hence the learning that occurs. Out of school, kids, and adults, find motivation to learn a skill to accomplish some desired end (necessity), like wanting to know what all the fuss is about in a popular book, to save and spend money, or to chat with their friends on Minecraft. Either way, if there’s a need, they’ll learn. School merely inserts itself as an artificial needs-generator. That seems to be it’s “business” model. And that’s today’s two cents.

Skyler.