Today, I'm thinking about self-education. I'm considering the vast differences I have seen in the way people approach this topic. Some feel an intense and compelling need for lifelong learning; others seem to stop feeling a need for education as soon as their time at school ends.

Years ago, I read there are four reasons for giving a speech¹:

1. to inform people,
2. to entertain people,
3. to touch emotions, and
4. to move people to action. 

Perhaps, a similar short-list approach can be applied to the concept of self-education.

Perhaps, there are only four reasons to self-education.

Perhaps, people self-educate: 

1. to understand self,
2. to obtain information required for work,
3. to obtain information required for hobbies, and
4. to obtain information required to understand and 'deal with' the outside world (including other people).

If that is a reasonable way to approach the topic of self-education then:

• some people feel the need to do all four of these things,
• some people feel the need to do none of these four things, and
• some people feel the need to do some, but not all, of these four things.

What need(s) do you feel?

Footnote

1. Peter Urs Bender, ‘Secrets of Power Presentations’, (2000)