The more the world changes, the more it stays the same in regards to learning: It’s not only important, it’s a necessity for adaptation. Whether you’re a kid going through grade-school, learning tech skills so you can compete in the IT market, a laid-off worker needing to reeducate to get another job, or an illiterate old man that learns to read, the same principal stays the same, and that is that learning is at the heart of all human existence.

A Good Base:

Whether self educated, home schooled, or educated in a public/private school surrounding, children are put through the  rigmarole of learning an ever expanding curriculum. Without this base set of skills, it’s sometimes difficult for young adults to adapt to socially normal acts such as getting a job and supporting oneself. Though there are vast exceptions to this basic concept, children who are stimulated intellectually from an early age are typically more likely to succeed in our society, as well as achieve a greater body of intellectual experience (Meaning they learn a lot of stuff.)

The Valuable Techy:

In the IT industry, and especially in webhosting, it is a necessity to have a skillset capable of meeting the demands of the job. But what is more important than that is the learning ethic a person has. With technology ever changing, so too does a tech’s skillset change. Without the ability to learn and grow with the technology, the position of an employee and the promoteability of them is really hindered. Your viability within a company, industry, or even the working world is determined by your ability to learn, synthesize that information, and then apply it to your work. In other words, learning is the primary tool of work adaptation as well.

Take Two Classes & Call Me In The Morning:

Like the character in Tom Hank’s new movie Larry Crowne, many people have been laid off in the economic crisis the U.S. has been facing. In a situation like this, going to a college or university to gain more skills, and to increase likelihood of reintegration into the workforce seems like a viable option. Learning in a crisis such as this becomes valuable because than you’re never limited to a single job or career path. Going back to pursue higher education can be beneficial if you’d like to achieve a higher position in your work environment. Reeducation can also help you to better yourself intellectually as information is ever changing. Even in later stages of life, you can see where learning is an integral part of adaptation for survival.

You’re Never Too Old To Learn:

Whether you’re 8 or 98, learning to read can be a challenge. Whereas in this day and age it is expected that you learn to read and write, 90+ years ago it wasn’t, especially for poor or less privileged society. This is surely true for George Dawson. A Texas native and grand-son to a slave, Dawson was taught to read through an adult education program at the age of 98 and later co-authored a book about his life. What Dawson exemplified was an eagerness to learn as he lived, and went on to be posthumously honored with a middle school named after him in Southlake, Texas. He was even on the Oprah show. What’s important to note is that even until the day Dawson died, he was continuing to learn and improve himself.

Without us realizing it, we naturally learn in order to adapt to our life’s situations. However, learning, and the promoting of learning is often times undervalued in the U.S. So I implore you to go out to your library, get a card, and start reading. Go on Google and research some of your most interesting subjects. Enroll in a community college and take some classes on subjects you wouldn’t normally think of. If we need to learn to exist, than the price of learning is your life. Don’t take learning for granted, learn something new every day!