October 14, 2024
A question I am quite often asked is, "How can I learn X?" Although this question may seem to ask what X is, most of the time the person is actually seeking advice on how to approach learning X, rather than simply learning it easily.
It took me some time to realise this. When I was prompted with the question in past, I would often edify the questioner in ways to learn X easily or suggest methodological changes to sugar coat one's learning activy that may or may not help. This approach was ineffective, and as I encountered this question more frequently, I shifted to a simpler response: "You need to start by getting your hands dirty.".
The greatest obstacle to learning is often the initial step, where one gradually becomes accustomed to the "cold water" before diving deeper. Many people get stuck at this stage while focusing prematurely on potential future challenges. Learning is an iterative process, and if you never take that initial plunge into the shallow waters, you cannot fully understand the challenges that arise later. The overly bureaucratic approach of trying to grasp every aspect at once merely wastes time. I refer to this as the "feature creep" approach to learning. The notion of immersing yourself to the recursively expanding tasks of learning X, step by step sabotages the learning process.
The internet, with its boundless reservoir of information in nearly all formats, should make learning easier than ever, but it also presents an insurmountable array of "feature creep" distractions. You will often encounter advice such as, "You must fully understand this concept before starting that" or "You should not begin with this until...".
However, making mistakes is also an essential part of learning; in fact, it nails knowledge home and prepares you for future challenges. Waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect understanding only leads to never ending delay. The most critical step is to begin learning through action, rather than planning.
Stop worrying, start learning, and let the process teach you what preparation never can.