Many people (including myself) believe it is far more important to learn “how” to learn than it is to use a particular curriculum, go to a certain school or follow a prescribed structure/format of education. Granted, there are various other factors necessary to promote growth in knowledge, understanding and wisdom in life. However, the bare-bones-foundation of the matter is that one must know how to learn in order to learn.
This is where it all gets tricky for there are myriad ways to learn. We can learn through reading, research, and study. We can learn through listening. We can learn from experiences, and so on. Question: Do you think, in order to truly learn, what you absorb into your brain must be (should be) factual? And, if so, do you know how to make certain what you are taking in (and learning) is factual?
I’m kind of beating around the bush regarding the real purpose of this post, which is to lament my own disappointment at how low standards appear to have sunk when it comes to gathering facts, research, study and obtaining news. There’s a part of me that refuses to believe any reasonable, logically-thinking adult would use Facebook, Twitter and other social networks as supposedly valid means for acquiring facts or formulating viewpoints on any number of current political, religious or social events in our nation today.
The other part of me (the realist) sees that, in fact, there really are people who think because they have read something in a meme or under a photo-shopped image with a caption on Snapchat or Instagram, it means it is true. Forget determining whether a source is credible. Forget trying to find original sources and/or actual documents, reports, etc. Forget multi-sourcing and comparing sources to substantiate a particular claim. Forget sifting through information to identify (and, hopefully disregard) that which is erroneous.
Nope. Not anymore. I‘ve actually heard people say, “It’s true! It was on Facebook the other day!” as a basis to support some political rumor or another.
Although highly unlikely there will ever come a time (this side of heaven) when everyone’s thoughts, convictions, beliefs and opinions perfectly align, I’d like to at least think the average person in America understands that scrolling online social network pages is not a valid form of research.
Please, tell me that much is true.
Writer Bio
Judy Dudich resides in the beautiful woods of Pennsylvania, where 24 acres of land and a home-office provide the perfect setting for her children’s home-education and her own homesteading and business ventures. Life is full of blessings (and challenges!) for Judy, as a wife, mother of 10 and Grammy to six. She is a published author, whose book, “I Surrender/A Study Guide for Women” continues to encourage and support others in Christian family lifestyles throughout the world. Judy has also previously worked in the online speaking circuit. Her passion for permaculture, re-purposing, foraging and organic gardening fills her days with learning and adventure that she loves to share.
