As an extension to the creating a learning environment that enables us to be or best, I had an interesting conversation with a client about what we learn and the value it adds. For example, I know many people who learn to play the piano as a child and spend thousands of hours developing their skill - but haven't touched a piano since they were in their mid-teens. Now, there is value in learning an instrument that go beyond using the instrument, but I wonder if those hours could have been better spent and whether they could have developed the same or better skill benefits from another activity that is suited to them.
Yesterday, I was speaking with another client about creativity and how I am most creative at night and, that is also when I learn the best, as well as when I have the most energy. If someone really wanted to get the most out of my performance, the environment would be set up to start after six in the evening. For instance, I am not very motivated to exercise in the morning and I don't get the best benefits when I do, so I usually don't. Then, I think the best in the later evening, so I do a lot of my writing in those hours.
This has been the same since I was a kid, but how much of my environment has been set up for me to be at my best when learning or delivering? School was during the day when I don't learn well, sporting events were in the morning and work of course follows the school conditioned hours for the most part, which means - at no point in my life was the environment working in my favor to perform at my best and reap the rewards of doing so. In all likeliness, I lost opportunity because I was set up to "fail" with failure being not performing to my potential.
Now, this is just me of course, but how many of the billions of us are in much the same situation, where the environment is not designed to cater to our needs, but the outcomes of our performance are going to impact heavily on our possibilities?
Many.
And then there is the learning content itself - which may cater for some of us, but doesn't necessarily feed the brain needs that we have. Yes, learning an instrument or doing mathematics is great for the brain, but that doesn't mean that it is as great for everyone the same. And, based on that person, it could very well be that other learning content might be better.
My client today asked if I do crossword puzzles and I said that I am terrible at them. However, what makes me terrible? Well, at least for the ones that I have seen here, the clues are often centered around entertainment consumption and general knowledge, which some people love to consume. But, other than activating the brain in these areas, is the value of doing crossword puzzles well, an adequate outcome for all those hours of consumption. Is my inability to do crosswords because I don't consume much indicative of my intelligence?
In some ways perhaps and no one would want me on their Trivial Pursuit team, but does that mean that I am valueless in other ways? Unlikely, but this is what a lot of school content provides - very little practical knowledge and the ability to apply it to real world needs. It is not a creative process, it is a conditioning of recall and repeat.
The brain does need activity, but I liken it to the stomach. When our stomach growls it is saying that it is empty and needs something to digest in it, but doesn't indicate what that thing should be. Our brain does try to give us some indication, but often fails in what is actually required. The stomach is satisfied whether we fill our stomach with vegetables or we fill it with chocolate, but our body needs certain nutrients to perform at its best. While the stomach is happy, the body says "Great, I am full and have plenty of energy, but I don't have the vitamins and minerals I need, and with all this excess energy, I can only convert it to fat".
I think the brain is the same, where it is craving and growling for activity, but what we are generally feeding it isn't what it really needs to satisfy its needs for high performance. But, it still feels "full" so doesn't complain, nor reflect if what it has been eating is in any way practically useful to meet its goals and dreams. Like a person who eats only paper, the stomach can feel full, but the body is starving nonetheless - it is malnourished.
Are our brains malnourished?
I suspect so, especially when considering the level of creative ability most people display, as rather than building something with what they have, they repeat the words and activity of others - we are consumers and amplifiers, not creators and innovators.
As said, there are many things that are good for us or bad for us, but if we take what as served as what is best for us, we are likely going to be driven down less than optimal pathways. The reason is, what is served is a somewhat centralized force, which means that it is going to miss everyone to a lesser or greater degree. There is just no way that there is a one size fits all learning environment, but they have tried to create one and then, rewarded those who are suited or have been able to fit themselves into those roles.
What is going to be interesting with the continued drive of decentralization however, is that it is going to encourage all kinds of new business models, but also, new learning and work environments that are going to dynamically shift and increasingly align with the needs of individuals, or smaller groups of individuals. Perhaps with digitization, AI and AR, the classrooms of the future will be able to cater for night learners, without the day learners having to suffer a change and perhaps there will be working roles where someone like me, will still be able to deliver sessions at 11 o'clock at night when I am at my best mentally.
Of course, there are plenty of alignment problems to solve in order to be able to do this, but what I do believe is that the current and past systems have favored people suited for them, treating those who do not fit into the box as if they don't have any value at all. What happens with most of those odd learners and thinkers is that they have to fend for themselves with most ending up underperforming economically, while a few are able to get it right and get lucky enough, to become successful outliers.
I wish I could play the piano too.
For all of us, there are always more possibilities available than we are able to take. It might never be too late to learn - but is learning it valuable to learn, or just something impractical to consume and feel like we are eating well?
Taraz
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