In 2015 Doreetha Daniels received her associate degree in social sciences from College of the Canyons, in Santa Clarita, California. But Daniels wasn\u2019t a\u00a0typical student:\u00a0She was 99 years old. Daniels indicated that she wanted to get her degree simply to better herself; her six years of school during\u00a0that pursuit were a testament to her will, determination, and commitment to learning.<\/p>\n
Few of us will pursue college degrees as nonagenarians, or even as mid-career professionals (though recent statistics indicate that increasing numbers of people are pursuing college degrees at advanced ages). Some people never really liked school in the first place, sitting still at a desk for hours on end or suffering through what seemed to be\u00a0impractical courses. And almost all of us have limits on our time and finances\u00a0\u2014\u00a0due to kids, social organizations, work, and more \u2014\u00a0that make additional formal education impractical or impossible.<\/p>\n
As we age, though, learning isn\u2019t simply about earning degrees or attending storied institutions. Books, online courses, MOOCs, professional development programs, podcasts, and other resources have never been more abundant or accessible, making it easier than ever to make a habit of lifelong learning. Every day, each of us is offered the opportunity to pursue intellectual development in ways that are tailored to our learning style.<\/p>\n
So why don\u2019t more of us\u00a0seize that opportunity? We know it\u2019s worth the time, and yet we find it so hard to make the time. The next time you\u2019re tempted to put learning on the back burner, remember a few points:<\/p>\n
The links between formal education and lifetime earnings are well-studied and substantial. In 2015\u00a0Christopher Tamborini, ChangHwan Kim, and Arthur Sakamoto found that, controlling for other factors, men and women can expect to earn $655,000 and $445,000 more, respectively, during their careers with a bachelor\u2019s degree than with a high school degree, and graduate degrees yield further gains. Outside of universities, ongoing learning and skill development is\u00a0essential to surviving economic and technological disruption.<\/p>\n
The Economist recently detailed the ways in which our rapidly shifting professional landscape \u2014\u00a0the disruptive power of automation, the increasing number of jobs requiring expertise in coding \u2014\u00a0necessitates that workers focus continually on mastering new technologies and skills. In 2014 a CBRE report estimated that 50% of jobs would be redundant by 2025 due to technological innovation. Even if that figure proves to be exaggerated, it\u2019s intuitively true that the economic landscape of 2017 is evolving more rapidly than in the past. Trends including\u00a0AI, robotics, and offshoring mean constant shifts in the nature of work. And navigating this ever-changing landscape requires continual\u00a0learning and personal growth.<\/p>\n
As I\u2019ve noted previously, reading,\u00a0even for short periods of time, can dramatically reduce your stress levels. A recent report in Neurology\u00a0noted that while cognitive activity can\u2019t change the biology of Alzheimer\u2019s, learning activities can help delay symptoms, preserving people\u2019s quality of life. Other\u00a0research indicates that learning to play a new instrument\u00a0can offset cognitive decline, and\u00a0learning difficult new skills in older age is associated with improved memory.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, while the causation is inconclusive, there\u2019s a well-studied relationship between longevity and education. A\u00a02006 paper by David Cutler and Adriana Lleras-Muney found that \u201cthe better educated have healthier behaviors along virtually every margin, although some of these behaviors may also reflect differential access to care.\u201d Their\u00a0research suggests that a year of formal education can add more than half a year to a person\u2019s\u00a0life span. Perhaps Doreetha Daniels, at 99, knows something many of us have missed.<\/p>\n
While few studies validate this observation, I\u2019ve noticed in my own interactions that those who dedicate themselves to learning and who exhibit curiosity are almost always happier and more socially and professionally engaging than those who don\u2019t. I have a friend, Duncan, for example, who is almost universally admired by people\u00a0he interacts with. There are many reasons for this admiration, but chief among them are his plainly exhibited intellectual curiosity and his ability to touch, if only briefly, on almost any topic of interest to others and to speak deeply on\u00a0those he knows best. Think of the best conversationalist you know. Do they ask good questions? Are they well-informed? Now\u00a0picture the colleague you most respect for their\u00a0professional acumen. Do they seem literate, open-minded, and intellectually vibrant? Perhaps your experiences will differ, but if you\u2019re like me, I suspect those you admire most, both personally and professionally, are those who seem most dedicated to learning and growth.<\/p>\n
We are uniquely endowed with the capacity for learning, creation, and intellectual advancement. Have you ever sat in a quiet place and finished a great novel in one sitting? Do you remember the fulfillment you felt when you last settled into a difficult task \u2014\u00a0whether a math problem or a foreign language course \u2014\u00a0and found yourself making breakthrough progress? Have you ever worked with a team of friends or colleagues to master difficult material or create something new? These experiences can be electrifying. And even if education had no impact on health, prosperity, or social standing, it would be entirely worthwhile as an expression of what makes every person so special and unique.<\/p>\n
The reasons to continue learning are many, and the weight of the evidence would indicate that lifelong learning isn\u2019t simply an economic imperative but a social, emotional, and physical one as well. We live in an age of abundant opportunity for learning and development. Capturing that opportunity \u2014\u00a0maintaining our curiosity and intellectual humility \u2014\u00a0can be one of life\u2019s most rewarding pursuits.<\/p>\n