Quotes About Learning

The human collective knows far more today than did the ancient bands. But at the individual level, ancient foragers were the most knowledgeable and skilful people in history.

It is healthier for us to have questions we cannot answer, than to have answers we cannot question.

The real test of 'knowledge' is not whether it is true, but whether it empowers us.

This is the best reason to learn history: not in order to predict the future, but to free yourself of the past and imagine alternative destinies. Of course this is not total freedom - we cannot avoid being shaped by the past. But some freedom is better than none.

the last thing a teacher needs to give her pupils is more information. They already have far too much of it. Instead, people need the ability to make sense of information, to tell the difference between what is important and what is unimportant, and above all to combine many bits of information into a broad picture of the world.

The ability to navigate is like a muscle—use it or lose it.

if some issue seems exceptionally important to you, make the effort to read the relevant scientific literature.

We think we know far more today, but as individuals, we actually know far less.

We think we know a lot, even though individually we know very little, because we treat knowledge in the minds of others as if it were our own.

Knowledge that does not change behaviour is useless. But knowledge that changes behaviour quickly loses its relevance. The

The more data we have and the better we understand history, the faster history alters its course, and the faster our knowledge becomes outdated.

Most of what they currently learn at school will probably be irrelevant by the time they are forty. Traditionally, life has been divided into two main parts: a period of learning followed by a period of working. Very soon this traditional model will become utterly obsolete, and the only way for humans to stay in the game will be to keep learning throughout their lives, and to reinvent themselves repeatedly. Many if not most humans may be unable to do so.

So what should we be teaching? Many pedagogical experts argue that schools should switch to teaching "the four Cs"—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.3 More broadly, they believe, schools should downplay technical skills and emphasize general-purpose life skills. Most important of all will be the ability to deal with change, learn new things, and preserve your mental balance in unfamiliar situations.

Raw materials and energy are exhaustible – the more you use, the less you have. Knowledge, in contrast, is a growing resource – the more you use, the more you have.

The human collective knows far more today than did the ancient bands. But at the individual level, ancient foragers were the most knowledgeable and skilful people in history. There

I teach the kids history, or quantum physics, or art – but above all I try to teach them to think for themselves.

You cannot experience something if you don't have the necessary sensitivity, and you cannot develop your sensitivity except by undergoing a long string of experiences.

Consider Google. Google wants to reach a point where we can ask it anything and get the best answer in the world. What

The real test of 'knowledge' is not whether it is true, but whether it empowers us. Scientists usually assume that no theory is 100 per cent correct. Consequently, truth is a poor test for knowledge. The real test is utility. A theory that enables us to do new things constitutes knowledge. Over

Many pedagogical experts argue that schools should switch to teaching "the four Cs"—critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Companies such as Mindojo are developing interactive algorithms that will not only teach me maths, physics and history, but will simultaneously study me and get to know exactly who I am.

Estudiamos historia no para conocer el futuro, sino para ampliar nuestros horizontes, para comprender que nuestra situación actual no es natural ni inevitable y que, en consecuencia, tenemos ante nosotros muchas más posibilidades de las que imaginamos.

Humans of all creeds would do well to take humility more seriously. And among all forms of humility, perhaps the most important is to have humility before

The ability to navigate is like a muscle—use it or lose it.14 The same is true for the ability to choose spouses or professions.