An Education From The Internet

Online learning is the path to learn skills that make a life not just a living

I’m a fan of the School of Life. Its short videos taught me to understand my emotions: how to be resilient, how to be calm, how to love. Alain de Botton's common sense, his historical prowess, and knowledge of philosophy, spiced up with dry humor helped me practice what I learned. 

I use these skills every day, along with skills such as cooking and appreciation for art. But none of these topics is included in any curriculum of my formal education. In my 20s, I often found myself scrambling to learn skills that my schooling failed to teach me, but necessary for me to cultivate a mind to enjoy myself, my relationship with others, and the world around me. As I get older, my appetite for such knowledge only has increased.

If I could re-design my education, I would choose to spend more time learning how to make simple meals and to discover the joy of movement, instead of spending hours understanding niche academic subjects we rarely use or memorize facts that we can look up in reference. 

We need an education that allows us to make a life not just a living 

We need to learn skills that allow us to thrive as functional human beings. These skills improve our abilities laterally, not limited to solving one specific problem. 

Examples of such knowledge include the basics of nutrition, how to exercise, communication, self-expression, critical thinking, how to research, music theory, and more. 

This education gives us the scaffolding to become well-rounded human beings. It enables us to practice self-care, continue to learn, and socialize and work with others, all essential to a well-lived life. Many of us continue to improve these skills such as communication throughout our lives. 

We can find the best teachers on the Internet

Most schools focus on test scores rather than abilities. But we can learn these skills of interest from the Internet. There are video and online courses taught by mesmerizing instructors followed by eager learner communities. 

The most successful courses share some commonalities. They are:

• Short and introductory. Instead of spending a semester on a topic, I want to have a basic idea of the big picture quickly, such as a series of short clips. 

• Curated by students on the Internet. Courses with high quality have an active community of learners. 

• Design learning as entertainment. The content is fun and engaging. I consume the course instead of streaming Netflix. It’s the only sustainable way to learn when its goal is not to pass a test or to land a job. 

Let’s curate together a list of online courses that help you grow as a human. Here is my list so far:

• Writing for the internet. Write of Passage by David Perell

• Productivity. Build a Second Brain by Tiago Forte

• Self-care. The Science of Well-Being by Laurie Santos

What are your favorite online courses?