In this article, we’ll discuss autodidacticism, including the definition of it and the key features of this form of learning. We’ll also discuss how it differs from being self-taught. This is crucial if you want to undertake a new self-directed learning journey.
I’m a serial autodidact, have earned a living teaching several subjects to a variety of audiences, and have created a wealth of online resources on the subject, so I’ll also share my first-hand experiences with autodidacticism.
The Definition
Autodidacticism and autodidactism are synonyms, so if you’re confused by those two words, don’t fret. They mean the same thing: autodidacticism isn’t a more complex version or anything of the sort.
Autodidacticism is when you learn a subject or master a skill independently, outside of formal learning structures.
If you like etymology, the name has two parts: “auto”, meaning self, and “didactic”, which relates to teaching or instruction.
Okay, that sounds simple, but there’s a lot of nuance here, and it’s particularly important to know exactly what autodidacticism entails if you want to be successful with it.
Does Autodidacticism = Being Self-Taught?
If we understand the term “self-taught” as describing someone who learns without using resources or teachers, I believe autodidacticism is a different thing.
This is because being self-taught makes little sense and is a highly ineffective form of learning. So let’s make a more careful distinction between the two, using the example of learning the guitar, which I have done autodidactically.
To self-teach yourself the guitar, you would have to pick up the guitar having never played it, and figure out how to play it all by yourself, with no learning materials whatsoever. No instruction on chords, rhythm, scales, music theory, rhythm or any other element of guitar playing.
It might not be 100% impossible to do this, but it is extremely inefficient and probably ineffective. It’s tough to figure out how to play even the most simple chords when you have no knowledge of the instrument, no guitar skills, and no knowledge of music.
On the other hand, if you learn the guitar through autodidacticism, you do make use of instruction from competent teachers, whether that comes through books, videos or in-person classes. That’s the smart way to do it if you want to avoid a formal learning system.
Let’s talk more about what autodidacticism looks like practically.
Autodidacticism In a Practical Sense
In autodidacticism, there is no externally enforced learning structure, and you don’t cling to the teacher. You don’t depend on the teacher.You take the initiative, setting your goals and organising your practice periods.
You put in plenty of hours studying alone, expanding your knowledge and skills beyond the structured curriculum. You keep going for months and years. Rather than being self-taught, we’ll say you’re a self-directed learner.
This gets easier as you progress, because with time you get clearer on your long-term goals and have the knowledge to make informed decisions.
Being successful in autodidacticism requires a whole different mindset and approach to being successful in a top-down learning system. It requires proactivity, patience, passion, organisation and stick-to-itiveness. You can dip your feet into formal structures now and then, but the initiative is yours.
Most People Can’t Learn This Way
I’ve found thatautodidacticism differs from how most people tend to learn because they are backseat learners. They step back and let the teacher take the lead. They’re happy to do this, as though their learning and growth was all down to the teacher. They aren’t disciplined and don’t work hard studying at home. Even when they advance in their pursuit, they never find their independence.
I think the roots of this reach back to our days at school and university. Month after month, year after year, we get used to relying on the all-powerful teacher figure to tell us exactly how to answer the question correctly, how to pass the test, how to get the grade. Everything is set out from the beginning. We know exactly what we’ll learn and get little say in the matter. We’re just a speck in the mass of students being shovelled through the meat grinder.
This highly structured learning is effective for teaching the masses, and might be necessary at a certain time in our lives. But in my opinion, we should let go of it by the time we’re 15 or 16. Once kids reach that age, the teacher should step into the role of helper and guide rather than oracle.
This spoonfeeding kills our initiative and our ability to get things done independently. When we reach adulthood, we find ourselves keen to learn and obtain skills but feel incapable, and we get into the habit of asking superiors how to do things, which hampers our career.
Autodidacticism: A Caveat
Before we finish, I want to make the counterpoint. Self-teaching is possible past a certain point of competence: you can teach yourself by relying on your previous knowledge. You start making new connections. New points of view and techniques spontaneously come to you. Nobody needs to teach you them.
For example, I recently figured out by ear how to play the solo in a song. In it there are a couple of melody lines that include several notes played very quickly in succession. I knew what the notes were, but couldn’t figure out how the guitarist was able to pick the notes fast enough.
Suddenly I had the idea to, instead of picking the string as you usually do for individual notes, start strumming the string. With a bit of practice I was able to play the notes fast enough with this new technique, and I realised that this must be how the guitarist did it.
Though I had never heard of that technique, all my previous knowledge came together and allowed me to figure out for myself how to play the solo. I learned the solo by myself, including a technique I’d never seen before.
This case is reserved for people who have already been on the learning path for some time. If you want to be precise, it’s for those who have reached the Creative-Active Phase, as Robert Greene calls it.
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The post What is Autodidacticism? first appeared on Deep Psychology.
The post What is Autodidacticism? appeared first on Deep Psychology.
