Why personal development is the key to a happy life…..

There was a huge trend not so long ago for brain training software online and through games consoles, and a similar fetish for personal trainers at gyms across the country. The craze seems to have abated somewhat in the light of research that suggested that particularly in the case of brain training, the improvements achieved were not statistically significant. I’m quite happy to accept these figures on face value for now, as that is an argument for another post, but what I’m not so happy about is that these reports have led to the aforementioned reduction in use. It doesn’t really matter to me whether the improvements were real or only perceived, the mere fact that people were paying attention to their personal development was, for me, a far more important aspect.

I have, for a number of years, been of the opinion that there is something lacking in our modern education system. Something that used to be there but has been lost amidst the courses on social studies, media studies, social responsibility and the rest. That something is the joy of learning, and through learning growing and developing. People don’t seem to find enjoyment in the thrill of opening a book on a brand new subject, just for the sheer pleasure of finding out something new. They don’t seem to explore the wealth of literature that our civilizations have produced. They don’t seem to be interested in experimenting with the world around them to better understand their place in it.

The love of learning is crucial in my opinion to the ongoing stability of our society and the future success of humanity as a species. It is only through personal learning, and perhaps more importantly taking responsibility for personal learning that we can become a happy and more stable society….