Do we ever stop learning?

It seems that we never stop learning, at least we don't until the last day of our existence. The advancement of science has allowed us to know that we have different ways of learning and acquiring knowledge. Even when we finish school, institute or university we continue learning.

In this article we will know the reason why we never stop learning, not even in old age, as well as the way in which we learn and acquire knowledge.

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What is learning?

Learning is the ability acquire new knowledge through experience, observation, interaction and reflection.

From our conception until the last day of our existence we have the ability to learn by nature, because we are social beings and we are subject to constantly interacting with others. others. The family is the first unit of interaction of the human being and it is she who will provide us with the first essential learning to be able to interact with others and survive.

There are many people who believe or think that we learn only in one way; however, with the passing of time, the different types of learning that exist have been known. In general, the foundations of learning are established through our senses and it is through them that we capture the stimuli that will be synthesized and processed by understanding.

Learning is subject to our perceptions and our emotional states. There are several studies that have made it possible to decipher how memory works and how influences experience and observation at the time of developing knowledge and modifying our conduct.

Which are the mediating elements of learning? There are two elements inherent to the human condition through which we learn: desire to learn and autonomous will. The first is the determination to learn current knowledge in the sociocultural environment, generates satisfaction and pleasure. The second refers to a person being self-aware, identifying her desires at the same time.

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Do we stop learning at some stage of life?

The neuroscientist and researcher Mariano Sigman, refers that our gray matter (brain) never stops changing, therefore, we never stop learning. Below are the reasons why we never stop learning.

1. We don't stop learning because we are human

Human beings have senses and perceive the world in different ways, we have feelings and emotions. We learn by the capacity we have, just as animals learn natural behaviors for their survival, humans also do it to ensure our safety, pleasure, food, etc. Therefore, it is impossible to learn without taking into consideration our own human nature.

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2. We don't stop learning because learning is inevitable

Experiences, our perceptions and senses form new neural connections. This process is not in our control, since it is part of our own organism and is generated automatically.

A stimulus will generate a response in the person and this response will be remembered. If the stimulus was favorable, they will seek to experience it again, but if it was negative, they will try to avoid it at all costs. It is for this reason that it is inevitable for all people to learn something. Many times we are not able to perceive the new things we learn, but every experience in itself brings learning.

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3. We don't stop learning because we want something in life

In general, all of us have a tendency to want to improve our living conditions; For this reason, we always seek to obtain some object, person or situation that favors our absences, not only physical but also psychological. We adapt to the system to get what we want, such as success, love, peace, happiness (causing what we learn) are some examples of what we long to have in life.

4. We do not stop learning because we are curious

We are very curious social beings by nature. We explore the world since we are babies, so initially we seek to feel textures and flavors through our mouths. So too, we want to touch everything around us and everything we can feel. We question what, why, why and how very often about what is going on around us. Our curiosity is innate and that even makes it necessary for our education to be modified, since we learn better from things that truly cause us curiosity or interest.

5. We don't stop learning because the world amazes us

It is very difficult not to be interested in knowing more about the world in which we live. We are interested in knowing about plants, animals, how other people live, etc.

The planet where we live gives us a myriad of stimuli, but also leaves us perplexed with a beauty and mystery of the works, musical compositions, talents of other people, etc. It is an endless number of sensations that we manage to perceive through our senses and it is practically inevitable to want to know more about what surrounds us.

6. We don't stop learning because we want to be in control

We don't want an earthquake to take us by surprise, just like the weather. For this reason, we usually want to have control of natural events in order to avoid accidents or to protect ourselves, survive or feed them as a species. We learn because we have to control our own lives in order to decide the role we have on this planet.

We have various needs that arise from our own nature and instincts such as walking, dressing, relating to our family, friends, knowing streets, cities, performing functions in a job, doing some sport, wanting to generate money through an activity, etc. We learn not merely to do, but to develop new ways of doing when these are still non-existent.

7. We don't stop learning because we want to know who we are

We are interested in knowing who we are, where we were born, who our parents and grandparents were, and other relatives such as great uncles and uncles. Learn with/from others, because we feel identified with them, by interacting and learning simultaneously with others.

We are interested in generating learning communities that favor us and make us feel better individually and collectively. We have a great need to know about ourselves and why we are the way we are, because we are interested in our identity.

8. We do not stop learning because we are not alone

The relationship we generate with others helps us learn to live with them, to be like them and also acquire new knowledge. We learn with our parents, uncles, brothers, cousins, teachers, friends, etc. We learn socially with all the people we interact with directly or indirectly.

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9. We do not stop learning because we are in contact with technology

We learn while we listen to music, watch a series or a movie, or watch the news, we even learn from what we hear on the radio or on the cell phone. It is important to recognize that technological means provide us with constant learning. Nowadays the telephone that we had at home is losing its function more and more because cell phones can be a form of portable contact that we can move with us. Even having a cell phone whether we like it or not, we are forced to adapt to the updates of the applications. In the same way, we seek to know the technology so as not to remain outdated people.

10. We do not stop learning thanks to neuroplasticity

The brain plasticity, also called neuroplasticity, is a neurobiological learning process. Therefore, neuroplasticity has to do with the ability of our gray matter (brain) to be able to restructure itself, adapt and recover from new and certain situations. Our neurons create networks to be able to communicate with each other when we learn something new and when put into practice our learning these are strengthened by facilitating communication and interconnection. When our brain captures stimuli, our memory and learning are exercised.

Our brain has the ability to adapt to our environment, and can even generate changes in its structure in order to compensate dysfunctions generated by brain injuries or in the nervous system in general. We can evidence the adaptability of the brain in individuals who lose the ability to hear or see. These people manage to develop in a more significant way other areas of the brain whose functions are more related to perception through the other senses that we have.