The Importance of Lifelong Learning

Introduction

"When planning for a year, plant corn. When planning for a decade, plant trees. When planning for life, train and educate people."
Chinese proverb: Guanzi (c. 645 BC)

Modern society has already made the leap from an industrial age to an age of information, thus rapidly increasing the amount of knowledge, complexity and challenges. Modern people face two options: either to acquire new skills and abilities and adapt themselves to the new world of endless opportunities, or to observe with passive resignation the demands of the modern working world, unable to carry out their duties appropriately.

The constantly changing and evolving world poses new laws that lead to the introduction of new policies. New ideas and methods emerge. New problems demand new solutions. The ability to grasp new concepts, make new choices, and go on learning and adapting throughout life has become crucial. Education is no longer something that happens when people are young; it has become a lifelong process.

People's ability will no longer be judged merely by qualifications obtained in the past, but will also be evaluated by their capacity to learn and adapt in the future. Those who cannot adjust to the new rules will surely confront unemployment, poverty and despair as the old jobs disappear and the old systems crumble.

Learning is not just important to make sure that people keep acquainted with the developments in a particular field. It is also an important source of motivation, stimulation and job satisfaction. It is the key to achieving our full potential since human beings possess the ability to learn throughout their lives.

We do have the capability to change our lives through learning at any age and knowledge does have the power to transform the world. It is easy to retire from the demanding everyday into some isolated and private paradise where we can only reflect on the questions of the time. A better choice is to embrace the ever-changing reality with both wisdom and action, because the world is unfinished and it is our responsibility to keep building and creating. Lifelong learning is, thus, essential because it helps us to keep in tune with trends and developments in the world. Lifelong learning is a feature of modern life and will continue to be so.