Something I've been thinking a lot about lately is the importance of framing in terms of education. That is, having a "why" behind what we learn.
I remember being in high school and thinking *I* *DON'T* *CARE!*
I remember learning about how to make pemmican. And thinking I DO NOT CARE!
I remember learning languages I never planned to use, mathematical theorems that had no place in my life. Sciences that I wouldn't use.
And now I'm an author, listening to everything from how guns are assembled to how cytoplasm interacts.
Because I have a reason. I have a reason to learn all these things to make the best book, grounded in as much reality as possible.
I remember my grade 10 math teacher, Mister Phipps. I remember sitting down with him and him asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I naively answered "rich" and he said "then you're going to need to be able to understand this." and he plopped the stock report down on the table.
I asked him to teach me how, and he replied that he's been trying to.
Framing.
I went from a C- and D student to straight A's once I had a frame of reference. I reason to apply myself.
The longer I'm alive, the more fascinated I become with everything - hell, there's a guy named Paul Starnets who I'm constantly listening to talk about fungi.
So what's my point, you ask?
Find a reference.
If you are a student, find an ikigai to frame all knowledge through - if you are a teacher, do your best to anchor your lessons within something resembling a person's dreams.
You think Bruce Wayne would've listened so intently to his chemistry instructor if he hadn't recognized that the knowledge would be necessary to isolate and neutralize a Joker toxin in the future?
Want to be a police man?
Cool, you'll need math and spelling to fill out the paperwork. Gotta improve that memory so you can memorize license plates and whatnot. Need your drama to be able to project your voice, confidence, body posture etc...
Most things can be linked to a passion.
(maybe not logarithms... !@#$ing logarithms...)
So link it, and link it early. Because the sooner you link it up, the sooner the world gets a beautiful and passionate lens to see (and retain) everything through.