Recently, a (new) friend of mine remarked, “You’re always learning”. I paused. She was right. I AM always learning! I’m somewhat addicted to the process. I’ve never really described what it’s like for me.

Dear diary, today, let me try.

Learning, for me, is like unwrapping a piece of chocolate from an assorted box. The process of uncovering is just as fun as the final, exhilarating burst of flavour (understanding).

It is like stepping into a mansion and opening each door at random. The expectation is just as thrilling as the discovery.

I enjoy the humility of not knowing something, but I love the process of divorcing myself from that ignorance even more. Not only do I relish asking questions, but I also take delight in searching for the answers on my own.

Most often, I find the journey more rewarding than the destination.  

So, what am I learning these days?

Apart from the medical webinars and articles, I’ve been digging into Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. I’ve been spending time on MIT OpenCourseWare and Harvard University Free Courses.

Knowledge is becoming increasingly open-sourced. These days, you can teach yourself anything, for free! All one requires is willpower and time.

But then, academia doesn’t want to admit it. They still want us to pay. They still want to be the gatekeepers of all knowledge. The status quo will not persist for any longer. Their day of reckoning is close!

Or maybe I’m just bitter. I also wanted to be in academia. Instead, I was engulfed and detained by private practice. Every attempt to join academia has met one unfortunate turn of events or another.

Perhaps this independent learning is a form of protest? Maybe.