7 Signs You’re an Autodidact (the Self-Taught Master)

Leonardo da Vinci, Eckhart Tolle, Stanley Kubrick, Frida Kahlo, Benjamin Franklin, Krishnamurti, Jane Austen, Steve Jobs – some of the greatest people in history were (and are) self-learners or autodidacts.

As author and autodidact Helen Beatrix Potter once noted: “Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of my originality.” 

In a world where formal education is increasingly failing us on numerous fronts and the bite-sized dopamine-fuelled mediocrity of social media is decreasing our capacity to think critically, being an autodidact is more needed than ever before.

I’ve recently fallen in love again with my local library, and let me tell you, self-directed learning is empowering and feels wholesome and soul-nourishing in a way that’s hard to express fully.

Not only that, but being an autodidact is a huge part of the conscious and intentionally lived life path and spiritual journey as a whole.

You’ll find that you’ll experience way more synchronicity, bursts of exhilarating discovery, and sometimes even moments of mystical realization when reading and learning.

Learning makes life richer and deeper, so why not embrace being an autodidact?

7 Signs You’re an Autodidact

Not everyone is an autodidact. Not everyone has a passion for self-directed learning. Some people are content to learn passively or not at all, and that’s that.

If you’re here reading this right now, I’d say there’s an extremely high chance you’re an autodidact.

But if you’re not sure, here are some signs:

1. You’re a high agency person, meaning that you live in an active, intentional, and focused way by taking responsibility for your life and being self-directed.
2. You have a lust for learning, and you’re wildly curious – aka, you find joy in researching and discovering new ideas, methods, philosophies, etc.
3. You value depth and enjoy long-form content like books, articles like this, long podcasts, and in-depth videos.
4. You feel repelled by social media because it feels too shallow, and you don’t like passively consuming superficially regurgitated info-tainment.
5. You feel suffocated by formal education as it kills your desire to learn or grow.
6. You’re a gifted deep thinker or feeler, what Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski called “overexcitability,” meaning that you have a heightened response to external stimuli and stronger reactions compared with others.
7. Your idea of relaxation is to sit down with a good book – simple, but self-explanatory. ;)

Can you relate to these signs? If so, congratulations! You’ve just joined the ranks of some of the most creative and innovative people in the world. 

Have I missed any signs? If so, share them below in the comments.

Why Formal Education Can Limit Your Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Growth

Okay, I have a lot to say about this, so get ready.

Firstly, many of the most passionate and talented writers, artists, film directors, philosophers, and musicians out there are vehemently against traditional forms of education. 

Mark Twain, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, and Margaret Mead, for instance, were all highly talented autodidacts who spoke up against the innumerable limitations of formal education.

Bertrand Russel, for instance, was once recorded saying that “men are born ignorant, not stupid; they are made stupid by education“, and Henry David Thoreau was attributed to saying, “What does education do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook.”

So, back to the question: Why does formal education often limit your mental, emotional, and spiritual growth? Let’s start with a personal sharing.

Before that, here’s a quick disclaimer: If you’re one of those people who loved university or college, more power to you. You can absolutely be an autodidact and a person who was formally educated. I’m only speaking from my own experience and what I have learned from others who have gone the traditional route. Also, some professions benefit from structured formal learning (doctors, pilots, electricians, accountants, etc.). You wouldn’t want a self-taught surgeon doing triple bypass surgery on you, would you? :) This critique is mainly aimed at the humanities.

I) My Experience With University

I quit university for a number of reasons. One: I hated it. Two: I learned very little.  Three: It was slowly poisoning my love for self-directed learning. 

In fact, during my years at university, I stopped reading, I stopped inquiring, and I stopped doing what I loved the most: writing – which was ironic because I was studying to become a librarian at the time (later contemplating being a psychologist).

Here’s the reality: all passion, drive, and curiosity to learn about the mysteries of life slowly evaporated during my years in formal education. 

The days, weeks, and years of homework, assignments, mandatory readings, and exams slowly drained me of my creativity and lust for life, like a cancerous tumor. 

All I can say is that thank god I finally came to my senses one day and quit, for good.

Luckily, I’m not the only deviant “college dropout” who holds these sentiments. In fact, many people, from Maya Angelou to Bill Gates, never completed college or university. 

Of course, not all college drop-outs do well in real life – that’s a misconception. But there’s nothing wrong with opting out of formal education, especially if it’s killing your love of learning and therefore constricting your ability to psychospiritually grow and transform.

ii) 5 Reasons Why Formal Education Can Be Soul-Sucking

I realize that some people love the experience of formal higher education – and sure, there are benefits. More job security (in some cases), networking, building new friendships, group learning, unique opportunities, and so on.

Don’t get me wrong; you can be both an engaged student and a passionate autodidact – they don’t necessarily cancel each other out.

But I’ve observed that the more deeply steeped in formal study a person tends to be, the more the sacred love of learning begins to wither and die.

Here’s why formal education can be so soul-sucking:

1.  It imposes pressure on you and an immense amount of stress. 

Basically, the rule is “if you don’t learn this by this time, you’ve failed.” Deadlines create an immense amount of stress and pressure, and this is not a healthy approach towards learning.

I remember the feeling of pure, breathtaking freedom that came with quitting uni forever. It was as though a heavy mental burden had been lifted, and I suddenly came to realize how much psychological tension the whole institution had put me through.

The amount of anxiety you have to deal with while studying is completely unnecessary.

2.  It robs you of all of your time.

Hours of dutiful reading, hours of highlighting textbooks, hours of strained eyeballs staring hopelessly at the computer screen … Forget cultivating any meaningful interests or hobbies, studying eats up all your energy, time, and life force vitality.

3.  It robs you of psychological freedom. 

During my stint as a uni student, I noticed this bizarre phenomenon happening inside of me. Whenever I stole a few minutes or hours for myself, I often felt guilty and edgy, as though I was doing something illegal. Basically, my mind was craving to study, not out of free desire, but imposed fear that I was somehow slacking off or not working hard enough. Talk about servitude.

4.  It motivates you with fear. 

In many parts of the world, we’re taught from a young age that if we want to be special, successful or amount to anything important in life, we must slave away for 3-4 years to earn a slip of paper that entitles us to a “bachelor” or “masters” title. 

Most people go to college either out of parental obligation or paranoia. Both are motivated by fear.

5.  It kills your creativity. 

Everything in colleges and universities is predetermined, from the syllabus to the resources, set readings, and excursions. 

College tells you what to do and expects you to follow implicitly. You must walk within their strict boundaries at all times, using their limited materials to answer their limited questions in their limited formats.

Wild, unbridled curiosity is discouraged. Dull-minded conformity is promoted instead.

(Bonus) 6.  It creates mental rigidity and a dislike of ongoing learning. 

As Albert Einstein was recorded saying,

“One had to cram all this stuff into one’s mind, whether one liked it or not.  This coercion had such a deterring effect that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problem distasteful for an entire year.” 

If even famous physicist Albert Einstein was turned off science by formal education, imagine what effect it has on us! 

Even I experienced this with my “library science” studies. I love libraries and what they stand for, but after studying to become a librarian, I truly came to understand the meaning of the word “abhor.”

The fact is, many formal education institutions cram a bunch of knowledge into your brain and expect to make a professional out of you while slowly killing your capacity to be curious and creative.

Sure, you may have finally gained your socially acceptable degree, but the years of stress and dutiful learning have created a rigid, institutionalized brain. 

Furthermore, those of us who have undergone the torture of education camps will understand how nauseating the word “education” becomes after graduating.

Who the hell wants to become a “lifelong learner” and much less an autodidact after experiencing the stress of a formal education? 

It took me ages to get interested in self-directed learning again after serving my time at uni – about a year and a half (some never get it back).  Unconsciously, I identified any form of education with classrooms, exam papers, and hours spent squinting at dry textbooks.

Thankfully, I gradually realized that obtaining knowledge doesn’t have to be excruciating and burdensome, and I’m glad I did. 

These days, being an autodidact is my “bread and butter” – or how I make a living for myself, thanks to the democratization of learning via the internet.

Sadly, many people come out of college and never look back, losing all interest in learning and growing, thus missing out on a whole side of life – one that is rich with the rainbow of other people’s lived experiences, lessons, and insights. 

The Connection Between the Spiritual Journey and Self-Directed Learning

As I mentioned previously, being an autodidact is a huge part of the spiritual journey and path of healing.

In fact, without a curiosity to learn, explore, and expand our intellectual horizons, fuelled by inner passion, we can easily become mentally, emotionally, and spiritually stagnant.

How can we grow, heal, and transform without being open to learning new things about ourselves, others, and the world around us?

Yogic philosophy calls this self-directed learning path Jnana Yoga, which involves contemplation, meditation, self-inquiry, and swadhyaya or self-study.

Using a Western philosophical approach, we can see that this drive to self-educate and evolve comes from the inner genius or daimon – the guiding force of the higher Self who influences what you’re interested in and attracted to, without you making a conscious choice.

To be an empowered autodidact, you need to be able to listen to this inner call and follow your passion and curiosity, trusting that what you’re drawn to is from your Higher Self, who is drawing it into your life for a good reason.

This entire website is a shrine, in a sense, to autodidactic, self-directed learning. So I welcome you to go as deep and as far as you want. The Spiritual Awakening Bundle is an illuminating place to start if you want highly researched, top-tier information on your self-directed learning path.

How to Become an Autodidact (9 Suggestions)

Perhaps you’re reading this and aren’t quite sure whether you’re an autodidact or not. Or maybe you want to embrace this part of your nature more fully.

Whatever the case, autodidacticism has the following benefits:

• makes you smarter,
• enhances your creativity,
• relaxes your mind and body,
• boosts your enthusiasm about life,
• gives you more meaning and direction,
• helps you to master problems,
• makes you feel more empowered,
• reminds you that you’re not alone,
• increases your understanding of others,
• elevates your self-awareness and insight

So how can we become autodidacts? It’s quite simple, really, and actually very enjoyable. 

Below are a few ideas, which I hope you can add to in the comments:

1. Read far and wide, and embrace reading weird things that appeal to you. Read what everyone else reads, and you will think the way everyone else thinks. Get curious and adventurous. If you usually read fiction, try reading biographies, psychology, or occult non-fiction books. This will help to open doors and open your mind. See my article on bibliotherapy for more suggestions.
2. Befriend your local library. I love the library because of the wealth of free information it possesses. It’s also the perfect place for the introvert to spend a comfortable and quiet afternoon. Often, libraries also have events running every month, some free, others charge a small entry price. Go to your local library and start using it more – you won’t regret it!
3. Watch documentaries, films, and other visual media from around the world – don’t just stick with your culture. Expand your perception.
4. Ebooks are your best friend if you’re a heavy reader, especially of non-fiction. I love the ability to highlight and save notes while I read to eventually revisit later. I currently use a Kindle e-Reader (it has lasted me 10+ years, so a good investment!) but it’s painfully slow, so I’m thinking of upgrading to a Kobo later this year, which let’s you read books from your local library. Check out my Spiritual Awakening Process, Awakened Empath, Mindful Shadow Work, and Old Soul books for some insightful reads.
5. Selectively subscribe to high-quality newsletters. I tend to be extremely careful when it comes to whom I choose to stay subscribed to. Receiving hundreds of emails is not only annoying but also mentally overwhelming. If you like someone and their work, subscribe to their newsletter, but do so mindfully. There are so many delightful golden nuggets of insight that may come your way. I have a newsletter that is aimed at helping sensitive spiritual wanderers find clarity, healing, and purpose on their awakening paths. If that resonates with you, here’s the free newsletter (only 1-2 emails per week, and you can unsubscribe at any time).
6. Online courses can be empowering in small doses – and as a self-directed, high-agency person, I prefer the go-at-your-own-pace ones. But generally, you pay more money for courses than books because of the high production value of the content and other elements like group accountability, tests, forums, etc. I generally tend to choose books instead (although I do make exceptions).
7. Podcasts and audiobooks are great if you’re busy and on the move a lot. I treat this format like my inbox: I instantly stop listening and “opt out” if the content is low-quality or too rambly. So curate your collection and keep it clean to avoid clutter and overwhelm.
8. Avoid McLearning – a new word I’ve coined. McLearning is “fast food” learning that is delivered through short snippets, catchy quotes, witty tweets, TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, etc. It’s mostly just fluff and regurgitated, half-thought-out ideas. Steer clear.
9. Practice intellectual humility – as Socrates once said, “I know only one thing: that I know nothing.” Being an autodidact isn’t about being a know-it-all; it’s about curiosity, exploration, and lifelong learning. Keep a beginner’s mind and allow yourself to be continually surprised – it keeps life spicy.
10. (Bonus) Follow your passion, not your “shoulds.” No matter whether you’re learning to be a self-taught musician, writer, artist, programmer, or cook, follow the inner call of what actually appeals to you. Don’t let the inner Judge or Perfectionist tell you otherwise. Passion is self-motivating and the easiest and best way to learn new information quickly.

 ***

The autodidact is a person who is not restrained by lifeless, repetitive, fear-induced learning but one who can freely explore the world with ingenuity, uniqueness, and passion. 

They learn out of a deep inner desire to learn, and not just because they have to. In fact, the autodidact’s approach to education is highly intelligent: learn whatever you wish out of free will, and you will absorb and retain much more.

Self-directed learning not only gives you the knowledge to deal with life’s problems much more effectively, but it’s also non-discriminative. 

Any person of any intelligence level with any amount of money can become an autodidact.

And that is the beauty of this inner calling and life path.

So, are you an autodidact? What are your favorite resources or self-directed practices? I’d love to hear below!