Don’t Stop Learning
In today’s fast paced world, if we don’t keep learning, we’re not standing still, we’re falling behind.
I have a thirst for knowledge and will do my best to quench it through learning. I try to learn something new every day. Sometimes my learning is trivial, sometimes it is profound. Regardless of what I have discovered, I keep on learning.
Just the other day, while feeding my fish, the question, “Do fish drink water?” suddenly struck me. It never occurs to me that the answer to an innocent question like that would set me off on another learning journey. To answer the seemingly simple question, I first had to understand the different fish types, namely the saltwater and freshwater fish. In finding out about the behaviour of these two types of fish, I came across two terms: ‘Osmosis’ and ‘Diffusion’. Ploughing through my mental folder, I recalled that osmosis is the movement of liquid through a membrane from a region of lower concentration to a region of higher concentration. Diffusion, on the other hand, is the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
Saltwater fish have to drink water because the water in their environment is saltier than the liquids in their bodies. Osmosis causes water from their body tissues to be released into their environment. Thus, saltwater fish have to constantly drink large quantities of water to replace what they lose through osmosis. Diffusion then releases the excess salts and minerals taken in and not needed. The salts and minerals exit through special cells at the base of their gills back into the saltwater. Saltwater fish urinate very little because of these processes. If saltwater fish don’t drink water, they will shrivel up.
Fresh water fish never drink water because their bodies are saltier than the surrounding water. Osmosis draws water into the fish’s body through its skin and gills, unlike saltwater fish, where the water is drawn out of the body. Thus, freshwater fish urinate in large quantities to prevent their tissues from becoming too watery. If freshwater fish drink water, they will blow up like balloons.
Fish need the osmosis and diffusion processes to keep their tissues and organs working properly. If fish retain too much water, their tissues become too watery. If they do not retain enough water, their tissues become too salty.
Learning will take place as long as we remain curious and are keen to get to the bottom of things.
On days when I feel as if I haven’t learnt anything, I would take out my little knowledge book to recap some of the facts that I have taken note of from my daily newspaper reading or from watching television programmes. I also have another little book where I would jot down new words that I come across while reading or watching television. These are little life 'learnings' that I find helpful.
One of the most effective things you can do to assure that you are learning is to read. Read as much as you can. And make sure you are reading quality books and not only stuff from the internet or some fashion magazines.
When we read we are forced to interpret words, situations, to imagine characters and places. In one simple word, we are forced to think. The brain functions just like other muscles in our body. When trained appropriately, the brain will grow stronger and faster, and reading is one of the best training that we can have. Reading will require an extra effort compared to watching television, but it will also produce enormous benefits. So read as much as you can, pick up a new skill, a new hobby. Read books on subjects you never did before. Expand your general knowledge base. These are activities that will surely create a positive impact on your life.
Learning keeps our minds alert and able. Not only do we actually acquire new knowledge, we will also feel useful and good about ourselves as well and that will in turn boost our self-confidence and self-esteem.
Remember, no matter how much you learn, you will never know everything - there is always something new, something more, to learn. So don't stop. Keep learning and be happy.
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