Autodidacticism – #SolutionsWatch

by | Jul 20, 2022 | Solutions Watch, Videos | 39 comments

Who said education was boring? On the contrary. Knowing more about the world, improving your skills and achieving success is electrifying and addictive. But first you have to learn how to learn. Autodidacticism is the process of learning about a skill or a subject without a formal teacher, and today Richard Grove of GetAutonomy.info is here to help us get started on the lifelong quest of self-improvement and self-learning.

Watch on Archive / BitChute / Odysee or Download the mp4

SHOW NOTES:
GetAutonomy.info/ignite

GetAutonomy.info/freedomvault

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Grand Theft World

 

39 Comments

  1. I really appreciate this episode of solutions watch, it speaks to what I have devoted my life to over the past ten years. I have always been someone that sought out specific knowledge and ‘lenses of perception’ that are off the beaten path (educationally speaking). Conventional education systems often seemed to hinder my growth more than nurture it. Sensing that I was not being given the whole story in the school system I began a quest to create my own curriculum with the interest of seeking out a nuts and bolts understanding that might empower me to create a home, life and way of living that which are holistic, resilient, adaptable, joyful and intentional. After reading many books about soil science, nutrition, ancient traditional medicine practices, apiculture, mycology, botany, horticulture molecular biology, geology, biophysics, mycology, electromagnetism, biophysics, food preservation, carpentry, pottery, basketry, masonry, plant identification, foraging, indigenous cultures and other subject matter I felt was relevant to my path it was taking a hands on course (APSO) and putting the knowledge into action with my own two hands that really accelerated the my autodidactic process. It was looking at all these seemingly separate paths of learning through the permaculture lens (looking at things through the ‘eye’s of nature’) that I began to see intersecting points where I could synergistically combine what I had learned in those fields and apply them in my life in a practical way.

    I put these skills sets to work in the garden, in the forest and in the kitchen. Lots of trial and error occurred and continues to occur. Sometime I let that get to me, but if I approached these learning experiences without ego and emotional reactions, this served to exponentially accelerate the learning process. The convergence of applying these ways of seeing and perceiving has brought a deep sense of purpose, empowerment and gratitude into my life. When I take what I have learned in a scientific sense and then I look out at the world with the permaculture lens (seeing patterns in nature and our elder species that dwell there as wise teachers) with an open heart and with humility the things I am offered a chance to learn and put into practice are truly extraordinary.

    (continued..)

    • When I really think about it, plants, fungi, microbiology (even rocks) are ancient libraries in which the history of millions of years are inscribed. When we observe the geometry of the leaf of a plant we are observing a mechanism for not only transforming/gathering energy but also moving water against the force of gravity in an extremely efficient way. We are also observing the architecture of a self healing structure that is resilient and flexible in the face of wind, water, cold and heat. These facets of a single plant leaf (and more) are the result of millions of years of trial and error as nature experimented with what works and what does not, finding equilibrium after eons but never the less always continuing to adapt and evolve. I feel we have much to learn from these ancient libraries of the living world and this is especially true when one closely obverses the interdependent/symbiotic relationships that exists in nature between the plants, fungi, microbiology (and yes even rocks too).

      This is the path of autodidacticism I have devoted my life to (seeing nature as my teacher). It can be described as “self-learning” and “self improvement” since I am of course part of nature and the community of life that calls this planet home and my intent on this path is to feed myself, my loved ones, help others do the same and leave this place a little more free, wild and beautiful than it was when I got here for those that call this place home after I am gone.

      I also seek to collaborate and symbiotically co-create along side anyone else working towards similar goals. If you feel moved to collaborate in some way you can reach me at https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/. I am currently working on a project to preserve ancient heirloom seeds, educate people about composting, seed saving and food preservation (while making it a fun process). If this resonates I look forward to hearing from you 🙂

      Thanks again for the great episode James!

      • learnin good. teeth fallin out bad. oh jezuz sumpin wrong with the outhouse. ma mere be hollerin again….

        • Hey Steve

          Thanks, I am glad you appreciated what I shared.

          We are living at the most southern point in Canada (a little bit south of Detroit on the shore of Lake Erie).

          How about yourself?

        • @Steve

          Would you happen to be a subscriber to the Solari Report? I ask because I clicked on your name and I vaguely remember talking with someone on there that did work with sail boats/”rigging”.

          • Hi Gavin, no that wasn’t me. I am only able to subscribe to TCR and MM. I wish I were in a position to help support all the great content producers who I benefit so much from. Alas.

            I am located in subtropical central west Florida. So I guess we won’t be swapping local seeds. But I bet that there is much I can learn from you anyway.

            Thanks for replying.

            • Hey Steve,

              Ah okay, I am in the same boat (so to speak) with regards to the Solari Report. I was a subscriber for a while, but as much as I did enjoy conversing with the many intelligent and interesting people who are Solari Report subscribers and as much as I valued all the pertinent intel that Catherine Austin Fitts and her team provide in the subscriber only content (and quarterly intelligence reports) I could not afford to keep up the subscription fee. I did buy all the available hardcopies of the quarterly Solari Reports to add to my library while I was still a subscriber (for posterity) as I feel the insights provided in those reports relating to the radically transforming economic landscape are important for future generations to understand, but it has been a while since I have been on their website as a subscriber.

              My highest priority at the moment is putting everything I have into getting my book printed in a large enough printing run where I can make it affordable to those who would likely benefit from the practical info contained in it’s pages relating to decentralized regenerative food production systems the most. Perhaps one day I will subscribe to Solari again, but for now I am grateful to be part of this community and find engaging with the content and individuals here to be very enriching.

              I have quite a few seeds in my collection that love the heat and humidity. While I do have some super cold hardy seeds native to northern regions, I also have ancient heirlooms from Arizona, New Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and Brazil.

              I like to experiment with growing annuals from down south, sometimes I manage to incrementally acclimatize them to our climate down here through successive generations of seed saving from the toughest plants.

              If you would like to do a seed swap you can reach me at [SNIP – no email addresses in the comments, please. People can contact you through your website or they can get in touch with me if they’d like to contact you. -JC]

              This is my busy time of year (I do landscape design and install) so it may be a bit before I can ship you some seeds but I would be happy to when I have time if you are interested.

              Wishing you many bountiful harvests in the garden this year and beyond

  2. A conversation between two seasoned veterans of the Truth Movement.
    I myself and probably most people can resonate with so many of the aspects presented during this interview.
    I loved it!
    The interview also contains the element of inspiration.

  3. Oh cool! There is a name for how I learn lol.

    Enjoyed it, thank you!

  4. There is something funny about the concept of Teaching Auto-didactism.

    • Weasel

      Lol, true.

      But on the other hand you obviously need to get taught to read before you can self educate thru reading….and I can assure you that you can get almost nothing out of a book on karate or something like Talhofer until you have a person show you the a few simple things that are obvious after you know them but totally invisible before you are shown

      But honestly mostly it’s just fear of looking dumb that stops people trying…. I always looked dumb so it didn’t bother me as much….I did notice one thing about the folks who used to be physically very good but had gotten out of shape…. Fear if looking weak stopped many of them keeping up their practice

  5. I think Mr Corbett should not cring at his early work…. While the audio is not nearly as good it’s actually pretty interesting to go back and see what was happening back then and how well he was able to predict the broad sweep of history before it happened.

    Also, considering the horrible disorganized web pages and source-less work others people did back then (or still do) his work was head and shoulders above the competition.

  6. This talk reminded me of way back when I read ‘The Dumbest Generation’ which warned far in advance of the retarded development and narcassitic mindset that happens when you give teens and pre teens access to social media and endless entertainment…. Also of ‘culture or narccasism’ by Chris Lasch.

    There is no cure for most people…they will die of stupidity. You can only save those that want saving

    • Sounds like Idiocracy ?

      Mike Judge really was ahead of his time when he made that movie

  7. Hello everyone, as an Autonmy graduate I really do recommend this class, and I can’t not give my affiliate link
    This one is the obstacle course, if you can make it through this you have what it takes, and if you are one of James’ regular viewers you all should have no problem finishing the obstacle course

    https://www.universityofreason.com/a/2147484026/LwCa3owd

    And this one is the landing page, (don’t know what a landing page is, this class teaches you)

    https://www.universityofreason.com/a/29887/LwCa3owd

    Honestly I can not recommend this more for everyone, and yes everyone needs this class

  8. My modus operandum for most of my life has been autodidacticism for most everything I do.

    For the most part it works.

    However I need to mention some drawbacks to the approach as well as to the conventional route.

    I’m a musician and one of the instruments I play is the violin.
    It’s a very tricky instrument to learn even under optimal conditions.

    I started to play violin quite late (in my mid-20’s) and my first lessons were group lessons (15-20 students), taught by a student teacher.
    With hindsight, it turned out to be the worst possible way to start playing the instrument.

    It is absolutely critical to be holding the violin and bow correctly to have success with the instrument.

    Despite being given top grades for the course, I finished it holding the bow incorrectly.
    The next two years I took private lessons with the assistant concertmaster in a professional orchestra. Private lessons are definitely the way to go with serious music lessons.

    My violin teacher was an excellent player, but a very poor teacher unfortunately.
    In the two years of lessons she never noticed that I was holding the bow incorrectly!

    How important was this error of mine?
    Let’s put it this way. If the finest violinists in the world (Heifetz, Perlman, Stern, Kreisler etc.)
    attempted to play violin holding the bow the way I did they would sound like amateurs, no matter how hard they tried! It was physically impossible to play properly with my grip.

    It took almost 20 years before I fixed my bow grip!

    Moral of the story?
    Going it alone has advantages and drawbacks, but so too does getting conventional help.

    • Thanks for sharing your experiences and perspective on that.

      I certainly saw the benefits of having a good teacher when I was doing a stone masonry apprenticeship many years ago. One can learn all the proper ratios for creating mortar, interlocking patterns for bricks, the way to strike a chisel for shaping natural stone and how to calculate the proper configuration for ideal structural integrity when building a chimney etc from books but putting those concepts physically into practice is another thing entirely. Having a mentor to guide one through the initial steps and give hands on tips for the subtle ways in which one can get more done with less work and make the end result look great so that concepts become muscle memory helped a lot.

      Perhaps “conventional help” can be like the training wheels when one is learning to bicycle.. as long as one does not grow dependent and does indeed take the necessary step to learn to propel themselves forward in balance, the crutch of the training wheels can serve a meaningful purpose and accelerate how confident one is in the process.

  9. I learned more by myself than from school. I am still learning but I gotten lazy for reading. I save all the audio for when I have to do chores. I am a grown up so my whole life is chores. So I will be listening to this while decluttering the – throw it in and close the door room-

    • “decluttering the – throw it in and close the door room-“
      🙂
      I have one of those.

      • What home is complete without one!? ?

  10. In regards to what James says around the 20:00 mark about the early days of the Corbett Report, one of the first things that comes to mind is:

    “Welcome my friends…….welcome….” (deep voice)

    Haha, we love you James. You have come a long way and your approach has changed over time, for the better.

    • “Welcome my friends…….welcome….” (deep voice)

      I was going to comment on this for quite a while, may as well do so now. 🙂

      I don’t think my ears are deceiving me. I can distinctly hear James’ voice being
      lower (deeper) in his earlier videos from 10+ years ago.

      Can anyone else hear this?

      • Yeah, I remember some years back when I was thinking about the “deeper voice”.
        At the time, I thought to myself that it all is part of a learning process, an evolution which we all go through in life, especially with presentations and trying to project a credible image to an audience.

        – SALES –
        I’m far from being a professional when it comes to sales.
        However I had a Mentor…
        “he was the master at door-to-door. He had no sales pitch hype, just pleasant communication.”…
        …He taught me the value of being myself and genuine, and also taught me that besides Texas blue jeans, nice clothes could be appropriate.”

        About my Mentor…
        https://www.corbettreport.com/interview-1640-new-world-next-week-with-james-evan-pilato/#comment-110003

        When I finally started being more myself, my sales statistics did not necessarily improve to the same high level as my Mentor. But the work became so much more pleasurable.

        • Regarding that era with my Mentor…

          Near the 26 minute mark of The Bystander Effect – #SolutionsWatch, Corbett reads a passage from ”Influence: Science and Practice”.
          It talks about the best strategies in an emergency.
          An incredibly IMPORTANT point is made.
          Then James Corbett talks directly to me. Not anyone else.
          You need to spend three minutes and watch at least that one part to find out the principle that is discussed.

          My memory glands kicked in.
          ANECDOTE…

          https://www.corbettreport.com/solutionswatch-bystander/#comment-120402

      • Yes…of course we can hear it. That’s why it’s funny to comment on. It was a certain type of delivery he was trying, apparently.

        • “Yes…of course we can hear it. That’s why it’s funny to comment on. It was a certain type of delivery he was trying, apparently.”

          It could be. At this point it’s still just a theory. It’s quite difficult to keep it up for an entire video, and several years!

          People’s voices do change, but usually they are pretty fixed by the early 20’s.

          I guess we’ll have to get the goods straight from James. 🙂

  11. Great interview!
    I’ve gone to the link above (getautonomy.info/freedomvault) searching for “the underground history of america” presentation but am having no luck. Can anybody kindly point me in the right direction?

    • If you’ve already made the decision to be an autodidact today and every day for the rest of your life, I can’t recommend enough SuperMemo as a tool in your toolbet. What this software unlocked for me was the ability to guide my learning and therefore, life, through a stream of informed micro-decisions rather than an infrequent cadence of more impactful decisions (e.g. “I think I’ll read this textbook this month) coupled with an entertainment seeking attention span.

      It’s crazy how much mkre

      • Zhouxiden

        I will go take a look at that now.

        I like Obsidian MD notes program for self directed learning…I like to do paper note cards too but the free Obsidian program lets you create word searchable file cards on your computer and you can read the files card in any text editor so you won’t get locked out of your work if obsidian stops being available… I needed to watch the YouTube tutorials yhough.

    • That is great news!
      I watched parts of the video.
      What a wild, unjust ride Pawlowski has gone through!
      His line in the sand…it seems ages ago when he first stood firm.

    • I was just reading about this on Rebel News..they sure tried to make him look bad in the regular news…

  12. I have been contemplating the focus of this episode for the last few days in an attempt to take a step back and see the broadest implications and applications of this process of Autodidacticism.

    Pursuant to this, I would like to start a discussion on the concept of Spiritual Autodidacticism (spiritual autonomy/self-learning).

    For many people, when they hear the word “Spirit” or “spirituality” they think religion, and that’s understandable considering religious institutions have claimed for millennia that they are the ‘celestial middle men’ that can sell you a ticket to connect with that which is beyond the physical. Theoretically, religion is supposed to be (or at least it is marketed as) a medium for knowing and connecting with the non-physical, ‘the mystery’, ‘the divine’, or “Spirit”. Unfortunately, in my experience, it rarely serves that purpose and most of the time it ends up driving a wedge between the individual and that cosmic knowing, that spiritual awareness, that inner light. Religious belief systems have become distorted and proliferated through centralized global religous institutions as tools used by individuals who covet power and manipulation to control the global population and create complacency as well as to shape a limited world view, inflate egos, as to enable them to direct many of the working class into conflicts ‘wars’ for profit. Belief systems that promote guilt, fear, ego and a pretentious sense of being more important or ‘more blessed’ than other people or other forms of life, are belief systems that are disempowering and not based in truth. When we take a look around at the world today those are the characteristics of most mainstream religious institutions. The core principles of a given religious belief system may have some value to an individual seeking to better him/herself, but the institutions as a whole have been infiltrated and corrupted by humans operating in the ego, feeding their greed and want of power over others.

    Thus, for those that seek to embark on a path to learn about the more than physical aspects of our existence and come to know the essence of Self that existed before they came into this human experience (and will continue to exist after the body they currently inhabit ceases to function) I would suggest that embarking on that learning/remembering path without the baggage of stagnant, distorted and often ego inflating dogmatic belief systems and the corrupt institutions perpetuating them is the most effective path to gain a solid awareness of the spiritual aspects of our existence.

    (continued..)

    • (..continued from another comment)

      ..Being raised in a devout atheist family and then being confronted by experiences that could not be explained through conventional scientific lenses of perception my path to Spiritual Autodidacticism was embarked upon out of necessity. For me, it began when I would spend time in solitude in the deep wilderness, allowing my mind to become still until I was able to sense that part of me that is more permanent than my human body and mind. That journey inward became a launch pad for perceiving many nourishing, inspiring, humbling and beautiful realizations and understandings and I do not think I would have gotten there if I had sought out some Guru or Priest with predispositions, assumptions a limited dogmatic worldview (and perhaps ulterior motives as well.)

      On my journey I have learned (through direct personal experience) and now understand that this human experience is about a marriage of “spirit” (non-temporal higher dimensional consciousness) with the physical. The relationship is mutually beneficial, a kind of cosmic symbiosis. We come to inhabit these magnificent bodies as they allow us to navigate through this physical dimension and experience its beauty through the 5 senses. We are offering opportunities for growth and enrichment through both challenging experiences and moments of profound beauty. And the benefit to the physical human being, is we open up gateways to joy and peace unattainable by the ‘ego’ and its body alone, windows into higher complexity and richness of creativity as well as the deep serenity and bliss that comes from the Love we imbue into these lives on earth. The brain is the operating system for these advanced molecular machines (human bodies) that we use to explore and interact on this physical plane. The brain is a bio-chemical electromagnetic computer capable of interpreting and synthesizing our experiences on this plane and storing memories that are painted with the rich spectrum of human emotion. Although this advanced computer can create abstract thoughts, images, along with other sensations, put them into action and is even capable of self-awareness, but it does not represent the essence of who and what we are.

      One of the most critical steps we need to take in order to break from the old paradigm and shape a new one we need to stop seeking outside of ourselves and look inward. No amount of book knowledge can help us along this path of spiritual self-learning. As each of us become reacquainted with the part of our selves that existed before we came into these bodies (and will continue to exist long after) we move into an awareness that involves self awareness and intuitive discernment.

      (..continued…)

  13. (..continued..)

    Critical thinking is a powerful tool (and I endorse exercising it regularly wholeheartedly) but intuitive discernment surpasses the capabilities of that lens of perception and process of analyzing situations by far. Outside and beyond the ‘jurisdiction’ of that which the human brain can know and perceive, all is already known and perceived.. if one attunes their alternative organs of perception (heart/third eye) through spiritual self-learning (non ideologically defined meditative practices) one becomes capable of perceiving glimpses of that infinite library of knowing and crystal clear lens of unlimited perception in key moments in life.

    This is the realization/state of being that when embraced by enough people, can be the catalyst for rendering the current system on earth obsolete and planting the seeds for a future of peace, resilience, abundance, and equality for all mankind. For through living and embodying that knowing, each time as we look into the eyes of another human being, we don’t see a Canadian, or Brazilian, a black person or a white person, or any other arbitrary programmed label based on appearance, geography, or any kind of sectarian differences… We just see a human being. A being that carries the same spark of divinity that we know shines brightly in our own core. With this knowing, and the common ground that such a realization and truth bridges between us, “the corporate parasites” that currently thrive on this world would no longer be able to survive. When combined with intellectual/practical skill autonomy (self learning through books and hands on trial and error) as well as combined with decentralized regenerative food production systems (food autonomy) Greed and fear based ways of thinking would have no place in the midst of those who understand who and what we truly are (and are capable of providing knowledge and sustenance to ourselves and our loved ones) and so, people would not be swayed by those fear based manifestations of the brain nor the illusions of the ego.

    The sickness of the mind that is greed and lust for power is a symptom of a society of humans who have forgotten who and what they truly are. The humans that sit in the seats of material power in this society actively work to spread the seeds of fear, greed, selfishness, self-importance and a way of perceiving ourselves that says that our consciousness is nothing more than a bi-product of our physiology, for those that embrace that mentality (and live it) become prime candidates to be fed upon by their parasitic corporate systems. It is a lot like how some physical parasites that use mammals as hosts will actively manipulate the brain chemistry of the host organism as to make the host crave foods that will nurture the parasite (often to the detriment of the host organism).

    (…continued…)

    • (..continued..)

      The Bill Gates’, Elon Musks and Klaus Shwabs etc of this world are among a number of dominant individuals and institutions in the human world that have created systems around us that are nudging us to look outward for purpose, guidance and fulfillment. These entities promise us an ‘easy’ high tech life (transhumanism) with less (mental and physical) effort, all we have to do is give up our humanity and conform to ‘the new normal’. They promise us that the centralization of food, energy, education, pharmaceuticals, taxation, communication and enforcement systems will keep us safe and happy.

      These are the promises of deluded, ignorant and fearful humans, (some of which are in fact engaging in behavior that would be accurately described as malicious, predatory, apathetic and parasitic). The mentality of the individuals pushing forward the above described systems of oppression and slavery (appear to me) to be a states of awareness that (at their core) arise from a perspective that does not perceive what a human being truly is.

      From what I sense of the current trajectory of dominant institutions it appears that the cost one will pay for buying what they are selling will be their autonomy, their Humanity and their individual uniqueness. They will pay this toll slowly, spanning a lifetime of mental, digital, biological and financial slavery. The substance that makes up their shackles in this new form of slavery will be made up of their physical dependency, the ‘atrophy’ of their spiritual awareness, their infantilized minds, their access to their bank accounts and their always leaning into the false hope that someone else (in some high up position of influence/finance/strength) will do the hard work for them/us to create a better future.

      We have all been conditioned to latch onto the comforting (and infantilizing) idea that someone other than ourselves is going to solve our problems for us. This has never been true and it never will be true.

      I feel it is important to note that all of the above described behaviors and systems of oppression are being put in place by human beings that were innocent children once. Children born with unconditional love, curiosity, compassion and the capability for self-awareness and intuitive discernment. Slowly but surely, those humans had those innate facets of their being dampened, suppressed and beaten out of them by decades of programming and indoctrination. Those that they end up preying upon (the vast majority of the population) are also indoctrinated into that same state. Thus, I propose that one of the core pillars that holds up and perpetuates this monolithic global oligarchic empire that has built up around us is a lack of spiritual autonomy.

      (..continued..)

      • (..continued..)

        Some specific characteristics of my particular approach to what I consider to be spiritual autonomy (or spiritual self-learning) involve things like always choosing to be open to the possibility of being mistaken (or at least to the possibility that my ideas/beliefs may be askew and in need of adjustment/honing). It involves taking long hard looks in the metaphorical mirror through honest assessments of whether my thoughts, words, and behavior is aligning with my moral compass.

        My path to engage in spiritual autodidacticism is never-ending (both in this lifetime and beyond). It involves seeing the friction of encountering different view points as a way to sharpen the blade of consciousness that is my mind (so that I may wield it more precisely to co-create a world I want to live in and pass on to future generations). It involves seeing the scars that are left by trauma and challenging experiences as maps for my earthly path ahead and my soul beyond that. I strive to remain centered in my autonomous knowing of what is truly important as I live in this broken society that often covets intellect, physical prowess, material objects and sees compassion and humility as weakness. It is a path where I choose to see moments that appear to be mundane or monotonous as opportunities for expanding my capacity for gratitude, noticing the beauty of the little things and patience. It is a path that involves striving to widen my circle of compassion, to embrace not only all humans, but all living creatures and the whole of nature so that I may escape the illusion of separateness that the current dominant institutions (‘educational’, religious, ‘journalistic’, ‘entertainment’ etc) on Earth pushes onto the people and instead consciously embrace the innate oneness and intrinsic interconnectedness of all beings and all things.

        For me, the choice to go inward, tap into my alternative organs of perception and then allow my spirit (or ‘soul’) to take the drivers seat is the single most profoundly beneficial and meaningful action I chose in this life on earth. For not only does inward stillness, exploration and coming to know your eternal self inevitably invoke beautiful realizations and knowledge, it helps one to attain a kind of lasting inner peace, joy, and knowing not attainable through any amount of outside stimuli, whether that stimuli be “education”, religious belief, material wealth, or even intimate connections with other humans. From this perspective we can move forward not purely for the sake of a benefit to ourselves as individuals, but towards a new path where the evolutionary process is consciously determined from within each of us to enrich the collective of which we are an intrinsic part. This is a path where embracing spiritual autonomy can take our human family. The transformation begins with each one individual, inside out.

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