on learning

I revel in novelty, and I see myself as a never-ending work-in-progress. When a friend asked me to define myself back when I first entered college, I said I was “an infinite lego block”. I wasn’t exaggerating.

I like putting myself and my belief systems to the test, and I love exploring new ideas or perspectives. This page is the most freeform page on this website because like myself, it has no restrictions.

Reading

I consider myself an avid reader. Although, there are months when I can barely manage to read through a book. I believe all of us have those weeks or months. In any case, I enjoy reading psychology, philosophy and economics. I enjoy fiction more than non-fiction. Some of my favourite writers are Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski, Susan Cain, Franz Kafka. Of course, that is not an exhaustive list. I enjoy reading every writer and every book, to be honest. My favourite book of all time is The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Coursera

While learning by doing is great, learning formally can be awesome too. That is precisely why I devote time to learning and exploring new fields and disciplines through paid and unpaid courses.

  • Introduction to Philosophy by The University of Edinburgh | Certificate
  • Modern Art & Ideas by The Museum of Modern Art, New York | Certificate
  • Game Theory by Stanford University & The University of British Columbia | Certificate
  • Philosophy, Science and Religion: Religion and Science by The University of Edinburgh | Certificate
  • Introduction to Psychology by The University of Toronto | Certificate
  • Know Thyself – The Value and Limits of Self-Knowledge: The Examined Life | Certificate
  • The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 by University of Virginia | Certificate
  • The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910 by University of Virginia | Certificate
  • What Is Contemporary Art by The Museum of Modern Art, New York | Certificate
  • Social Psychology by Wesleyan University | Certificate

I love Coursera because it lets me be in touch with the side of me that is completely intrigued and into the humanities and arts. I can dabble in Philosophy, Psychology and other topics that have always interested me at my own pace.

Udacity

When it comes to learning, I also have to continually invest in myself as a technical professional. I’ve completed (and left) several nanodegrees from Udacity. Here’s a list of everything I’ve managed to complete.

There are, of course, several pending Udacity nanodegrees that I left midway or even earlier than that. However, there’s always something you pick up from a course and that’s what I go for now. Learning is greater than completion.

Experiments

While structured learning is great, I also experiment a lot with my life. Over the last decade, I’ve tried multiple experiments when it comes to philosophy and lifestyle. I’ve tried to live by the minimalist philosophy. Along with that, I’ve tried reducetarianism and vegetarianism for about five years. I try to live by the stoic fundamentals along with a mix of absurdism. Eventually, I’ve learned that we all need to find our own balance when it comes to life.

A combination of everything I learn goes into my content on Instagram as well as the website for Nudge › How, which is an ever-evolving self-improvement platform and network.

So, that is a gist of what I do but this isn’t an exhaustive list. If you have an interesting experiment or train of thought, I’d love to hear about it.