Learning is something we do all the time as humans. But have you ever stopped to wonder why we learn? Or, perhaps more accurately, why we are so motivated to learn?
Well, we’re here to answer your questions. In this article, we will explore why we learn and what motivates us to learn. So strap in and let’s get started!
Why Do We Learn?
Learning is an intrinsic part of being human. Some might argue that the process starts way before we’re even born. Studies have shown that babies learn to recognise familiar voices and music in the womb and continue to be soothed by them after birth. It seems then, that from the moment we come to some form of consciousness we are on a mission to learn through experiences, repetition and association.
As humans, we are curious. We always have been. If you think about where we were in the caveman days and where we are now, we’ve come on leaps and bounds in a relatively short space of time. This is all because we have been relentlessly curious and our brains have developed in such a way that we can make complex connections and apply them to new processes and ideas.
But why exactly is this? Let’s explore…
Motive
To really understand why learning is such an intrinsic part of our nature, we have to go back to when we were vulnerable. Before we had weapons and machines to catapult us to the top of the food chain, every day was a constant battle to stay alive. No man was a match against wolves, bears and lions – at least not without a helping hand. So, we were forced to learn. When we couldn’t get physically faster or stronger than a predator, we had to be more creative and outsmart them. We had to test new concepts and refine them in order to succeed.
Survival was the main driver behind learning. And it’s not just exclusive to humans either. Animals of all shapes and sizes go through the same process. Think of mice in a maze. Over time, they will learn to remember the route that leads them to the cheese, and even devise shortcuts to help them get there faster!
Of course, times are different now. We don’t have to worry about predators anymore. Now we are motivated by much more complex needs. We learn to push boundaries and progress, whether that’s on a personal level or a professional one.
At work, we are pushed to learn new skills to further our careers, which has become even more pressing with the development of new technologies. While this is a particularly important reason for learning, it doesn’t necessarily make it fun. While staying alive was motivation enough to stick at something in the caveman days, nowadays us humans require other compelling reasons to give the time and effort to learning.
Curiosity
Have you ever seen a magic trick and desperately wanted to know how it was done? That’s our curiosity coming into play. Our brains do a great job of trying to make sense of the world around us but sometimes what we think we know doesn’t tally with what we see with our own eyes. When that happens, we’re hungry to know the how and why behind it.
Reward
Everyone likes being rewarded. It brings a little light to your day and puts a spring in your step. When you master a new skill or understand why something is how it is, it brings a sense of reward which makes you feel good about yourself. But reward doesn’t stop there.
There are real life rewards to learning. If we go back to our ancestors, it was staying alive, or being warm at night, or having somewhere comfortable to sit. As time has gone by, the rewards have become more sophisticated and less life-affirming. Smartphones for example give us the reward of being constantly connected and entertained. Learning a new skill at work can lead to a pay rise. The list goes on!
Overcoming Fear Of The Unknown
The unknown is a scary place to be. Naturally, it makes us feel uncomfortable and, instinctively, we don’t like that emotion. So, we learn to overcome our fear of the unknown by figuring stuff out. Again, at its most primitive, overcoming fear of the unknown was linked to life-or-death situations. But that’s quickly changed. Now, in society as a whole, we push ourselves to the limit to understand the world around us and overcome our fears.
In this article, we’ve only briefly touched upon a few core reasons why we learn – this is by no means an exhaustive list! At DBLX, we are passionate about helping organisations and businesses level up their learning experiences to make the most of these motivating factors. Whether bespoke or custom eLearning content, we can make engaging experiences that cover a range of subjects from compliance material to company specific processes.
Interested? Let’s make something special together.