Love of Learning and How to Reactivate It If It Fades 

In this article, I explore the strength of Love of Learning, how it shows up, its benefits, and how to (re)activate it at work and in your relationships.

Love of Learning: a passion for learning, a desire to learn just for learning’s sake.

Values in Action (VIA) Institute on Character.

I have always had such a voracious appetite for learning that sometimes I drive people mad. Their questions and comments go like this: “When are you going to stop?” “Haven’t you learned enough?” “What more do you need to know?”

I laugh. Love of learning is baked into me and I spend much of my time acquiring and deepening my knowledge, expanding, challenging, and engaging with it. You could even say love of learning is in my genes as when my elderly Dad passed away, we received an email praising him as “a great example that you can still learn up until your last breath.”

Love of Learning in Action

While I am not sure there is a ‘typical’ example of love of learning in action, here are two examples of how it shows up for me.

If you came to my house today, you would see forty-three books in my ‘to read’ soon pile, or that I have read yet I want to revisit, or that I like to keep for browsing purposes – and that is just in my lounge room.

I couldn’t care less about the number. I just like knowledge all around me. I literally pick up and dip into several of these books during any day or week, whether or not they are a current read. The topics range from psychology, coaching, poetry, my sister’s verse novel, historical recipes from around the world and the built environment, through to brain food, crime fiction, art, literature and travel.

Characteristic of someone with the strength of love of learning, I am genuinely excited by new information and motivated by expanding my knowledge bank.

Following a discussion group I was part of last night, I have already Googled to check my understanding of ecopsychology, sought out numerous websites and resources, sent these to the participants, posted to a different group and reflected on how I can apply and share some of my new learning.

In this case, my love of learning is consistent with not settling for bare minimum details or a superficial understanding. In fact, because I care about fresh content, I actively delve into new topics with a strong desire to keep seeking more information.

The Value of Love of Learning

Love of Learning is one of the wisdom family of virtues; a strength that helps us gather and use information, to understand the world and operate more effectively within it.

Research findings indicate the strength of love of learning:

✓  Can result in a range of positive emotions, including gratitude, joy, pride, hope and peacefulness

✓  Leads to development of a deeper knowledge base, enhancing competency and efficacy

✓ Supports positive experiences that may predispose an individual to psychological and physical wellbeing

✓  Cultivates the perspective of viewing setbacks and challenges as learning or growth opportunities, leading to greater perseverance

✓  Has been associated with healthy, productive ageing. 

How To (Re)Activate Love of Learning

As a strengths coach, I sometimes coach people for whom Love of Learning is a lesser strength or even a weakness. There are many reasons as to why that is, yet anecdotally they tend to be stale, bored or unchallenged in their work role or are in the wrong job, without the chance to use this strength.

So apart from changing your role, what can you do if you want to activate (or reactivate) your love of learning?

Consider the following ideas and questions as a starting point for your reflection and potential action.

Before You Start

> What areas of learning or topics interest or engage you most?

> What areas or topics do not interest you?

> How do you prefer to learn? (In groups, with a partner, alone, through reading, research, hands-on)

> How does your depth and breadth of knowledge affect your life and relationships?

In The Workplace

> Think about the ways in which you can seek out or expand your learning opportunities and discuss with your supervisor. This may be through formal courses, mentoring or shadowing programs, new qualifications or certifications, informal learning from co-workers or team members, doing your own information gathering or joining a new group or project.

> If your role offers little scope for new learning, talk with your supervisor about how you can modify or shape your role so that it better aligns with your strengths, values and interests. This is job crafting. Redesigning the tasks, relationships or how you think of your role can potentially provide more stretch or variety and offer you more chances to extend your learning and work relationships.

> During a work break or lunchtime, set aside 5-10 minutes to learn something new on a topic that interests you. Set a timer and research the web on this topic. Alternately, identify someone who does a different role that you would like to find out more about. Arrange to meet them over coffee, to learn about what the role involves, what they most enjoy and what a day in the life of entails.

In Relationships

> Consider which of your close relationships you would like to deepen. Explore, discuss or develop a new interest, topic or activity you can learn about or from together. This might be anything from reading the same book or watching the same show, to cooking together, to researching a new holiday destination, taking a language class or visiting a new exhibition.

> Invite someone you do not know especially well or seek out someone you would like to learn more about to have a conversation with or to discuss a topic of mutual interest. This might be someone from your fitness class that you just chat to in passing, a person from a conference, class or online course that sparks your interest or even a LinkedIn connection that you would like to learn more about.

Like any strength and source of passion, the love of learning is best used with wisdom. Too little Love of Learning may show up as disinterest, lack of curiosity or, in the workplace complacency about the job, the relationships and the business. Too much love of learning, used indiscriminately, and you might seem full of yourself, opinionated, patronising or deemed a show off. Ideally – use your judgement as to when you can indulge your love of learning and let it shine, and when sense-checking might be needed (for example, if you see someone’s eyes glazing over).

Finally, let love of learning be your guide to new horizons, new adventures, deeper relationships and to a richer understanding of the world and way of doing good within it.

More Information

Niemiec, R. M., & McGrath, R. E. (2019). The power of character strengths: Appreciate and ignite your positive personality. VIA Institute On Character.

VIA Institute On Character website: https://www.viacharacter.org/