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I am surprised that no one has mentioned consultation with a MENTOR. Really, if you "don't know what you don't know", you need some type of trusted guide who u

I am surprised that no one has mentioned consultation with a MENTOR. Really, if you "don't know what you don't know", you need some type of trusted guide who understands your aptitudes and motivations and can recommend a path of study or provide some clarity of thought. There is absolutely nothing wrong with fumbling around in the dark and discovering stuff on your own, but if you're asking this question, it means you're resource-constrained and need some clear goals to work towards. This is where a mentor or at least a colleague can help out a lot. In addition to providing guidance, a mentor can critique and analyze the direction you're taking. "Todo" lists are perfectly fine tools for mastering some narrow focused topic or for achieving completion of a small project, but they're not a strategic tool. Deciding what to learn next is very much a STRATEGIC question, and those kinds of decisions benefit greatly from dialog with an expert who cares about your success.

burger_moon 11y ago
A mentor would be an amazing source. Unfortunately where I work there aren't any people that would fit that bill. Finding a mentor outside of work is difficult for many reasons. From what I've found this is a pretty common problem.
DenisM 11y ago
It's fairly difficult to find someone who cares enough to mentor you. They can't buy stock in your person, they are busy with things in their life, they don't have much power over you so they can't quite be sure to get even a short-term payoff. It might work if the pupil is willing to just do the bidding of the master to relief him from his chores, so that the master has incentive to spend effort on pupil's education. I surmise so few students want to play this role that there is no cultural norm to draw from, the concept is too alien. It's a pity, too. There ought to be a way to transfer knowledge and skill from one generation to another.
- crispyambulance 11y ago
  It is difficult and most people will have only one or two mentors in their life IF they're lucky. But I think you'll find that those who mentor others don't see their efforts as directly "transactional". They mentor others because they're expressly passing on the knowledge they've gained to the next generation. It is an altruistic act.

burger_moon 11y ago

A mentor would be an amazing source. Unfortunately where I work there aren't any people that would fit that bill. Finding a mentor outside of work is difficult for many reasons. From what I've found this is a pretty common problem.

DenisM 11y ago

It's fairly difficult to find someone who cares enough to mentor you. They can't buy stock in your person, they are busy with things in their life, they don't have much power over you so they can't quite be sure to get even a short-term payoff. It might work if the pupil is willing to just do the bidding of the master to relief him from his chores, so that the master has incentive to spend effort on pupil's education. I surmise so few students want to play this role that there is no cultural norm to draw from, the concept is too alien. It's a pity, too. There ought to be a way to transfer knowledge and skill from one generation to another.

crispyambulance 11y ago
It is difficult and most people will have only one or two mentors in their life IF they're lucky. But I think you'll find that those who mentor others don't see their efforts as directly "transactional". They mentor others because they're expressly passing on the knowledge they've gained to the next generation. It is an altruistic act.