Most things worth learning about have a qualia-like quality where you don't understand the value of learning them until you've learned them. Travel also has thi

Most things worth learning about have a qualia-like quality where you don't understand the value of learning them until you've learned them. Travel also has this quality. Learning languages helps you with all of the things you'd prefer doing. I don't know anyone who studies comparative (or increasingly, American) politics without knowing at least a second language and ideally more. Learning other languages helps with knowing your own, or at least it did for me. Knowing languages clearly helps with knowing cultures, and that helps with socializing -- it's amazing what an ice breaker even, like, two weeks of training in a language is when you meet someone who speaks it. I've found multilingual fluency has helped me with coding as well. Most immersion during language learning is essentially passive. Instead of reading the news or watching TV in your native language, do it in the language you're learning. Very little additional investment, huge reward.