Can Learning Alone Truly Develop an Individual? Let's Discuss Its Impact on Personal Growth

Can Learning Alone Develop an Individual?

Can learning alone develop an individual?

What do you think based on your knowledge and experience? Please let us know; then the debate would be more fruitful.

Have a nice day.

Regards,
Simhan

I do not believe learning alone can develop an individual. Formal learning mostly only teaches you theoretical knowledge. The real learning comes when you leave academia and move into the workplace and put into practice what you have learned. It is only in the real world that you learn that not everything you learn in school works out in practice. It's then when you learn about flexibility, adaptability, and decision-making based on reality and the circumstances at the time, not on theory.

Good examples are often seen here on CiteHR where we have people who come out of school with degrees, MBAs, whatever, and walk straight into an HR Manager job with no skills to do the job whatsoever. Yes, they have a piece of paper that says they have a qualification, but that does not mean they can do the job. That only comes with real-life experience on the job.

There is also the increasing worldwide problem that we have where some individuals are not earning their degrees and MBAs, etc., by doing the work. They increasingly rely on others providing them with ready-made answers rather than doing the research and developing the knowledge and skills they will need to rely on in later life.

It's a vexed question, and there are no easy answers. In India, I see a country rushing headlong into the 21st Century at breakneck speed, but at what cost to its people. This massive express train will hit the buffers with an almighty crash if India does not adequately train and develop its workforce with the real-life skills and experience needed. Academia alone will not get them there.

Many people may decry my thoughts and my actions on CiteHR to try and encourage people to do more for themselves and develop their skills and talents. But others will see that in the long run, I am trying to help prepare people for the future and their future success. My working life is nearly over. Now I can use my experience and skills to help other people.

Learning alone, we can gather some information, but we can't fully understand other behaviors. If we want to build a career in HR, we have to mingle with people.

INTRA & INTERPERSONAL RELATION

Read about INTRA & INTERPERSONAL RELATION.

Thank you.

Learning is only one aspect of life. Unless you put into practice what you have learned, over a period of time, you tend to forget it. Perhaps you have heard of something called the Learning Curve. You have to sustain the learning by implementing it in your work area if it is relevant to your job skill or role.

Best wishes

I agree with Mr. John, Ms. Asha, and Mr. N.K. Sundaram. I firmly believe in Aristotle's words, "Whatever we learn to do, we learn by actually doing it!"

I agree that until you have practical knowledge of a particular sphere, you can't call yourself a master of it just because you hold a master's degree in that sphere. However, theoretical knowledge undoubtedly provides us with a rough idea of what can be done in a specific situation and the various methods available to solve a problem, as taught in our courses. Yet, a person with a bachelor's degree and two years of experience in a specific sector will likely be more efficient than a student with a postgraduate degree after three years of studying in that field.

This is not meant to demoralize students pursuing higher studies. Instead, it is intended to encourage them to apply their knowledge as soon as they have the opportunity.

Regards,
Renuka Prashar
Chandigarh

I agree with you because when you are in university, you are bombarded with theories of HRM. However, in the real world of work, things are different, and it requires experience to solve the problems that we face. Learning can spark a hint of knowledge in HRM but does not provide you with practical problem-solving skills.

Best regards,
TESFAYE

Learning is essential but is certainly not the end of all! Learning will provide "knowledge," but knowledge without "application" will not be of much use! You do things based on what you have learned and try to move on. Sometimes you may make mistakes, and you will have to learn from these also and move on!

Performance and Success: Ability and Skill

When you obtain a driving license, your ability to drive is certified, but when you drive carefully without getting into or causing accidents, you would have acquired skill. Almost identical is the difference between "learning" and "development."

Therefore, if development is the aim, mere learning will not prove adequately potent. Learning will have to be tested on a reality platform, and this alone will lead to development!

Regards,
Samvedan

Yes, people need to understand that formal learning only provides the building blocks from which you go out into the big wide world and learn how to use that basic framework. It doesn't only apply to HR; it is relevant for any discipline. For example, an engineer can learn all the theory in the world about building a bridge. But when he is really tested is when he gets sent out on a job to build a bridge where there could be soil subsidence, a site in an earthquake zone, and so on. He is going to have to learn very quickly and develop real-world skills to solve the problems and get that bridge built so that it is safe and sound. He will have some basic knowledge to start with, but out on the site, faced with the real thing, it is not quite the same as sitting in the comfort of a lecture room in a university.

I like to use the analogy of the time I learned to drive a car. I went to a driving school and had many lessons. The instructor and I would go out once a week, and I would learn various things like reversing, turning, braking, starting on a hill, etc. Then the day came for me to take my formal test, and at the end, I was given a license to drive a car. But the reality is, I never learned to drive that car properly until I was driving regularly in all types of traffic conditions, in all weather conditions, and on different roads. It was then I had to learn how to use my judgment to make decisions based on the conditions.

The real learning ONLY comes after the formal learning.

Dear all, all that you said in one way or another touches on the issue. It is my belief that no one disagrees on the importance of learning. Learning does help you to understand things which you haven't yet experienced. However, it cannot be a determining factor in handling all the issues of Human Resources because there are no ready-made solutions to all the problems we face in reality. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. As we practice to handle the issues of human resources, we won't have any problem managing all the different issues we face in daily life.