Stephen Downes

There's an old song from The Smiths that runs something like this:

In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die ?

And I think the essence of 'personal learning' (or maybe I should expand the concept, and talk about 'personal living') is captured in this. Our lives are so short, they go by so quickly, and we spend time filling our brains with other people's knowledge, other people's plans, other people's priorities. And there will never be a shortage of inducements to do so, never a shortage of business plans based on that principle. But without getting all EST or scientologist about it, can't we say something along the lines of it being most important to find out what we want to be and to do, and to pursue that aim? That is not the same as selfishness (not even close) - many of us, most of us, will choose to live selflessly. But it is the same as self-determination. Which I think is important, and on which I think our culture and out democracy crucially depends. Would I be as methodical as Vicki Davis is here? Maybe not. But maybe I should be.