One of the advantages of the internet is that enables as to make contact with experts in any field. The contact doesn’t necessarily need to be direct; we don’t have to send emails or direct messages. There are many experts who devote a large portion of their time for public education; often through books, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, Instagram and other media.
To pay respect to people I follow and learn from, I will name some of them and I’m sorry I can’t name all of them
Peter Attia, Jim Stoppani, Jason Fung, Jordan Peterson, Seth Godin, Joanna Penn, Mark Dawson, Shawn Coyne…
One could say that the internet, if used correctly, can be turned into an own university, on which you pick your courses and teachers and the skills you wish to improve.
Diploma
Implementing these methods of learning you won’t be able to get a degree, but you will gain certain skills which you will be able to apply on your own life and that application will bring you an experience from which you are going to learn even more.
Diplomas are often overrated. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go to college and earn a degree, or calling; it rather means that diploma doesn’t often say much about the qualifications of its holder.
The only thing that diploma says is that you managed to pass the test for which you studied from a certain book. To become an expert in a field, you need to have years of work experience and knowledge application; you don’t get your driver’s licence by passing a test; you must prove that you can actually drive the car.
Advice
Another advantage of learning from experts is once you have access to knowledge shared by experts, you don’t have to ask your parents, grandparents, and neighbors for advice. They might have some life experience but it doesn’t make them experts and most often they are not qualified to give any advice.
The mere fact that someone raised a child doesn’t make them a child psychologist; the mere fact that someone knows how to cook a delicious meal doesn’t make them a nutritionist; the mere fact that someone can speak a certain language doesn’t make them a linguist; the mere fact that someone had a knee surgery doesn’t make them a surgeon.
However, people who aren’t qualified will often try to impose their ideas and advice as valid. An advice they give you is especially dangerous if, in your eyes, these people are some sort of authorities; parents, siblings, anyone whose opinion you find valuable. An advice can lead you to a wrong path and can be counterproductive.
For example when someone says that you should eat garlic instead of seeing a doctor.
Therefore, my advice is to pick your advisors carefully and to equally carefully give one. Always ask yourself whether those who advice you are qualified or whether you’re qualified to give advice.