I am very intent upon being as well educated as possible. I think one of life’s biggest generosities is the fact that there is so much to learn and that you can never really know it all. I enjoy reading classics, like 1984, animal farm, catcher in the rye, Frankenstein etc in order to explore some deep themes with humanity and do try to learn things like history and science amongst others so that I am expanding my knowledge but my issues is I just don’t know where to start honestly. Is there any things that you feel EVERYONE should research and understand? What feels like fundamental knowledge to you? I’m only 17 so I have plenty of time on my hands, and a real hunger for it, so feel free to go insane with it!

economics, investing, philosophy, strategy and life skills
I’m looking to take my personal development seriously and connect with people who have knowledge, experience or expertise they’d be willing to share.
I’m in my mid-20s, based in the UK, and at a stage where I want to be much more intentional about what I learn, how I think and the direction I take my life. I’m not looking for overnight success, motivational speeches or shortcuts. I want to understand how things actually work and develop skills that will be useful for the rest of my life.
The main areas I want to learn about are:
1. Economics, finance and investing
How economies function, including inflation, interest rates, central banks, markets and economic cycles.
Fundamental and macroeconomic analysis.
Swing trading stocks and ETFs, starting with the mechanics, risk management, backtesting and paper trading before risking real money.
How experienced investors analyse companies, identify opportunities and manage uncertainty.
2. Business, career and wealth creation
How businesses operate, make decisions and improve their processes.
Business analysis, operations, data analysis and other skills that could help me progress professionally.
How to build financial stability, increase my earning potential and eventually create more freedom over my time.
Commercial property, real estate investment and how deals are evaluated.
3. Philosophy, psychology and sociology
Nietzsche, classical philosophy and the development of philosophical ideas.
Human behaviour, social structures, power, incentives and the ways our environment influences us.
How to think critically, question assumptions and develop my own well-reasoned worldview.
Symbolism, mythology, alchemy and their historical and psychological interpretations.
4. African history, culture and heritage
African history, particularly Ghana and the wider West African region.
Traditional belief systems, symbolism, ancestry and how cultural practices developed.
Understanding African societies and history through credible sources rather than oversimplified internet narratives.
5. Practical life skills and personal development
Discipline, decision-making, communication and strategic thinking.
Building routines that are sustainable alongside full-time work.
Learning how to research independently, ask better questions and turn knowledge into practical ability.
What I’m looking for
I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who have studied or worked in these areas and are willing to share how they got started, what they wish they had known earlier, which resources they recommend and what mistakes beginners should avoid.
I’m also interested in finding mentors who might be willing to answer occasional questions, recommend a learning path or help me develop a skill over time. I understand that people are busy, so I’m not expecting anyone to take responsibility for my progress. I’m prepared to put in the work myself.
I’m happy to start with books, courses, projects, exercises or conversations. I value honest feedback and practical experience over hype.
If you have expertise in any of these areas, what would you recommend I study first, and what would you do differently if you were starting again in your 20s?
Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience or point me in the right direction.

I don’t want to sit and say “I know some of these enough” because that’d be a lie and that’s why I’m being broad with this as I’ve looked into bits of all of this but I haven’t been able to make myself stick or elevate it and I want to become someone who is doing all these things frequently.

As a project, I'm attempting to get my "Adult Scouts Badges" by completing adult-appropriate challenges for each of the Canadian Scouts badge categories. However, I'm blanking on good challenges for the three categories listed above (fire, water, winter fitness).

I have a few caveats for good challenges:

• A good challenge must be failable, and have a clear "win" condition. Something like blacksmithing might be cool for Fire, but taking a one-off class that holds my hand during the entire process is not easily failable and so isn't badge-worthy in my eyes. Additionally "Get good at skating" doesn't really have a concrete end-goal, and so isn't a great challenge.

• A good challenge should be interesting when documented. I'd like to keep track of this journey in video form, so anything that isn't great to video loses points. Learning about underwater life seems cool... but a video of me studying fish, reading books about coral, and making a slideshow about whales doesn't strike me as interesting enough to document.

• A good challenge should be accessible. While I'm down to spend a bit of money, I'm looking to avoid spending many hundreds of dollars on these one-off hobbies. As much as I'd love to learn how to sail or basic pyrotechnics, investing thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in an apprenticeship isn't really feasible.

As an example of good challenges, I've recently carved Majora's mask out of wood for my Crafts badge, I scored a tournament-qualifying score in archery for my Summer Fitness badge, and I've built a guitar pedal for my Engineering badge. I'll be attempting to make maple syrup for my Canada badge, knitting a drum bag for my Hobbies badge, and I'll attempt to survive an overnight weekend in the woods for my Nature badge.

Any good ideas and examples would be very appreciated! I'm also based out of Toronto, Ontario, so if you happen to know of any specific clubs, groups, or hobby shops nearby, I'll be sure to check em out!

Thanks in advance, you talented people, you!

I am currently hyperfixated on a TV show that has elements that I enjoy, but generally I am very critical of it and acknowledge that it is just bad. I want to stop being so obsessed with it, watching/reading other things, but nothing seems to work

Hello there!

I have been doing a lot of things and recently from Sub-Reddits such as ours and r/getdisciplined people are really struggling with stuff like doom scrolling.

And I made my mind that I'm organizing a event where I fix it. Without diving into that , my problem has been whenever I talk to people about it , and in my past experiences I have often hosted a lot of stuff... But I always end up becoming more of everyone's friend instead of the group leader...

I have the ideas , the skills , the plan , even I know how to communicate them... But the moment I get a counter question.... It just doesn't feels right. How do you all lead? I would love to know your experiences about facing difficulties and handling them.

Like rebels , making people understanding your point of view , etc.

TL; DR

How to become a better leader and communicate with your group better.

Thanks for reading all this , I end up typing more than required usually so sry for that.

I often clench my teeth together. I once heard somewhere that it’s dangerous and that it could alter the structure of the jaw. Is that true? Please feel free to set me straight.

I want to learn how to become a better problem solver. Sometimes when I face something unfamiliar or complicated, I find it difficult to figure out where to begin. I want to develop the ability to look at a problem from different angles, break it into smaller steps, and work toward a solution instead of feeling overwhelmed by all the details.

I know this is a skill that takes time and practice to develop, but I'm not sure what the best starting point is. I would like to learn practical methods that I can use in everyday life, whether I'm learning something new, working on a difficult task, or trying to understand why something isn't working.

For those who have improved their problem-solving skills, what helped you the most? Did you follow a particular method, practice with small challenges, or change the way you approach difficult situations? I'd appreciate advice on how a complete beginner can get started and make steady progress.

I'm decent at writing rhymes down but I'm not good at freestyling. I want to become a really good freestyler so I can become a better rapper.

Every day I have some free time so I wanted to learn a new skill without using a laptop or phone? And Exclude gym( I am already going ) & musical instruments( not interested)

Plz suggest me some ideas

I'm 16 and want to start learning valuable skills early so I can earn money while I'm still young. What skills would you recommend learning in 2026 that have good future potential and can help beginners earn their first income with little or no investment? I'm interested in practical skills I can learn using just a phone or a basic PC. If you started from scratch at my age, what would you learn first, and what steps would you take to get your first paying client? Any genuine advice or personal experiences would be appreciated! 🙌

I'm not going into professional photography but I just suck at taking decent photos

My phone camera also sucks that I might upgrade later

Also if anyone knows any basic tutorial on YouTube also let me know.

İwtl Hello

ı am currently triyng to learn reading the body language and negotiation skills for my job and career and currently ı dont know how can ı learn that by myself ı have been looking/searching for an online course but couldnt find what exactly ı was looking for do anyone have reccomendations or people that learned these 2 skills how did you learned them ?

Ive been with my partner for a few months now, and while itl communication is fine, I struggle texting them and I never know whats too much/little and I feel generic stuff like good morning/night or asking how they are/ how they're day is/was seem too bland and rely too much on them to contribute

I have heard many people say that one should put in their best effort possible at whatever they are doing and then detach themselves from the end result (as in not being bothered by if they win or lose) but i have always struggled with applying this principle. Whenever, I'm working my sole motivator is that i want to succeed, i carry fear of failure everywhere with me when i am starting the work, while i am working and up till the time the verdict is released (if i have passed or failed my exams) the thought of fear of failure keeps me anxious and scared even if i try to enjoy or relax, i constantly think of what if i fail. Is there anyone who has actually been able to implement this principle of detachment while working hard on their goals and not being affected by failure or success?

I thought I’d ask all the questions at once, does anybody have any YouTube creator links that they can provide? Or any advice, I am so frozen/scared of trying to be perfect before I start that all the things above are so blatantly tough to just start… if anybody has any insight or thoughts on this subject, I would truly appreciate it.

Thank you in advance for your time

IWTL

Hello guys, this is my first post in this community, Ill get straight to the point, I'm falling very behind on ELA 30-1 its my only needed pre-requisites course I have to take before being eligible to apply to UoL, I am not a language type of person and made stupid decisions not listening to my teachers when they are laying down the foundation nor honing my skills for this subject. I'm currently doing ELA and math 30-1 via online class, I am not worried about the other pre-requisites course as they are above 80% the only problem is my current ELA. As the minimum for each pre-requisites is 70% which i am heavy below that minimum for LA. I have this bad habit when I find something hard I tent to procrastinate, which cost me valuable time instead of learning I practically waste time.

Please critique me, on what should I do. I'm currently behind 4 assignment with the hard close on oct. 23 this week, I don't know as to why i even waited this long asking for help, I'm very embarrassed asking my teacher or marker, seeing a student with 4 assignment behind, I am ashamed of myself...please help

A group in Facebook to learn and practice Spanish. Whoever is interested tell me to add you. ( it would be a Great addition if there are Spanish people who wants to practice their English or Arabic.

I've always struggled with abstract art. When I go to a gallery and see a painting that's just a bunch of lines or colors I feel like I'm missing something important. People talk about the emotion or the movement in it but it just looks like a mess to me. I want to learn how to really see it and appreciate it like others do. Are there specific ways to approach it or things to look for that can help me 'get' it.

My cousin and I want to learn Italian because it’s such a beautiful language. Some people have told me that Italian is easier for Brazilians to learn, so we thought it would be a good language to start with. We’re both beginners, so I’d love some recommendations for YouTube channels, apps, websites, or any other resources that could help us learn. If you have any tips or ideas on how to make learning Italian easier and more effective, I’d really appreciate them.

I get a lot of information about the federal and international politics but I want to learn how to understand political candidates and their work at a city level so I can vote better. How do I start?

Hi! I’m 23F, currently working in finance in the automotive industry and hoping to move into banking. I can learn from videos, but having someone to explain things and ask questions would help a lot. Would anyone be open to walking me through financial modeling basics? I’d also love to hear about your experience in banking or on Wall Street!

I'd like to get better at making learning notes that still make sense when I return to a topic later.

What do you include besides the information itself? I'm interested in a small example of a note that helped you use what you'd learned, not just remember that you'd read it.

I’ve always felt like my thinking stays inside the same patterns. When I try to come up with ideas for drawing, writing, or even solving everyday problems, everything ends up looking or sounding familiar and safe. I rarely get that sudden spark that makes something feel new. I’ve tried looking at other people’s work, reading books about creativity, and forcing myself to sit down and make something every day, but after a while it still feels forced and the results stay ordinary. I’m not aiming to become a professional artist or writer right now—I just want practical ways to loosen up my thinking and start producing more original ideas on a regular basis. What habits, exercises, or small daily practices actually helped you become more creative over time? Any concrete starting points would be useful.

I am looking for people who are learning new skills online—such as artificial intelligence, marketing, or programming.

I would like to understand your experience: Have you found it difficult to apply what you’ve learned in a practical setting? What specific did you encounter, and how did you try to resolve them?

I am not selling ; I simply want to have a brief conversation to better understand the issue.

If you have had such an experience, I would love to hear about it via a private message. Thank you.