Lack of education becoming apparent

[Maltesters]

I'm hoping to get some tips of how to better my general knowledge. The older I get, the more apparent my lack of knowledge becomes.

Further education after High School was never an option for me. I grew up in a very toxic, abusive household so education was never a priority.

Despite my disadvantaged start in life I've done okay for myself. I have a good job and a fairly stable life however I have always longed for a profession, something I can be confident in and proud of. A degree/profession might be an option in the future but it's not something we can budget for at the moment. I don't know what I would even study so I'd need to do a ton of research first before I could consider choosing a subject.

Dh is an educated professional and when we chat the gaps in my knowledge are becoming more and more visible. I find that I really struggle to hold a conversation with him or with anyone because I really don't know a lot. The problem is that I don't know what I don't know and I don't know how to fix this.

I try to read up on news and research anything that I don't understand but I'm really struggling. I am really clueless on everything basically and I'm incredibly embarrassed by how little I know.

Can anyone suggest some books to read or topics that I could look up to help me? I have no idea where to begin really. I'm so sick of feeling unintelligent and unable to join in conversations because I don't have a clue what people are talking about.

You don't necessarily need a degree to be educated. What type of things are your DH and the people around you discussing that you feel you can't join in? Nobody knows everything.

I would suggest you read a range of news articles every day. Not just the main headlines but some of the more off topic, but interesting, articles on BBC News.

I actually find out quite a bit of information on mumsnet. When there's a topic of discussion about something you don't know much about, Google it and find out more information.

If you want to do a more formal qualification for your self esteem perhaps the Open University would be a more affordable and flexible option.

OP it’s never to late to learn. I did t do my degree til I was 30. Best thing ever. Other options: subscribe to Newsweek and the economist. Good for learning a little about a lot. Best of luck

The ou has some free courses online. Does your workplace have a learning and development programme? Some companies will pay to upskill their staff

I think you're already on the right track. My advice is to be curious, which you seem to be already. Keep breast of the news. Be around people who know more than you do as you will learn through the conversations. Frame them as learning opportunities rather than times to feel inadequate. Read whenever you can. What you read depends on your interests and what you want to know more about. I'd suggest two categories of learning: Firstly learning to learn so the following books might be useful:

Livewired by Eagleman
Untrain your Brian by Weeks
Mindset by Dweck
Nudge by Thaler and Sunstein
The Tipping point by Gladwell
Blink by Gladwell
The element by Robinson
Finding your element by Robinson
59 second by Wiseman

Then chose subject specific book that interest you or you want to know more about. Use your local library/borrowbox to keep cost down too as it can be expensive buying lots of books!

A degree/profession isn't an automatic indicator of a good general knowledge so don't feel any pressure to go down that route unless you want to or it serves you to do so. I applaud your desire for personal development as as I said earlier, you're well along the path as you have a desire to do so!

I’m not sure that a degree necessarily helps with general “educated chit chat”.

My degree is in pure mathematics. I am particularly keen on number theory. Strangely not a subject that comes up often at dinner parties!

Google is your friend here. Google things like “five greatest artists of all time” and see what comes up. If you are interested then read more. If not then move onto “five greatest musicians of all time”.

Find things that interest you and find out more about them.

In the short term, the absolute best source of general knowledge I can think of is the 'In Our Time' podcast - if you go to Radio 4's web page or the BBC Sounds app, you can find the whole back catalogue of informative, interesting programmes about random bits of history, science, literature. It's a great free resource. Another great resource is the British Library website, but that's less amenable to getting on with other stuff at the same time. I listen to R4 randomness while gardening, driving, cooking etc and it is great.

What are you interested in? There are podcasts and TV shows etc covering so many topics it can be overwhelming. If you feel like you want to know more about eg science then look out for shows by David Attenborough or Brian Cox etc. If it's history try eg the history channel. Radio 4 and BBC4 have lots of interesting stuff on science, art and music. Download your library app and find a few books on something you'd like to know more about. You could also look at your local FE college. There are courses for adult learners that are free or subsidised if you don't already have a level 3 qualification for instance. Good luck and enjoy finding out stuff!

In what situations do you feel ignorant? That might give you a clue as to what to focus on first.

Read something like The Week to give you an overview of what's going on in the world.

There is a brilliant series of books called A Graphic Guide to... It's for adults/teens and introduces major social influencers like Freud, Marx, Shakespeare etc in graphic form. If you read them and get fascinated by one of the characters you could read more in-depth but these are enough for you to feel you know as much as anyone else.

Watch good documentaries on arts, science, nature. Watch classic films - find a director or writer you like and watch everything you can - Hitchcock or Coen Brothers of Shakespeare on film etc.

Maybe once a month do something that increases your knowledge. Go to a local talk rather than out for drinks.

IMO, you don't need a degree to be educated. You can learn almost everything from books. And they are free in the library or cheap in charity shops.

You write beautifully. Keep on learning.

There’s this book “an incomplete education”, which somebody got DH as a Christmas present, and which I see is selling for £3.49 at World of Books.

Basically it’s a crib sheet for stuff you would normally learn in a US liberal arts degree. Bit of literature, but of philosophy, lots of classics and history. Fairly light read. You could start with that, and research the stuff you actually found interesting off the back of it?

That and reading the paper/watching Newsnight should cover most of it. As somebody upthread said, you don’t need qualifications - my DM left school at 16 and is well able to hold her own in conversations with me (doctor) and DBro (went to Cambridge).

Can you give a couple of examples where you've been chatting with your husband but you you've had to stop because you don't know enough? That sounds quite strange. As long as you're keeping up with current affairs, I'd think that would be enough. Most of us don't have detailed knowledge about technical or professional specialisms. My conversations with my other half or family or friends, is usually things I've done that day, chit chat from work or friends, or things that are happening locally, nationally or internationally. From what you've said, you're than capable of dealing with that. It sounds to me like you're talking yourself down and undermining yourself because your lack of an educational background has left you with no confidence.

Free daily newsletter from The Conversation, a charity that promotes university research. Lots of really interesting yet scholarly articles. Lots of news about current affairs and the political situation. Really friendly and accessible in tone.

theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/the-daily-2

Untrain your Brian by Weeks
Leave Brian alone. He's fine as he is

Read some classic novels - one each from a variety of authors to see how their writing style differs, so that you get a sample of the flavour of each.
There are lots of lists of "100 important books", and the thing is to go for variety.
Specifically, you could try Peter Ackroyd's version of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, ( short and very readable); a Shakespeare play ( Macbeth/Romeo & Juliet are the most well-known) and you could also see the live version and a film version; something by Dickens -maybe Oliver Twist or Great Expectations, a Jane Austen novel ( all very readable once you see that a lot of what is said is tongue-in-cheek) and then The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984 or Brave New World, maybe HG Wells Time Machine, and then a few recent Booker Prize winners.
You'll learn a lot about social history and the development of ideas, and then follow your own likes into particular genres. Most of the ones I have suggested are fairly short. There are books like Lord of the Rings and Middlemarch which require a much bigger time commitment, but are hugely enjoyable, but if you have't read much previously , it's probably best to start with something you can finish in a reasonable amount of time.
I did a really interesting course (free) on FutureLearn on how to read a novel, which you might find useful. FutureLearn has lots of online courses across a variety of topics, and most of them require 3-4 hours pw for about 4 weeks. I've done history and education pedagogy related courses with them, and they are all delivered by credited academics. I'd really recommend having a. look at what they offer.

Listen to Radio 4, and read a good range of non tabloid newspapers.

I have a PhD and my general knowledge is SHOCKING! Don't worry about education. Just read - newspapers, 'The Week', watch the news. I bet you're more up to date with the world than I am!

This book is surprisingly good - will give you the gist of lots of things, then you can follow up on the ones which interest you. Set yourself little targets - read ten sections per week, and follow up in greater depth on one of them ?

www.amazon.co.uk/Passing-Time-Loo-Summaries-All-Time-ebook/dp/B003ZUYT4U?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Also, subscribe to 'The Week'

www.theweek.co.uk

Read decent newspapers, some history and culture. Go to galleries, read magazines about the arts. Maybe The Sunday Times magazines each week as a starter?

What specifically makes you ignorant?

Read lots of auto biographies as they are great insights of novels based in certain eras

The Week newspaper is a great way of getting a liitle info on a lot of things.
It's published once a week, and contains summaries of various news articles from many different publications.
It covers more than just current affairs and news
Great way of finding topics that you want to know more about, then you can Google as much as you want

To be honest, I find crosswords a good starting point. They keep my brain engaged trying to guess the answers and give me ideas where my knowledge is lacking. I read a lot but non fiction doesn’t hold my interest for very long; but I can sit and do crosswords for hours.

I think The Week is a great news round up, start with that. Digital sub not too expensive or your library will have it.

The Atlantic is a good culture/news mash up.

BBC I player has some great docs - big series on nazis, Blair and Brown, Thatcher, Murdoch, House of Assad, Bush war room, lots of science too - good TV is a great intro to topics. Streamers also increasingly have good docs

The dummies guides are good if you can identify areas you’d like to know more about.

New Scientist if you are interested in science - library will have it.

Wired if you are interested in tech

Take an A level or an intro OU course if there’s a topic you like

You admit that you don't know what you don't know, which is good

If you could do a degree, which subject would you choose?

@Justkeeppedaling

Listen to Radio 4, and read a good range of non tabloid newspapers.

Oh yeah - stick the today programme on in the morning.

New York Times also does a good daily podcast

For current affairs, radio 4 is a good call. Between Today and PM, I've tended to use my commute to stay up to date.