Do you try to be a lifelong learner?

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I have a friend who studies something every day, and he is very knowledgeable about all kinds of things, like ancient history, astronomy, physics, philosophy. I feel like maybe I should try to do that too, but at best I'll watch a documentary on YouTube about the Romans or the Minoans, or about consciousness. This is better than nothing, but I think I might be too unmotivated to do better. Do you try to learn new things?

I like to constantly learn new things.
It keeps the mind active.
Unfortunately, I have a dismal memory, so only a small portion of the information is actually retained.

I like to study topics related to special interests. I’ve attained a reading level in French and Spanish studying on my own. I’ve also read entire textbooks related to art history, philosophy, and classical music. I’ve watched Yale courses on YouTube on topics that interest me as well. I like the idea of being a lifelong learner, but I mostly just get extremely fascinated by certain topics which makes me very eager/almost desperate to study them.

^ I can see how becoming interested in something and learning a bit about it can lead to wanting to discover more about that subject. If I'm trying to find something out I can do quite a deep dive, though that hasn't really happened with me recently. I've also found that reading or watching documentaries about some topic I've already read or watched is helpful to get more information on the subject and fill in the gaps. And when I already know a bit about it it's easier to retain new information.

Yes, I constantly learn new things.
Today my project was working on the garden hoses around the house.
Did some research to avoid having dissimilar metal issues corroding the hose fittings.

Ten years ago I learned how to cook.
Then I learned how to alter my clothes with sewing machines.
A couple years ago I started learning how to play golf! Now I'm learning to hit the ball farther.

I may start traveling again to visit new golf courses!

Learning is a great escape. I especially like learning about other cultures. Hinduism is fascinating.

I don't really try to be a lifelong learner, I just get really curious about things and as soon as a question occurs to me I'm hungry for answers. I was very glad to discover ChatGPT because it's the only easy way I know of getting clear, reasonably non-partisan answers to pretty much any question I ask. I get sick of trawling round the Web trying to find out what I want to know, and interactive question-and-answer is the only efficient way I have of learning. Wikipedia is quite good but question-and-answer is better for me. I don't like learning curves either, especially when I can't see why they have to be so steep.

I def am NOT a lifelong learner. I have dyslexia & struggled majorly in about half of my school classes. I'm 41 & struggle with learning or knowing lots of various life things most teens know. I tend to find learning very frustrating & sometimes stressfull. That said, I do a bit of research on certain things but usually it's things that might be usefull to me or my girlfriend like various medical things.

I'm learning mower maintenance as well as growing grass!
I've just replaced the air filter on my lawn mower and ordered a new high lift blade.
It will need to be sharpened.
But, I can swap blades and sharpen the one outside the mower at my convenience, perhaps on a rainy day!

I'm also learning how to better utilize rainy days.
During the early summer I'll work in the late afternoons until sunset.
When it gets hot I'll work in the mornings while it is still cool.
I'll also plan activities to stay in the shaded part of the yard while the sun moves in the sky.

Just before the nasty thunderstorm I took some pictures and identified a large shrub with whitish pink flowers as Beauty Bush.

I don't try or set any goals anymore. I'm so burnt out from academia I don't set out to learn anything just for the pleasure of it. That doesn't mean I don't learn though. Even though I don't try to learn new things, no matter what information I require in my daily life it becomes a mini-obsession until it's resolved. For example if I need a new can opener or cat toy I'll research them for hours and read every review known to man. That's just the way my brain works. It's all or nothing. If a subject needs to be researched, I'll go at it full-throttle not because I want to but because I just can't stop. Likewise if an interesting topic or documentary pops up in my YT feed or on TV I'll watch it and be obsessed for a few months. The difference is that I didn't consciously seek something to learn, but I got obsessed anyway.

I did and still try to be.

Turns out for the past 20+ years or so for me, I had a lot of internal interferences that made me fail to make learning a habit.
And executive dysfunctions that involves said interferences made the processing harder than it should've been.

Or at least learning things that I intend to learn in depth, not randomly drifting random topics to random topics that aren't even an interest, let alone priority of mine.


Now?
I'm just regaining momentum. It's like my life is just beginning.

I finally have my top 3 hand picked priority to learn this year.
Instead of getting myself scattered randomly between domains of sciences, maths, arts, technology and other affairs that my head just happened to fancy more frequently at any given moment.

I already lost my special interests due to this internal nuisance problem interfering with my life.
I'm not letting it take away my control over my focus again.

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am not getting a choice about lifelong learning.......it seems research is how I seen to. still be alive. And experimentation of sorts on my own. To check my. research .

I have an inquisitive mind, but I don't purposely set out to be a lifelong learner.

You have no choice in the university of life