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<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"/> <title>Autodidact - RationalWiki</title> <script>document.documentElement.className="client-js";RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":!1,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat":"dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"Z-Pg8KA-P2WlugaLq3mR3wAAAM4","wgCSPNonce":!1,"wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":!1,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Autodidact","wgTitle":"Autodidact","wgCurRevisionId":2542829,"wgRevisionId":2542829,"wgArticleId":159721,"wgIsArticle":!0,"wgIsRedirect":!1,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Pages using DynamicPageList parser function","Education"],"wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Autodidact","wgRelevantArticleId":159721,"wgIsProbablyEditable":!0,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":!0,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgMediaViewerOnClick" :!0,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":!0};RLSTATE={"site.styles":"ready","noscript":"ready","user.styles":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","ext.cite.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles.legacy":"ready","mediawiki.toc.styles":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["ext.cite.ux-enhancements","site","mediawiki.page.startup","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.legacy.js","ext.gadget.ReferenceTooltips","mmv.head","mmv.bootstrap.autostart"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.implement("user.options@1hzgi",function($,jQuery,require,module){/*@nomin*/mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); });});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.cite.styles%7Cmediawiki.toc.styles%7Cskins.vector.styles.legacy&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector"/> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.35.6"/> <meta name="description" content="An autodidact is someone who is largely or primarily self-educated. Autodidacticism is a good way to make yourself a better and more well-rounded person, and there's an immense library of books and other learning materials to cater to people who don't have the time or money to take classes, on every imaginable subject.&#91;1&#93; However, one major disadvantage self-teaching has, compared to traditional education, is that it's possible to hyperfocus and avoid viewpoints that go against one's prejudices; as a result, some of the more utterly batshit kooks are self-proclaimed autodidacts."/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit"/> <link rel="edit" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"/> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/opensearch_desc.php" title="RationalWiki (en)"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"/> <link rel="license" href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Copyrights"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="RationalWiki Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"/> <meta property="og:type" content="article"/> <meta property="og:site_name" content="RationalWiki"/> <meta property="og:title" content="Autodidact"/> <meta property="og:description" content="An autodidact is someone who is largely or primarily self-educated. Autodidacticism is a good way to make yourself a better and more well-rounded person, and there's an immense library of books and other learning materials to cater to people who don't have the time or money to take classes, on every imaginable subject.&#91;1&#93; However, one major disadvantage self-teaching has, compared to traditional education, is that it's possible to hyperfocus and avoid viewpoints that go against one's prejudices; as a result, some of the more utterly batshit kooks are self-proclaimed autodidacts."/> <meta property="og:url" content="https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Autodidact"/>  </head> <body class="mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Autodidact rootpage-Autodidact skin-vector action-view minerva--history-page-action-enabled skin-vector-legacy"> <div id="mw-page-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="mw-head-base" class="noprint"></div> <div id="content" class="mw-body" role="main"> <a id="top"></a> <div id="siteNotice" class="mw-body-content"><div id="localNotice" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div id="2025_RationalWiki_.27Oregon_Plan.27_Fundraiser"> <table role="presentation" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto; width: 100%;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="width: 60%; text-align: left;"><big><center><b><a href="/wiki/RationalWiki:Fundraiser" title="RationalWiki:Fundraiser">2025 RationalWiki 'Oregon Plan' Fundraiser</a></b></center></big> <p><b>There is no RationalWiki without you.</b> We are a small non-profit with no staff—we are hundreds of volunteers who document pseudoscience and crankery around the world every day. 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margin: 0 0 0.5em 0.5em; text-align:left; border: 1px solid #007700; width:175px;"> <tbody><tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center; color:White; background-color:#007700"><b>The cure for ignorance</b><br /><a href="/wiki/Education" title="Education"><font size="5" color="White"><b>Education</b></font></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="background-color:#CCEADD;" align="center"><a href="/wiki/Category:Education" title="Category:Education"><img alt="Icon education.png" src="/w/images/thumb/8/8f/Icon_education.png/100px-Icon_education.png" decoding="async" width="100" height="100" srcset="/w/images/thumb/8/8f/Icon_education.png/150px-Icon_education.png 1.5x, /w/images/thumb/8/8f/Icon_education.png/200px-Icon_education.png 2x" data-file-width="240" data-file-height="240" /></a> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; color:White; background-color:#007700; text-align:center;"><b>Promoting scientific literacy and critical thinking skills</b> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="font-size: 95%; background-color:#CCEADD;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind" title="No Child Left Behind">No Child Left Behind</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ignorance" title="Ignorance">Ignorance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Educational_institutions" title="Category:Educational institutions">Educational institutions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/The_Pledge_of_Allegiance" title="The Pledge of Allegiance">The Pledge of Allegiance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Homeschooling" title="Category:Homeschooling">Homeschooling</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Education" title="Education">Education</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Credentialism" title="Credentialism">Credentialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Anti-intellectualism" title="Anti-intellectualism">Anti-intellectualism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/American_academic_degrees" title="American academic degrees">American academic degrees</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maharishi_University_of_Management" title="Maharishi University of Management">Maharishi University of Management</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Perry_Theory" title="Perry Theory">Perry Theory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/GegenUni" title="GegenUni">GegenUni</a></li></ul> <div class="vte plainlinks" style="font-size:smaller; text-align:center;"><a href="/wiki/Template:Education" title="Template:Education">v</a> - <a href="/w/index.php?title=Template_talk:Education&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Template talk:Education (page does not exist)">t</a> - <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Education&action=edit">e</a></div> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>An <b>autodidact</b> is someone who is largely or primarily self-<a href="/wiki/Education" title="Education">educated</a>. Autodidacticism is a good way to make yourself a better and more well-rounded person, and there's an immense library of books and other learning materials to cater to people who don't have the time or money to take classes, on every imaginable subject.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> However, one major disadvantage self-teaching has, compared to traditional education, is that it's possible to hyperfocus and avoid viewpoints that go against one's prejudices; as a result, some of the more utterly batshit kooks are self-proclaimed autodidacts. </p><p>Autodidacticism is similar to, but not exactly the same as, <a href="/wiki/Self-help" class="mw-redirect" title="Self-help">self-help</a>; in general, the former refers to study of things that would generally come under traditional education, hobbies, or vocational training, while the latter mostly refers to <a href="/wiki/Psychology" title="Psychology">psychology</a> and relationship issues. However, the distinction is not terribly clear and it's safe to say there's a lot of overlap. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#The_autodidact_as_folk_hero"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">The autodidact as folk hero</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="#Credentials_and_the_limits_of_self-education"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Credentials and the limits of self-education</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#The_sourcing_problem"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">The sourcing problem</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="#Why_bother_then.3F"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Why bother then?</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="#Notable_autodidacts"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Notable autodidacts</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#Famous"><span class="tocnumber">4.1</span> <span class="toctext">Famous</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#Infamous"><span class="tocnumber">4.2</span> <span class="toctext">Infamous</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="#Resources_for_the_would-be_autodidact"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Resources for the would-be autodidact</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="The_autodidact_as_folk_hero">The autodidact as folk hero</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: The autodidact as folk hero">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>The long <a href="/wiki/American_exceptionalism" title="American exceptionalism">American tradition</a> of <a href="/wiki/Rugged_individualism" title="Rugged individualism">rugged individualism</a> has helped to make the lone-wolf intellectual a sort of stock folk hero. While most if not all real innovation works on a "shoulders of giants" principle, the perception is that outsiders have a unique perspective that the <a href="/wiki/Elite" class="mw-redirect" title="Elite">Establishment</a> is incapable of seeing. The result is that in certain quarters, <a href="/wiki/Scientist" class="mw-redirect" title="Scientist">scientists</a> straddling the border between mainstream and <a href="/wiki/Fringe" title="Fringe">fringe</a> like <a href="/wiki/Nikola_Tesla" title="Nikola Tesla">Nikola Tesla</a> and <a href="/w/index.php?title=Edward_Teller&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Edward Teller (page does not exist)">Edward Teller</a> are lionized beyond their deserved influence and looked to as role models by would-be scientific revolutionaries, and among the anti-establishment outsiders, fraud,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> incompetence,<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup> and a surreal degree of <a href="/wiki/Forteanism" title="Forteanism">intellectual laziness</a> abound. </p><p>Autodidacts (especially the "boy genius" type) are popular characters on television and in <a href="/w/index.php?title=Movies&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Movies (page does not exist)">movies</a>, to the point of being a bit of a stock character in some genres of TV; examples include Dr. Spencer Reid from <i>Criminal Minds</i> (who is, however, also a traditionally-educated PhD, albeit very young for his level of accomplishment), Mike Ross from <i>Suits</i>, and Charlie Eppes from <i>Numb3rs</i>. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Credentials_and_the_limits_of_self-education">Credentials and the limits of self-education</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Credentials and the limits of self-education">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>There is a meme in certain parts of the <a href="/wiki/Libertarian" class="mw-redirect" title="Libertarian">libertarian</a> world that claims that <a href="/wiki/Credentials" class="mw-redirect" title="Credentials">professional licensure</a> is a form of legalized restraint of trade. The <a href="/wiki/Mythology" title="Mythology">mythology</a> of the self-taught expert plays into this in a big way, since a lot of cranks have (as described before) painted themselves into an intellectual corner by limiting their exposure to outside ideas and therefore have themselves convinced they know <i>something</i> the experts don't. The result is that autodidactic cranks rail like hell against any perceived barriers to entry, even when (as in the case of a diploma or license) it's generally considered a necessity to prove that the holder has a certain baseline of knowledge to engage the field. </p><p>How important this is depends on the field. Pretty much anyone can be a <a href="/wiki/Historian" class="mw-redirect" title="Historian">historian</a>, an <a href="/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy">astronomer</a>, or a programmer with the proper equipment and independent study, but being a <a href="/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine">medical</a> doctor requires highly specialized, scientifically-validated <a href="/wiki/Knowledge" title="Knowledge">knowledge</a>. Some fields once had lower barriers to entry than they do now; self-taught lawyers like <a href="/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a> would have a rough go of it in the modern, highly specialized <a href="/wiki/Legal" class="mw-redirect" title="Legal">legal</a> world if they were admitted to the bar at all; modern architects need a knowledge of <a href="/wiki/Engineering" title="Engineering">engineering</a> to deal with building techniques and materials that Frank Lloyd Wright<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup> never knew about; and the gap between amateur <a href="/wiki/Naturalist" class="mw-redirect" title="Naturalist">naturalists</a> and professional <a href="/wiki/Biologist" class="mw-redirect" title="Biologist">biologists</a> has expanded widely as <a href="/wiki/Genetics" title="Genetics">genetics</a> and microbiology became more significant. Similarly, an amateur <a href="/wiki/Chemistry" title="Chemistry">chemistry</a> set or a hacked-together Farnsworth fusor is a far cry from the specialized lab equipment, clean rooms, and high-energy, multi-billion-dollar particle accelerators that modern chemists and <a href="/wiki/Physicist" class="mw-redirect" title="Physicist">physicists</a> need to do their jobs safely (or at all). Compared with the telescope, camera, and <a href="/wiki/Computer" title="Computer">computer</a> that constitutes the entirety of what a good amateur astronomer needs<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup>, that's huge. </p><p>There are also two issues that self-education has trouble with. One is that in certain fields (some <a href="/wiki/Music" title="Music">musical</a> instruments, <a href="/w/index.php?title=Sport&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sport (page does not exist)">sports</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Art" title="Art">art</a> media, particularly, as well as anything requiring muscle memory for proper mastery) a certain amount of hands-on instruction frequently helps new students avoid developing bad habits that will hinder their later development. Another is that after a certain point, it's often difficult or impossible to proceed further in a study without formal education, partly because of the benefits of conducting research in a community setting, partly because the works necessary to advance in the subject simply aren't available or reasonably priced for the general public. In many if not most fields, it's simply not possible to do PhD-level work without producing highly specialized work that passes muster with the experts in the field, and striking out on your own (the "<a href="/wiki/Bullshit" title="Bullshit">independent scientist</a>" gambit) is almost always counterproductive. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="The_sourcing_problem">The sourcing problem</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: The sourcing problem">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Another problem with autodidacticism is quality control. If you step into a new field, you aren't always going to know what the best introductory materials are, and you may be very inclined to select only those books that support your personal beliefs and ideologies. People with <a href="/wiki/Extremist" class="mw-redirect" title="Extremist">extremist</a> political axes to grind know this; <a href="/wiki/Regnery_Publishing" title="Regnery Publishing">Regnery Publishing</a>'s <i>Politically Incorrect Guides</i>, for example, are formatted to look similar to better-known, more politically neutral series like Wiley's <i>...for Dummies</i> books, partly so that their target audience doesn't feel a need to look outside the walls for information, partly to fool people looking for information in general. And some subjects (such as <a href="/wiki/Ecology" class="mw-redirect" title="Ecology">ecology</a> and some areas of history, like the <a href="/wiki/American_Civil_War" title="American Civil War">American Civil War</a> and the history of <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a>) are so politically charged that picking through the good and the bad actually requires a somewhat advanced grasp of basic science or history in order to understand what's sensible or not. </p> <h2><span id="Why_bother_then?"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Why_bother_then.3F">Why bother then?</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Why bother then?">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <p>Plenty of reasons. Some amount of self-education is necessary to avoid looking like a fool in a debate, for example. An understanding of basic astronomy and astrophysics is important to writing workable <a href="/wiki/Science_fiction" title="Science fiction">science fiction</a>; history and parliamentary procedure make for a much better understanding of <a href="/wiki/Politics" title="Politics">politics</a>. And it never hurts to know a second, or third, or fourth <a href="/wiki/Language" title="Language">language</a>, or to be able to do basic first aid or car repairs. </p><p>This article isn't meant to discourage you by any means from learning whatever you want in whatever fashion you find easiest. It's just that you do ultimately have to find ways of avoiding pitfalls like bad information, <a href="/wiki/Confirmation_bias" title="Confirmation bias">confirmation bias</a>, and the <a href="/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect" class="mw-redirect" title="Dunning-Kruger effect">Dunning-Kruger effect</a>. Any form of inquiry and/or study requires a certain amount of humility to allow you to backtrack and correct when you've gone off the trail; self-teaching puts the onus on you to make sure you're not being fooled or, worse, fooling yourself. That in mind, go forth and learn. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Notable_autodidacts">Notable autodidacts</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Notable autodidacts">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Famous">Famous</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Famous">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Frederick_Douglass&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Frederick Douglass (page does not exist)">Frederick Douglass</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thomas_Edison" title="Thomas Edison">Thomas Edison</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Oliver_Heaviside&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Oliver Heaviside (page does not exist)">Oliver Heaviside</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln" title="Abraham Lincoln">Abraham Lincoln</a>, apprenticed lawyer</li> <li>Joni Mitchell, who could never manage playing a standard guitar and invented her own tunings to compensate</li> <li>Srinivasa Ramanujan, mathematician</li> <li>Orville and Wilbur Wright</li></ul> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Infamous">Infamous</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Infamous">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky" title="Eliezer Yudkowsky">Eliezer Yudkowsky</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cesar_Millan" title="Cesar Millan">Cesar Millan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Adolf_Hitler" title="Adolf Hitler">Adolf Hitler</a></li> <li>Most <a href="/wiki/Pundit" title="Pundit">pundits</a> in the US (ie. <a href="/wiki/Glenn_Beck" title="Glenn Beck">Glenn Beck</a>)</li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Resources_for_the_would-be_autodidact">Resources for the would-be autodidact</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Resources for the would-be autodidact">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://ocwconsortium.org">The Open Courseware Consortium</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://ck12.org">the CK-12 Foundation</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://coursera.org">Coursera,</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.apple.com/apps/itunes-u/">Apple iTunes U</a> are among a great many sources for freely available texts and courseware from kindergarten through university level work.</li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://dummies.com">...for Dummies</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://teachyourself.co.uk">Teach Yourself</a> are both well-established brands for English-language self-instruction on everything from computers to games to crafts to languages. There are others, but those are probably the two most important. (<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://klutz.com">Klutz Press</a>, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://usborne.com">Usborne</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://us.dk.com">Dorling-Kindersley</a> provide similar titles for children and young adults.)</li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Crank" title="Crank">Crank</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Credentialism" title="Credentialism">Credentialism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diploma_mill" title="Diploma mill">Diploma mill</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Homeschooling" title="Homeschooling">Homeschooling</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="font-size:90%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">In fact, that's pretty much the whole point of, say, the History, Language, Business, Art, and Computer sections at any given bookstore.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Dennis_Lee" title="Dennis Lee">Dennis Lee</a>, <a href="/wiki/Joseph_Newman" class="mw-redirect" title="Joseph Newman">Joseph Newman</a>, "<a href="/wiki/Health_freedom" title="Health freedom">health freedom</a>", <a href="/wiki/Global_warming_denial" class="mw-redirect" title="Global warming denial">global warming denial</a>, among many others.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Eric_Raymond" class="mw-redirect" title="Eric Raymond">Eric Raymond</a> <a href="/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil" title="Ray Kurzweil">Ray Kurzweil</a>, the <a href="/wiki/Cold_fusion" title="Cold fusion">Pons-Fleischmann dead-enders</a>, and many, many others.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">One wonders: if Wright had a proper goddamn education, would Fallingwater and the Imperial Hotel have had the structural issues they had?</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">And even the camera and the computer are optional if you do not practice astrophotography, except maybe for checking and preparing starmaps (and in these days a smartphone can be used instead, photography included)</span> </li> </ol></div></div>    </div></div><div class="printfooter">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&oldid=2542829">https://rationalwiki.org/w/index.php?title=Autodidact&oldid=2542829</a>"</div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Category</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Education" title="Category:Education">Education</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden category: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Pages_using_DynamicPageList_parser_function" title="Category:Pages using DynamicPageList parser function">Pages using DynamicPageList parser function</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </div> <div id="mw-navigation"> 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