It's always interesting to me to read how others think about learning. To me, it's impossible not to learn because you do learn all the time. Therefore the term learning loses its meaning for me. In the end it's much more about attitude and your way of live which sparks my interests.
Shrub>
I won't quote your sentences and answer it directly, but I think I see you hinder yourself by thinking to much about doing the right thing. Please read
this older thread, maybe you find one or another idea which let you thing outside your current framework.
On another note. I think the game CaveStory and its creator Pixel can be a good inspiration and motivation (development-wise). I'm not so much talking about gamemaking itself but more in general. If you wish, there are good sources and its development is quite good documentated [
1,
2,
3,
4]. What I want to say is, before he started, he simply
wanted to make a game. In the video he said how he started. Just a character which he animated (to animate - "to breath life into"). While making CaveStory, he created several other games on the side. Look at some early screencaps from CaveStory, look at his other early games. Look at his progress. There was no CaveStory at the beginning, just a humble guy who wanted to make a game in his sparetime. If you really understand how he started, then there is no reason for you to continue this discussion in my opinion.
Gil>
I read your posts and I think I agree with your opinion, but not completely. To sum up, you say.
Don't plan everything, make one step at the time and don't forget to have some fun. I agree with that, but then you wrote:
Hard work is not a good way to live your life. In this matter, I disagree with you.
In your example, you compared two piano students. If you are purely looking at the success they have, it might be correct that the student, which does less work but has a teacher might have better skills in the end (in a classical sense). But
in my opinion (!), I prefere the student which does it the hard way all by himself. It's not about comparing skill in the end, but that I prefere the hardworkers personality over those who achieve good skills the
normal (hard) way. I repeat, it's not about skill or success! I simply think that people, who work hard for themselves, have a character trait I really value and this more important to me than technical skill.
To conclude, we are human beings. It's up to everybody what you value. But in my opinion, to value skill is like to value a dream. It's there if you make it, but as soon as you want to grasp it, it dissipates. Value what is there, fellow humans, which have their own story, experiences and character traits. Don't value someone for something you made up yourself. I know - this sounds like I ignore modern society with its pressure for success. But like I said, that's the way I see it. I don't want to change somebody, only showing a different opinion.