Autodidacticism

Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) is self-education or self-directed learning. An autodidact, also known as an automath, is a mostly self-taught person — typically someone who has an enthusiasm for self-education and a high degree of self-motivation.

Sourced

• Institutions are not pretty. Show me a pretty government. Healing is wonderful, but the American Medical Association? Learning is wonderful, but universities? The same is true for religion... religion is institutionalized spirituality.
  • Huston Smith; quoted in Snell, Marilyn (November/December 1997). "The World of Religion According to Huston Smith". Mother Jones. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. 

• Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts. Some of you like Pep rallies and plastic robots who tell you what to read. Forget I mentioned it. This song has no message. Rise for the flag salute.
  • Frank Zappa, liner notes for song "Hungry Freaks Daddy" on the album Freak Out!

• When it came to formal classes, I was a slacker. But I’ve always been a diligent autodidact and can teach myself virtually any subject — if I have a serious interest in it.
  • Dean Koontz, "Q&A" column. Dean Koontz: The Official Website (16 June 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

• "Self-taught, are you?" Julian Castle asked Newt.
  "Isn't everybody?" Newt inquired.
  "Very good answer." Castle was respectful.
  • Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle (1963)

Unsourced

• The Wachowski brothers are very unique. They are probably— Larry and Andy are probably two of the smartest people I know. Larry reads everything. He reads everything. I mean, everything, you know what I mean. One thing I learned through Larry, through Andy also, is that life is about research. Larry, he's constantly researching. And he's constantly reading and that's one thing that I've taken away from this project, that life is about research.
  • Actress Jada Pinkett Smith

• I never let schooling get in the way of my education.
  • Mark Twain
• I count myself one of the number of those who write as they learn and learn as they write.
  • Augustine of Hippo

• Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.
  • Isaac Asimov