Did you know that everyone enjoys learning?

It’s true.

Usually the only time people don’t enjoy learning is if they are required to learn something that they don’t care about, or if they don’t enjoy the learning experience.

But overall, humans love to learn, and I mean “learning” in the rawest of forms.

Sure, there are people who enjoy formal learning (many people do in fact), but not all learning events are formal. Not everything worthwhile to know is delivered via live instructions or in an elearning course.

Think about when you purchase a new appliance or gadget. It is exciting to learn how to use it. Whether you watch a video on YouTube, read the instruction manual, or talk to a friend, the end result is the same: you seek out learning and it makes you happy.

The reason we love to learn is because that’s how we are hardwired. Our brains crave information.

In a similar way that our bodies need exercise in order to stay fit and healthy, our brains require learning to stay sharp.

While the act of learning is certainly beneficial it’s interesting to note that the type of new information we acquire has a varying impact on the brain.

By way of example, learning a new language “exercises” the brain in a very specific way. Jeffrey Kluger, the senior science reporter for TIME Magazine put it this way:

Studies are showing that a multilingual brain is nimble, quicker, better able to deal with ambiguities [and] resolve conflict.

To see more ways that learning can impact your brain, check out the infographic below created by CourseFinder.