When you home study, you get a better education. I basically got

Hear these words from Thora Birch, spoken with clarity and conviction: “When you home study, you get a better education. I basically got to teach myself. Being naturally able to make my own opinions about the schoolwork I had to deal with, instead of being instructed under the tutelage of the teacher, was really nice academically.” This saying is not simply about schooling, but about freedom, independence, and the sacred power of learning led by one’s own hand. It is a reminder that the deepest education is not poured into us from above, but awakened within us by curiosity and effort.

For what is home study but the ancient practice of self-mastery? From the dawn of time, the greatest seekers of truth have often walked alone. They were not confined by the walls of classrooms nor bound by the lessons of a single voice. Instead, they read, they questioned, they wrestled with ideas until the fire of understanding blazed within them. Birch’s words carry the same spirit: to learn by teaching oneself is to be guided by the inner lamp of reason, rather than merely repeating the lessons of another.

Consider the story of Abraham Lincoln, the boy of the log cabin. Born into poverty, with little access to formal schooling, his education was forged in solitude by the light of the hearth fire. He borrowed books, copied passages by hand, and taught himself law and history. This self-driven study shaped not only his mind but his character, making him one of the greatest leaders of his age. In him we see the truth of Birch’s words: to teach oneself is to claim ownership of knowledge, to make it a living part of one’s being.

This is not to scorn the tutelage of teachers, for many are wise and kind. Yet there is danger in depending too heavily on instruction. The mind, like a muscle, weakens if it is not exercised by effort. To form one’s own opinions, to wrestle with the material rather than accept it passively, is to transform knowledge into wisdom. Without this, education becomes mere memorization—words without depth, facts without soul. Birch rejoices in the freedom of self-study, for it allowed her to shape her intellect with her own hands, rather than sit idle beneath the will of others.

The meaning here is heroic, for it calls us to courage. It is easier to sit in silence while another explains, easier to accept the answers given, easier to walk the path laid by someone else. But to choose self-learning is to enter a wilderness where one must clear the trail alone. It is harder, but nobler, and in the end, richer. For the knowledge gained is not borrowed—it is earned, and once earned, it can never be taken away.

The lesson is clear: do not wait for others to educate you—become your own teacher. Seek out knowledge as a thirsty traveler seeks the well. Question the world, test what you are told, and forge your own understanding. Let your mind never grow lazy or dependent, but let it be restless and alive. If you have teachers, honor them; but remember always that their purpose is not to replace your thought, but to guide you toward it.

Practical steps can help you walk this path: read widely and deeply, beyond what is assigned; write down your thoughts and question them; pursue subjects that stir your heart, not only those demanded by others. Learn a skill on your own, without waiting for instruction, and in the process, feel the strength of independence awaken within you. In this way, you will discover not just knowledge, but the joy of shaping yourself.

Remember always: home study is more than schooling—it is the path of freedom. To teach oneself is to claim the dignity of the mind. To form one’s own opinions is to live as a thinker, not a follower. So let these words of Birch echo in you: do not fear to guide yourself, for the true lamp of education burns within your own soul.