What are some good subjects to study?

Here are a few options for you to ponder:

(1) Healthy Diet - research the best foods to eat and the best supplements to take. You could even go a step further and research the best ways to live to 100. (Eating less meat appears to be a key factor.)
(2) Genealogy - Research your family tree. The Family Search website and Ancestry.com are your best choices here. Family Search is free, but Ancestry.com charges.
(3) History is always an interesting subject and the History Channel on television offers many neat programs, especially if you would rather watch re-enactments rather then read.

I'll do a similar format to the great chap above. I'll also leave out religion for obvious reasons.

(1) Learn critical thinking ( like Socratic method or Hegelian Dialectics) to have a more in-depth understanding of thought and truth usually through dialogue. Really good life skills if you ask me.

(2) Learn the Scientific Method ( could be argued it's apart of (1) be I'll leave it separate) to try and understand the world better through physical deductions with empirical evidence and consistent premises. More naturalistic that (1) though.

(3) Learn to play a sport. It'll keep you fit, you'll have a lot of fun and you can get to meet some great people for life which you share a common interest.

Porpoise said:

I want to expand my interests and learn new things, not for career purposes but just to be a more balanced person. What are some good subjects to study?

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Linguistics! Boat making! Traditional European clothing! Zoology!

Porpoise said:

I want to expand my interests and learn new things, not for career purposes but just to be a more balanced person. What are some good subjects to study?

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Everyone here has said the foundations of where to begin - it depends on your direction. I will add my own $0.02:


1. Study a programming language - preferably C++/Java/html (in that order)

2. what @Basil the Great said - Study anthropology and history

3. what @Just Another User said - study the philosophy of science, beginning with philosophy. It is important to understand how ancient philosophers viewed the physical world versus the modern post-enlightenment view. It would also be important to look at the sociological, economical, and political reasons for the changes in thought - and how you particularly resonate with the changes (i.e. are you a purist?).

4. Study English literature and language as @Gracia Singh said. Also, study etymology (important for bible study).

I found learning to build/repair/upgrade my Computer to not only be a lot simpler/less time consuming than one might think, but somewhat interesting, as well as way of saving me a fair amount of money. Of course for many, taking care of those things is the norm.

Gracia Singh said:

Boat making!

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Yep, and boat using as well...specifically sailboat.

Look for Will Durant history volumes. His books cover specific eras or spans of history. For example, there is on called Caesar and Christ which focuses on the Roman Empire during the time of Christ and the first three centuries of Christianity.