What drives autodidacts: motivation, curiosity, discipline, perseverance, drive
- Finding books taught/used at MIT
Here’s a list of some of the most famous autodidacts—self-taught individuals—across various fields:
Science & Technology
- Leonardo da Vinci – Mastered anatomy, engineering, and art without formal education.
- Michael Faraday – Pioneered electromagnetism; had little formal schooling.
- Charles Darwin – Left medical school; largely self-taught in natural science.
- Thomas Edison – Homeschooled and self-educated inventor of the light bulb and phonograph.
- Ada Lovelace – Self-taught in mathematics; wrote the first algorithm.
Literature & Philosophy
- Benjamin Franklin – Educated himself through voracious reading; scientist, inventor, and author.
- Jorge Luis Borges – Taught himself multiple languages; widely influential writer.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Major Enlightenment thinker; largely self-educated.
Music & Art
- Jimi Hendrix – Never formally trained; learned guitar by ear.
- Frida Kahlo – Trained herself in painting during long recoveries.
Business & Innovation
- Steve Jobs – Dropped out of college; learned calligraphy, design, and tech on his own.
- Elon Musk – Taught himself programming, rocket science, and more via reading.