Autodidacts Aren't as Alone as the Word Suggests
Nobody teaches themselves from nothing. In a Psyche essay, Celine Nguyen argues that the history of autodidacticism shows learning has always been social, and that the right relationships are what open intellectual horizons.
That complicates the lone-genius story without erasing it. If relationships carry that much of the load, "self-taught" may describe the absence of a formal teacher more accurately than the absence of teachers altogether — and the people who argued with you, lent you a book, or took a beginner's questions seriously end up part of the credit.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
"Self-taught" is a compliment people tend to pay themselves. The reading list, the arguments, the patient answers — those usually arrived from someone else.
Pointing someone toward the door isn't the same as walking them through it. The autodidact's pride is that the whole walk was theirs, even if the door was opened by another person.