--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's so much free material on the…" description: "\"There's so much free material on the Internet you can learn from, and some people are pure self-starters: they pick up computers and teach themselves e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png" --- # There's so much free material on the Internet you can… ![“There's so much free material on the Internet you can learn from, and some people are pure self-starters: they pick up computers and teach themselves everything. Certainly there are millions of people like that. But at the same time, I think it's a pretty small percentage of the population.” quote by Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png) > “There's so much free material on the Internet you can learn from, and some people are pure self-starters: they pick up computers and teach themselves everything. Certainly there are millions of people like that. But at the same time, I think it's a pretty small percentage of the population.” [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑directed learning is possible but relatively rare; most people need structured guidance. **In simple terms:** Self‑learning works for a few. Key Takeaway Seek mentors or communities if you’re not a natural self‑starter. Themes education self‑learning inequality Mood optimistic pragmatic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - career changes - skill acquisition - online courses - entrepreneurship Key Concepts human capital learning theory digital divide Questions to Reflect On - What resources can you leverage? - How can you create a supportive learning environment? A Different Perspective Relying solely on self‑motivation may widen skill gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Computers Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers-teach-1728871/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Internet Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet-learn-1334359/) [Learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn/) [Learn People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-people/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Material](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Percentage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/percentage/) [Pick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pick/) [Population](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population/) [Pretty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty/) [Pure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pure/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Some people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some-people/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/themselves/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [“If we can avoid doing violence to the minds of unseen others on the internet, others will learn to do the same. And then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/if-we-can-avoid-doing-violence-to-the-minds-of-unseen-others-on-the/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [It seems in this day and age our teens are going to the Internet to learn all the things we would ask our dads.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-rivers/it-seems-in-this-day-and-age-our-teens-are-going-to-the-internet-to/) [Philip Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-rivers/) > [I use the Internet for what it's for: to learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-brown/i-use-the-internet-for-what-it-s-for-to-learn/) [Danny Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-brown/) > [There's huge access to information. If you need to learn something, you can go on the Internet and learn very quickly. You can reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-deluca/there-s-huge-access-to-information-if-you-need-to-learn-something-you/) [Fred DeLuca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-deluca/) > [Some people see life as many steps up and try to forget where they are coming from, you understand? A little step in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burning-spear/some-people-see-life-as-many-steps-up-and-try-to-forget-where-they/) [Burning Spear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burning-spear/) > [My background is really being a writer's actor - that seems to be the way I work best, bringing out the best of writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-duncan/my-background-is-really-being-a-writer-s-actor-that-seems-to-be-the/) [Lindsay Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-duncan/) > [I think there are some people in life who are not marriage material and Chris is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-gless/i-think-there-are-some-people-in-life-who-are-not-marriage-material/) [Sharon Gless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-gless/) > [If you want to go beyond that small percentage of people who are already environmentally and scientifically aware, you have to make your work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-nadkarni/if-you-want-to-go-beyond-that-small-percentage-of-people-who-are/) [Nalini Nadkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-nadkarni/) > [I make no apology for wanting to make a profit - the more I make, the bigger percentage will go to charity. So most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-caudwell/i-make-no-apology-for-wanting-to-make-a-profit-the-more-i-make-the/) [John Caudwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-caudwell/) > [What percentage should you give? I tell people to start with 10 percent because the Bible writers have a lot to say about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/what-percentage-should-you-give-i-tell-people-to-start-with-10/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Bitcoin woke us all up to a new way to pay, and culturally, I think a much larger percentage of us have become accustomed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/bitcoin-woke-us-all-up-to-a-new-way-to-pay-and-culturally-i-think-a/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [“Everything you do in life use percentage as your god.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/everything-you-do-in-life-use-percentage-as-your-god/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [Footage of people camped out at Best Buy or elsewhere is not remotely a celebration. Rather, it's a reminder of just how economically distressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/footage-of-people-camped-out-at-best-buy-or-elsewhere-is-not-remotely/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [All of our competitors around the world, every country is investing more in infrastructure as a percentage of their GDP than we are. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-r-oberhelman/all-of-our-competitors-around-the-world-every-country-is-investing/) [Douglas R. Oberhelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-r-oberhelman/) > [Literally everybody talks about 56 percent completion percentage. It gets brought up in every meeting. It's something I'm trying to work on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-allen/literally-everybody-talks-about-56-percent-completion-percentage-it/) [Josh Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-allen/) ## More by Tyler Cowen > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [When humans team up with computers to play chess, the humans who do best are not necessarily the strongest players. They're the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/when-humans-team-up-with-computers-to-play-chess-the-humans-who-do/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“The great adventures of life, the surprise of strangers, of strangeness, of the electric and eclectic moments of happenstance, and also of extreme ambition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/the-great-adventures-of-life-the-surprise-of-strangers-of-strangeness/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“Mark Liszewski, executive director of the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (Hershey, Pennsylvania), remarked: “Instead of Ford versus Chevy, it’s Apple versus Android.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/mark-liszewski-executive-director-of-the-antique-automobile-club-of/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“Americans are in fact working much harder than before to postpone change, or to avoid it altogether, and that is true whether we’re talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/americans-are-in-fact-working-much-harder-than-before-to-postpone/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“three-quarters of today’s youth between the ages of seventeen and twenty-four are unfit to serve for one reason or another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/three-quarters-of-today-s-youth-between-the-ages-of-seventeen-and/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“Once you're using sides and sauces you're on the right track and you're also following the general principles about how to eat well in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/once-you-re-using-sides-and-sauces-you-re-on-the-right-track-and-you/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [A lot of local food is very tasty. I'm very happy to eat it. I just don't think it's the same thing as saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/a-lot-of-local-food-is-very-tasty-i-m-very-happy-to-eat-it-i-just-don/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [If you and your skills are a complement to the computer, your wage and labor market prospects are likely to be cheery. If your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/if-you-and-your-skills-are-a-complement-to-the-computer-your-wage-and/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [Sports is remarkably cognitive. I think it's underrated just how smart it is. Actually, if I had more time, I would spend more time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/sports-is-remarkably-cognitive-i-think-it-s-underrated-just-how-smart/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“In other words, a culture of the casual is a culture of people who already have achieved something and who already can prove it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/in-other-words-a-culture-of-the-casual-is-a-culture-of-people-who/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [I see three forces militating in favor of growing inequality: increasing measurement of worker value added, automation through smart software, and globalization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/i-see-three-forces-militating-in-favor-of-growing-inequality/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“Few people read coffee-table photo books, and indeed they are not intended to be read. I find the text in these books is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/few-people-read-coffee-table-photo-books-and-indeed-they-are-not/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [“As chain stores rise, there is also a loss of dynamism, competition, and market entry for new ideas and products. Keep in mind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/as-chain-stores-rise-there-is-also-a-loss-of-dynamism-competition-and/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [The lesson about food is that the most predictable and the most orderly outcomes are always not the best. They are just easier to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/the-lesson-about-food-is-that-the-most-predictable-and-the-most/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) [Explore all 111 Tyler Cowen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) ## More Certainly quotes > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [I'm certainly not a perfect mother, but I'm trying to be what my mother wasn't for me. My mother's battled depression, so I understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-hamill/i-m-certainly-not-a-perfect-mother-but-i-m-trying-to-be-what-my/) [Dorothy Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-hamill/) > [Design certainly has a cosmetic, aesthetic aim. It always aims at making things beautiful. But relevance is just as important. I often say, 'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yves-behar/design-certainly-has-a-cosmetic-aesthetic-aim-it-always-aims-at/) [Yves Behar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yves-behar/) > [If we can send a guy to the moon we can certainly go a quarter of a mile and not get hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-prudhomme/if-we-can-send-a-guy-to-the-moon-we-can-certainly-go-a-quarter-of-a/) [Don Prudhomme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-prudhomme/) > [I've certainly seen a lot of my cartoonist friends embrace 'Little Lulu' in a much deeper way because their kids love it so much.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/i-ve-certainly-seen-a-lot-of-my-cartoonist-friends-embrace-little/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in moving mountains - if moving mountains accomplishes God's purposes and is in accordance with His will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-bednar/righteousness-and-faith-certainly-are-instrumental-in-moving/) [David A. Bednar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-bednar/) > [I have never really been fond of animals. I certainly wasn't an 'animal lover' when I became involved in the movement. I just came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/i-have-never-really-been-fond-of-animals-i-certainly-wasn-t-an-animal/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Certainly it is not a democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anwar-ibrahim/certainly-it-is-not-a-democracy/) [Anwar Ibrahim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anwar-ibrahim/) > [Spain are certainly one of the best teams in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieran-trippier/spain-are-certainly-one-of-the-best-teams-in-the-world/) [Kieran Trippier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieran-trippier/) > [I'm certainly not a white supremacist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stewart/i-m-certainly-not-a-white-supremacist/) [Corey Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stewart/) > [I certainly know that on our first tour of America in 1968, David Crosby came to see us backstage at the Fillmore East in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-hayward/i-certainly-know-that-on-our-first-tour-of-america-in-1968-david/) [Justin Hayward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-hayward/) > [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) [Browse all 1,298 Certainly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There's so much free material on the Internet you can learn from, and some people are pure self-starters: they pick up computers and teach themselves everything. Certainly there are millions of people like that. But at the same time, I think it's a pretty small percentage of the population.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tyler Cowen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-internet-you-can-learn-from-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certainly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-internet-you-can-learn-from-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/13a/tyler-cowen-4396_certainly_there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-int_955073.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's so much free material on the Internet you can learn from, and some people are pure self-starters…” — Tyler Cowen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tyler Cowen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's so much free material on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-internet-you-can-learn-from-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/there-s-so-much-free-material-on-the-internet-you-can-learn-from-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```