Call me a blockhead, I guess.

This is an email I received from  Jason Cannon <support@linuxtrainingacademy.com> today. His theory about about Linux command line appears logical to me. However, in my brain, I could replace every reference to "Linux command line" with other technologies, such as HTML or CSS. I suppose every reference to "Linux command line" could also be replaced with skills, such as designing a website or playing drums. I'm really inspired by his email and wanted to share the revelation and clarity it has brought to me this morning.
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Do you want to know why most people fail to learn the Linux command line?

It's not because they're stupid….

It's not because they're lazy…

It's not even because it's hard...

Nope. It's because they've been LEGO'ed.

You see, when I was a kid I asked for LEGOs for my birthday…  Sure enough, I got a big ol' bucket of LEGOs.

"Happy Birthday!"


I dumped the entire bucket on the floor and immediately started attaching the little bricks together.  I was so excited.  I dreamed of building a castle, a race car, and a spaceship.  But...

My excitement quickly turned to frustration.  I fumbled around for a couple more weeks before giving up.

And that's how most people go about learning Linux.  They learn a bunch of random, unrelated Linux commands and when they can't see how all the parts fit together they get frustrated and give up.

They were LEGO'd.

Fast-forward to Christmas and I got a Millennium Falcon LEGO set from Santa.  This time things were different.  Not only did I build that cool spaceship, but I was able to take what I learned and build other cool things too.

It turns out I just needed a project to work on that gave me some direction!

And if you're at all interested in learning the Linux command line, that's what you should do too.  Work on a Linux project.

That way you learn the commands you actually need to perform real work… you get to see how everything fits together… and what you learn along they way, you'll retain.  Plus you'll have something to show for your work.

So, if you've tried to learn Linux in the past, but didn't have much luck...

Or maybe you just got bored playing with random commands trying to make them "stick"...

Or perhaps you're just looking for a fun way to level-up your Linux skills...

Then it's time to try a project-based approach.

Have fun building something cool,

Jason
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