If you want to drive one of London’s black cabs, you’ll need to pass a test called The Knowledge. It usually requires studying for 3 to 4 years. 

Nowadays, you have another option: an app like Waze or Google Maps can help guide you around London. Once an app like Uber onboards you as a driver, you’re all set to drive customers around.

It’s tempting to dismiss more rigorous options like The Knowledge, as if it’s an outdated ritual for everyone. The same goes for doing mental math, when everyone has a calculator in their pocket.

“Every extension of mankind, especially technological extensions, has the effect of amputating or modifying some other extension,” Marshall McLuhan writes.

Studying has never been fun, or popular. However, it can be rewarding. It can build character. After you study, you develop confidence in a subject. You build discipline by practicing showing up to do something boring and difficult. You also cultivate a sense of independence, because all you need is your brain. Technology can provide everyone with instant knowledge, and you don’t need it.

When there’s an obvious shortcut in front of you, it’s worth asking what you’re giving up to take it. Sometimes, the longcut can create possibilities that make it worth the extra energy.