Yes! Learning something new is how I survive! I learned this from my brother. He lives in a place where winters are really winters and getting out is difficult. So during the summer, he decides what subject he will study during the next winter. You should see his book collection! I told him when he dies, I will take his books before telling anyone he is dead!
I moved here two years ago and have taken up this idea. The first winter, I immersed myself in the classics of the fiction of the early twentieth century. Hemingway (who btw committed suicide by gun), Steinbeck, et. al., most were a reread and it was surprizing how different they were fifty years of life later. Second winter was anthropology. This year, political ideas. Capitalism vs socialism. We shall see how that goes because it will challenge my personal belief systems. Kinda frightening, tbh.
Challenging one's thought processes seems to help push back the black waves. Sometimes. I'll take it.
