In everyday Life, just like in Mathematics,*
the idea should be to *isolate and solve for variables,
not to increase the number of variables.

But, to answer my own question;

If you enjoy thinking analytically,
if you are a fan of Logic, and the power it holds,
you'll find yourself using that **** all the time.

It is magnitudes better
to humbly learn from those who came before you;
who, for the intellectual progeny of Humanity,
were considerate enough to record their wisdom
(once we figured out we could)
than it is to reinvent the wheel
every ten years
with each successive herd
of self-absorbed students.

However, that said,
it is vital to forge new ground.
It is necessary to reach out from History
in order to encounter anything new
from which we're doomed
to learn a thing, or a few.

The capacity to teach one's self
is a skill limited only by one's self.
The ability to learn from others
is truly a skill of nearly infinite wealth.