Yeah, I think this is a very good point, Debdutta. It's a great way of seeing how other people do it, getting a feel for the stylistic devices you like and that could work for you.

I think that instinctively, as humans (and most other animals I guess), we are programmed to learn by peer example more than anything.

Parents too, i.e. people we have a strong bond to, and that have one generation more experience. But a 'generation' in learning terms, might be a question of years, or even months.

Being Taught with a capital 'T', by an Expert with a capital 'E' is, I would suggest (as an ex-teacher) very much not the best way to learn most things. But is so often the only way practically available.

On Medium we are lucky enough to have a responsive, supportive, peer community from whom we can learn most of what we need, even without the (also helpful) events like Medium day. David Todd McCarty's contribution there was particularly good, I felt, but above all because it was very much a P2P thing; it didn't feel like a 'top-down' lecture.

This now - bizarrely - gets me thinking about how the appeal of Christianity lay perhaps initially in its 'Yeah, I'm God, but I'm down here fishing, failing and farting with you guys'. But that's another story.

Hearty congrats, Debdutta, and thanks again for your supportive comments on my pieces.

Community is the key!