When did people forget how to learn?

Every few years, I decide take on a new interest: organic gardening, computer proficiency, etc., and each time I do, I seek to know as much about the subject as possible. I read books, question people who are already proficient, take classes. Then, when I learn how to do something reasonably well, people say things to me like "Oh, you know so much about it" or "I don't know enough to do that" or "well, I can't do that--I don't know how."

But, I tell them, I didn't know how, either. I learned how. They then tend to change the subject.

It doesn't take much effort at all to learn how to do some things well, and not learning can result in terrible consequences. What has happened to our culture that the simple process of finding out what something means or how to do something correctly is avoided by so many people? Not having Internet access is no excuse; I did pretty well when I relied on the local library or bookstore.

Is it a time problem? Is everyone so busy that s/he can no longer afford to learn something new?

Is it laziness?

Or is the entire skill of learning something we have forgotten?