Here's my take on this. To learn a skill, you need a leader. For example, to excel in a sport, with an instrument, or with a craft, you need a master. This is true with language and literature. The little kid learns to read because Dad knows how to read. The poet Dante picked Vergil. There is a famous quote by Tarkovsky who directed the masterpiece "The Sacrifice" during his last remaining days. Tarkovsky himself, the master, is saying, "I'm looking for a teacher." I have to tell you, a teacher turns you around to see with new eyes.
I agree with that as a general principle, but not as an absolute.