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I think there are too distinct things to consider here.
The fact we never stop learning has nothing to do with the fact at some stage of our astronomical pursuits you take the next step and might be considered to have some idea of what you are doing.
Whilst you might not give yourself an award for reaching a milestone, you can at least sometimes allow yourself the joy of the warm and fuzzy feeling inside. I allowed myself the warm and fuzzy feeling and considered I had "gone somewhere"; when I could find and identify without charts or computer, over 100 deep sky targets. That was before I had turned 18, which is just over 33 years ago.
Then you get people like Rev Bob Evans who takes things to a whole different level. Bob Evans can find and identify well over a thousand galaxies without charts or computers and more importantly, has memorised the surrounding and embedded star fields of every single one of those galaxies. At no stretch of the imagination could I call Bob a beginner, notwithstanding he may still have something to learn.
Of course modern technology spoils us all and with about 8 or 9 years of solid Argo Navis use, I don't think I could find the LMC without the Argo these days. The downside of the Argo is that I have lost my ability to reel off target after target without charts or computer. The upside of the Argo is that I have observed many hundreds more targets than I would have otherwise had the time to observe over the past few years. IMO that's what it's really all about.
Cheers,
John B
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