Would you rather have the ability to instantly master any skill of your choice but forget it after one year, or have to learn everything the hard way

Master for a year sounds like a money maker.

There are no easy shortcuts if we really want to master something. In order to maintain mastering a certain skill, even learning the hard way will require an ongoing maintenance and evolution as the world is changing.

If I could chose, then I would do it the old fashioned way. Learning the entire process but have the ability to keep it a lifelong. I would be too disappointed if I had to give up something that I enjoyed knowing on the spot and forgetting everything that made that skill so special.

The worst part would be to have to learn it from scratch afterwards.

The former sounds cool if I can re learn skills o forgot instantly as well

I would sooner learn it the hard way and keep it for a lifetime.

Master for a year

Instantly of course. The way you worded that, I can instantly relearn it. Why would I do it any other way?

The former, prior.

I'd make a bunch of money, with no hiccups and then go back to snailing along.

hard way - then it would be mine after the year

Master?
Geez....the first one for sure.
There are skills that take years to master - this would be a time saver.....so long as no skill was not redoable.