If I have to pick one single skill that is absolutely essential to a software developer, it would be the ability to self-teach.
Developers teach themselves by reading books, consuming blogs, working through tutorials, attending training and doing mini projects.
When faced with programming problems, developers comb forums such as Stack Overflow for hints and solutions. More often than not, the solution has probably been figured out by someone else.
Yes, it is possible to survive as a software developer without learning anything new. The high price to pay for doing so is to be pigeon-holed into fixed product or technology role.
Learning something new is a delicate dance between consuming information and trying stuff out for yourself. If you rely on consuming information, you will not be able to independently produce solutions. If you only learn via trial and error, you will miss out on leveraging readily available information. For example, reading about writing does make you a better writer, but only if you put in the time writing.
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