Unlearn to New learn.

 “The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” Alvin Toffler

Learning something, if you’re actually interested in it, is pretty much always something enjoyable. Learning some things takes longer than others. Unlearning, however, is something quite different. You might make a mistake for thinking it means knowledge just disappearing from your memory.

But it’s not that. Unlearning is challenging and deconstructing things that are embedded in your way of thinking, acting and reacting. It means moving on from the previous ideas, beliefs, assumptions, etc., should be completely removed for the new one to flourish. They cannot overlap, just as one must remove all of the old roots before planting new flowers.

The Learn, Unlearn and Relearn Cycle

They talk about unlearning in psychology in terms of letting go of unhelpful beliefs and negative behaviours. The neuro educators might call it rewiring, but everyone can at least agree that it takes time, effort and sometimes needs to go several layers deep. It is like challenging your own identity which you were believing for your life but now to move on in life you gotta let the old way go and welcome a new way to live.

When you realize that you need to change something then suddenly there is more awareness that everything in life can be moved or discarded and replaced. That is when creativity sparks, critical thinking sharpens, and enquiry becomes standard practice, you become curious about new possibilities, and your mind will get the chance to choose a new path, and make new decisions. You might get to know more about yourself, your interests, patterns, feelings, emotions, and talents. Your hidden power will no longer stay hidden.

Unlearning can be a real shift and can change a person’s perspective entirely. Someone who grew up on the mantra of breakfast being the most important meal of the day learns about intermittent fasting. Suddenly, they question absolutely everything about the habits they have developed around eating. 

It doesn’t stop there, however; that is why the Toffler quote at the start is so apt. We learn, unlearn and then relearn. It is a cycle, and that is so important in a world that is changing and developing at a fast speed. 

That world needs people that can question things, wear opinions lightly, be open to change, and be prepared to detach themselves from ideas and behaviours. Or maybe behaviours get thrown out because they just don’t fit who we are at that point in our lives. 

The Benefits of the Process

Fluidity is adaptability, and we don’t need someone to confirm that excitement comes more easily to those who can change. 

The best part? It is joyous. Learning something for the first time is one thing, but testing an existing bit of knowledge or behaviour is truly enriching. We pay more attention to the process because we are truly present for all of it. This is growth; truly. 

Detaching something that felt like part of you will inevitably help you think more deeply about who you actually are, and what you want, think, and learn.