You might be wondering, how does unlearning fit into limitless learning? In fact, isn’t it contradicting the concept of limitless learning? The reality is, unlearning is also a form of limitless learning that is as important as learning.
What is Unlearning?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines unlearning as “to make an effort to forget your usual way of doing something so that you can learn a new and sometimes better way“. The key here is not only to learn how to forget your usual way of doing something, but to learn how to do it in a new and better way.
Throughout your life, you will learn different things depending on where you live, what the societal norms are, your cultural values, the people around you, formal education, social media and life experiences. However, as times change, you may need to let go of some ideologies and bias that you may have learned unconsciously, and you will need to open your mind to new ideas. So, what are some of the things that you can unlearn?
1. More is Better
We live in a society where everyone wants more; more money, more food, more time, more data, more speed, more likes, etc. However, is more always better? And when do you decide that you have enough? The problem is that it will never be enough. The more you have, the more you will want. This is a human condition and it has been true for centuries.
The good news is that you can unlearn this concept by consciously deciding what you really need and being content with what you have. For example, you can learn to prepare a list before you go shopping, so that you do not indulge in buying something that you do not need. Remember that having more is not the answer to your happiness. Be happy with what you can afford and how much you need.
2. Success is Being the Best
In school, we learn that acing tests and exams makes us successful, and if we don’t get high scores, we are failures. The problem is that we grow up with this mentality, thinking that success is only about being the best in class and we beat ourselves up when we fail.
You can unlearn this mentality by reminding yourself that the key is to put in your best effort in everything that you do. When you do this, compare yourself to how you did previously and strive to do better each time, instead of comparing yourself to someone else. You can certainly look up to people and use their success stories to inspire you, but remember to set your own goals and create your own path, which will be your true success. At the same time, remember that mistakes will happen and that does not mean you are a failure. It means that you are human; and mistakes are opportunities to learn so that you can become the best version of yourself.
3. What People Think Matters
This is the oldest concept that we must learn to unlearn. In fact, if you can unlearn this concept completely, you will find it very easy to unlearn the two concepts above. Think about it: why do we always want more? Because we want to be like other people or we want other people to think we are successful. And why do we constantly want to prove that we are successful? So that people think we are the best. Why are we afraid to fail? Because people will think we are worthless.
One way to unlearn this concept and overcome your fear of what people think of you, is to focus on doing what YOU want to do. Put your own happiness first. You can use people’s opinions as feedback, but do not let them change your focus. For example, you buy an outfit and you feel great wearing it, but someone comments that they don’t like it. Well, that’s their choice. Everyone has different tastes, so focus on how great you feel and let go of the negative comments.
In conclusion, unlearning certain ideologies and concepts is essential for you to grow and learn new things. Remember to be content with what you have, be the best version of yourself and don’t let people’s opinions get to you.
As Rumi said, “Recognize that unlearning is the highest form of learning”.
Have you unlearned something recently? How has unlearning helped you in your life? Please share your experiences in the comments section below.
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This is a wonderfully useful article.
Much like turning over soil before planting new seeds, I do my best to turn over what I think I know because static knowledge often goes stale.
Thank you for creating this site, Nargis
Thank you Alexandra. I appreciate your feedback.