Learning to Unlearn

People like us, who seek to make a difference through work that matters, love to learn. We buy books, attend talks, enroll in online courses, and scour the internet for know-how. But is that really learning?

It sure feels like it. All of these activities remind us of how we were schooled and schooling is learning. Right?

"Being good at school is not the same as learning something."–Seth Godin

Schooling is not learning. Like the activities listed above, schooling is information delivery. What sets schooling apart is that it's based on compliance, conformity, and competition.

How much of your schooling do you employ in your current day-to-day endeavors? Probably not enough to justify the investment of all the irretrievable time and attention. But I bet the mindset and posture informed by all that compliance, conformity, and competition-based schooling shows up in how you show up.

It's time to unlearn that sh*t. It's time to relearn how we really learn.

 "Learning that does not lead to action is useless."–Epictetus

Schooling delivers information and education supplies knowledge but learning happens by doing. Learning in action makes change happen. Learning worth the work employs curiosity, consideration, creativity, courage, and cooperation.

Empathy, enrollment, and effort are also required to make worthwhile change happen. Leaning into meaningful learning and outcomes must employ these practices as well.

Learning is earned through experience over time and cultivates the virtues of patience, humility, and acceptance which encourage resilience and lead to real understanding and wisdom.

So, is it time to read another book, watch another talk, take another course, or surf the web or is it time to do the work and learn as you go?

Scott Perry, Difference-Maker Coach at Creative on Purpose. 

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