1/25
We keep reading or hearing folks saying
" Unlearning is the new Learning."
But what exactly do they mean by this ? 🤔
A 🧵 based on my limited understanding & implementation of
Learning, Unlearning & Relearning.
*Pics are from the Internet.
#WritingCommunity
2/25
Our learning process begins the day we are born & continues till the day we decay and die.
However consciously our learning is restricted to just a few quality years.
The rest is mostly sub(un)conscious.
Now therein lies the problem & the solution !
3/25
Interesting #Trivia
The subconscious mind goes beyond learning new skills. It basically stores our beliefs & determines and monitors when & what information must be sent to the conscious mind.
Ever observed how a child is not afraid of anything including 🔥 initially?🤔
4/25
So #LEARNING is a combination of mental processes Consciously & Subconsciously known as Knowledge Acquisition process.
#UNLEARNING is the ability to reduce / negate the influence of an old skill or idea affecting our cognitive abilities.
5/25
There is only so much information that one can Consume , Assimilate & Apply.
But with the amount of information we are currently bombarded with, we are failing to declutter our minds to make space for new learnings and are hindering OUR OWN growth.
EMPTY THE CUP FIRST!
👇
6/25
Most of what is taught to us early on is never useful practically.
Eg: Do you remember this question,
"State in correct chronological order?"
We wouldn't recollect it now. But it was important for our Board exams!
We naturally forgot about it in the ensuing yrs ! 🤷🏻♀️
7/25
What we did was "unlearnt" the chronological order dates as it wasn't relevant to us anymore.
It is still there somewhere in our mind but isn't predominant.
Unless obviously one went on to become a fact checker or a historian !🤷🏻♀️
Thus we have REDUCED its relevance.
8/25
Remember Orkut ? When Facebook came , Orkut lost its relevance.
Facebook loses its importance when one knows to use Twitter correctly & productively etc etc.
WFH certainly forced us to adapt !😌🤷🏻♀️
So this is a constant process of conscious Unlearning & Relearning.
9/25
CHANGE IS THE ONLY CONSTANT in today's era.
But HOW much of change is necessary for us on a personal level ?
Do we need to learn & forget the old mindset ?
Or
Do we need to work upon our current mindset ?
This is totally subjective & shall need us to look within.
10/25
We pick up many things subconsciously which becomes a Habit.
Pruning is consciously snipping off those lil' habits which are COUNTER PRODUCTIVE to help ACCELERATE our growth.
Eg: Being a Social Media addict, Eating junk , Taking non stop selfies etc etc
11/25
Let's extend this to Investing.
By consciously deciding to stay away from current 🔥 stocks / IPO's we are Pruning aka Unlearning by Learning to Filter out NOISE from INFORMATION based on past experiences & our common sense that its outcome may not be as anticipated.
12/25
Say,
I notice a weed growing adjacent to my rose plant. I ignore it initially as it looks pretty but soon find the weed thriving & consuming the nutrients intended for the rose.
With one swift motion I pull out; the now largely grown; weed.
The rose finally thrives.
13/25
KNOWING what is a weed & what is a rose is important here!
It shall differ from person to person.
It could be anything - Toxic people , Self Pity,Our failures ,Our regrets, Porn, Alcohol...
The key here is to
*Identify it
*Accept it
*Eliminate it, to thrive.
14/25
Unlearning what has been taught to us ( even unintentionally ) by our elders - their vices , their prejudices etc is another aspect.
These are subconsciously ingrained & hence extremely difficult to tackle!
Eg : Women must know cooking.
Men should not show emotions.
15/25
Unlearning these preconceived
notions firstly entails acceptance there that could be another perspective to it.
Both of which could be equally wrong , or equally right depending on circumstances.
Being open to a counter viewpoint without biases into play is the crux.
16/25
To sum it up , there is a framework that learning encompasses.
Recognising it and working on it, to suit our requirement shall help us in our journey.
But HOW can we recognise these patterns ?
- By Rewiring.
Some examples of Learning , Unlearning & Relearning.
👇
17/25
#Rewiring of Brain aka #Neuroplasticity
It refers to the brain's ability to restructure /rewire itself when it recognizes the need for adaption.
Boost that gray matter by cultivating healthy habits ! 🤓
Key words : Rewire itself , Recognise , Adaption
18/25
Some simple methods to rewire your brain.
▫️Playing games ( puzzles , 3D adventure, rhythm gaming etc)
▫️Learning a different language ( No wonder we Indians are a smart lot ! 🤪)
▫️Indulging in Classical Music ( Performing or Creating )
▫️Walking / Hiking
▫️Eating right
19/25
▫️ Creating Art . Drawing / Painting help improve Cognitive abilities
▫️Reading hard bound books with focus consistently.
Such a simple thing when cultivated into a habit helps immensely in rewiring.
Read more to know more as to why !
👇
20/25
▫️Most importantly, Doing nothing !
Being absolutely unproductive every now & then is essential for productivity and good sleep.
They work in tandem.
Also time enjoyed wasted is time well spent IMHO.
So don't try to be a learning machine.
Give your mind that break !
21/25
By rewiring
We are able to realise our shortcomings & understand what the problem is.
Greater clarity of thoughts emerge.
We learn the art of skimming & scanning.
We question our thoughts more.
Thereby we make an effort to decondition our mind.
We thus unlearn better.
22/25
With passage of time we begin to Unlearn better and consciously.
Then comes the skill to Relearn.
Unlearning could be learning to eat sans gadgets for the youngsters
Or learning to use internet for payment for the elderly.
Simple but not easy!
23/25
What has helped me personally to Unlearn & Relearn ?
Nature
Twitter
Reading
Solitude
Journalling
Being Mindful
Regular introspection of self
Having a varied range of hobbies
Being independent since childhood
Having acquaintances of varied ages & status
24/25
Let's all pro actively try to assess ourselves and find out the lacunae within.
Self Awareness precedes Self Development.
Just be ! Go with the flow ......
Automatically many things shall be realised.
As so beautifully stated by Rumi,
25/25
Disclaimer.
Nothing can be achieved overnight.
It's all a sum total of small things repeated day in and day out.
Put in those iterations !
Pls share if you have any insights.
It may help someone & me as well.
Also,wishing you all a Happy #BasantPanchami !🙂🙏
The End
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