Did you know? To learn new skills, we have to first unlearn!
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
India
November 24, 2011 10:46am CST
As I am about to move over from my current office & responsibility, I was reflecting on a few issues. While at it, I recollected something interesting one of my superiors in a previous job had once told us:
To learn anything new effectively, you must first unlearn what you already know.
Though this may seem strange to many [those who may not have heard about this] at first, it is quite true. To illustrate by a simple example:
Supposing you have joined a new job. You will have to learn the rules & procedures at the new place. To do this, you have to unlearn the rules & procedures that prevailed in the old company. Refusal to do that or lack of involvement in doing so may keep yourself from learning new rules in the new company and you will never feel comfortable doing the new job.
That is a very basic example to illustrate the point. What other thoughts do you have?
2 people like this
10 responses
@Gram13000 (443)
• United States
25 Nov 11
Yes this is very true because the brain can only hold but so much information. If I have to learn something new I just dont think about the old way I did things untill I forget. Especially if your memorizing speeches or lyrics to perform you have to always learn new dialog and unlearn old dialog because its impossible to keep all the old dialog word for word and also remember new dialog. Our brains are like hard drives and we have a certain amount of space. I try to remember the newer more important things the old if I dont need it I dont focus on it untill I forget.
@Gram13000 (443)
• United States
25 Nov 11
You welcome yes that is a good approah. Learn then unlearn then learn that sounds about right. Then you can always keep most of your focus on the most important things that you are doing at the time.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
25 Nov 11
Unlearning they say is as much or even more difficult than learning new. The suggested approach is in fact, learn, unlearn & learn. You have elaborated the approach very well with your examples. Thanks. 
@girl_thinking (1959)
• Philippines
25 Nov 11
Hello Pushhyarag!
I think I understand what you are meaning to say and I definitely agree with you. Though we cannot really technically "unlearn" something I believe what you really meant is that we need to set aside our previous learning in order to grasp the new information/technique that we acquire. Especially of course if the job is under the same nature.
Past experiences are the greatest teacher of all but in some cases, we need to stop referring to them and just open up ourselves with the new ideas :)
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
25 Nov 11
You are really thinking, girl!
If we continue to bind any new learning within the precincts assuming whatever has been learnt is adequate to deal with everything that needs to be learnt. That makes unlearning such an important endeavor.
Thanks for putting it across wonderfully.
If we continue to bind any new learning within the precincts assuming whatever has been learnt is adequate to deal with everything that needs to be learnt. That makes unlearning such an important endeavor.
Thanks for putting it across wonderfully.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
28 Nov 11
The success or failure in a changed environment depends to a large extent whether one is willing to shed the old conditioning and adapt quickly to the new. Or else, one continues to measure everything within the bounds of past knowledge, which may not help.
Thanks for the comments.
ments. @cowboyofhell (3063)
• Philippines
25 Nov 11
Leaving behind skills should be approached with caution. Do not forget important skills just because they are old. New skills are worth having but does not guarantee total satisfaction, on the other hand.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
25 Nov 11
The context here is of one where one is called to learn skills, work systems, procedures, knowledge whatever that are pertinent to advancement and where either due due to inhibitions or due to obsession one is unwilling to shed the previous. That could hinder the progression and deprive one of benefiting from a new opportunity. Otherwise, I agree with the view that old skills become good for nothing just because they are old.
Thanks for an objective comment.
@ravisivan (14082)
• India
25 Nov 11
Pushyarag -- Happy to note that you will be joining a new assignment. Wish you success.
The new company wants a person with experience and skill. But they will expect you to follow the pattern prevalent in their office. So it is necessary for us to learn the new company's working and for that we must be convinced that the pattern we adopted in old company are no longer relevant. This is the unlearning you are talking about.
I agree with you. have a good day.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
25 Nov 11
Yes, you have put it in good perspective.. Thanks.
. Thanks.1 person likes this
@chrisanto (94)
• Philippines
25 Nov 11
Yes its similar to before we learn the real and right new skills we have to experience first frustrations and failure in life for us to become better and good the next time around we face such problems. Experience is the best knowledge learning situation.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
29 Nov 11
Though this is the first time that I've heard someone say it like this, I do believe that it is something that is very right to be said. Not only is it true when you move from one job to another job, it is also true when the supervisors in your job change. Each individual supervisor will have their own set of guidelines and expectations for their employees and to be able to effectively work under a new supervisor, you have to learn to adhere to their expectations.
@Rosa26 (2616)
• United States
24 Nov 11
You are right to learn something most of the time we have unlearn.
It remembers me my sister she had a school, and was surprised of the lack of knowledge that students who came from others schools, and always says that she prefer those that came to school with any knowledge because in that case she doesn't have to work on making the child unlearn.
Yes most of the time to have an efficient learn we have to unlearn.
@Pushhyarag2000 (1416)
• India
25 Nov 11
It is important to start learning the new without any preconceived bias in favor of what has been learnt or is known. Glad you see it the same way. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@Otanetix (508)
• United States
27 Aug 12
Yes, that statement makes sense. In order to learn something new, you need to unlearn what you already know. Certain procedures and protocol are not always static, which means change happens. When change happens, you need update your knowledge and skills. Like any industry, a business needs to stay competitive,which often requires change to sustain a position in an industry. Businesses that fail to stay competitive will often be left behind the other businesses, which will leave them at a disadvantage.
