Unlearning 101

Being Wrong Feels Like Being Right

Below is a wonderful talk by Kathryn Schulz, self described "wrongologist" and the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error. I especially liked this statement of hers:"One of the problems with being wrong ... is that it feels like being right."

This is so true and it is one of the reasons I strive to replace statements of "no doubt" with the more philosophical statement: "to know doubt."

After listening to her presentation, however, I'm even more convinced we need to teach unlearning in kindergarten and that each of us must strive to possess a little more intellectual humility."

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I'm Being Followed by a Moon ... Illusion

By sheer luck, my family and I walked up the steps of the Eiffel Tower on the evening of March 19, 2011 -- the night of the "Super Moon." The view was spectacular as a large red orb arose over the Parisian skyline.

If you would have asked me whether the moon was closer to me at that very moment or an hour later when it had lifted high into the sky, I would have said, "It's obvious ... the moon is closer right now."

Well, I would have been wrong. I was duped by the "moon illusion." Although the moon actually appears nearer on the horizon, it is actually farther away. (Sometimes by as much as one Earth radius.) Conversely, when it is high in the sky and appears smaller, it is physically closer.

I don't know if Sun Tzu understood the moon illusion when he provided military strategists this advice: "If you are far from the enemy, make him believe you are near" but both his quotation and the moon illusion are wonderful reminders that one of the most important things we need to unlearn is that our eyes -- and our intuition -- cannot always be trusted.

A Dilemma: The Problem with Problem-Solvers

Please solve this problem: Tell me if the following statement is true or false:

"This statement is false."

If the statement is false, then it is true. If the statement is true, then it is false.

The above example is a well-known paradox but I believe one of the things society, parents, teachers, bosses and our educational establishment must unlearn is the idea that we need to create "problem-solvers."

What if some of today's most pressing issues can't be solved? What if the best society can do is select between a series of less-than-desirable options?

I am a big fan of being able to embrace ambiguity and, therefore, I'd like to suggest that if society is hell-bent on creating more "problem solvers" that it should also spend some time creating "dilemma managers" -- people who can embrace ambiguity; appreciate complexity; see beyond the traditional choices of black or white; and who can envision multiple paths to a better future.

Why? Because the world is complex; it isn't black or white; there are multiple paths forward; and solutions aren't always clear-cut.

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Non-Pleasure for Pleasure's Sake

I am currently reading William Irvine's book, A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy and stumbled across this paradoxical -- or, at least, counter-intuitive -- idea: Denying yourself pleasure can lead to pleasure.

How?

Consider eating an ice cream cone or, perhaps, a pleasant dessert. Undoubtedly, such an experience would be pleasurable. What people often forget is that the opposite may also be true. In the case of not eating ice cream or dessert it is possible that you may also experience pleasure by being pleased with yourself for showing self-constraint.

Two Words

Ying     Yang

Black     White

Up         Down

Right    Left

East    West

North    South

Open     Close

Right     Wrong

Learn    Unlearn

 

Danger: Prevention Has Risks of Its Own

Did you know that after childproof lids on medicine bottles were introduced, it led to a significant increase in the number of child poisonings? The reason is because parents became less careful about keeping the bottles away from their children.

I am all for taking preventative action -- especially to protect kids -- but we should never fool ourselves in believing that we can make the world child-proof. 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll reiterate one of my favorite quotes: "Trying to child-proof the world makes us neglect the more important task of world-proofing the child."

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Juggle Learning and Unlearning

Learning to juggle isn't about catching the balls, it's about throwing them. One reason many people have difficulty learning to juggle is because they can't unlearn the "catching" part.

Letting go of old habits is difficult but if you can master the trick of unlearning you just might be able to better handle the new "balls" life throws your way.

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You Can Embrace Ambiguity: True or False?

In philosophy and logic there is something know as the liar's paradox. Consider the following statement:

"This statement is false."

If "This statement is false" is true, then it is false, which in turn would mean that it is actually true, but this would mean it is false ... and so on ad infinitum.

If "This statement is false" is false, then it is true, which in turn would mean it is actually false, but this would mean it is true ... and so on ad infinitum.

Sometimes the truth is both true and false at the same time -- just like the picture to the right. (Don't believe me? Try flipping it upside down.)

Unlearn Your Mind-Set and Adopt a Mind-Flex

I have read that when we are born our brains contain somewhere near one hundred billion neurons, and it can make a nearly infinite variety of possible connections--or neural pathways. As we grow older, however, we "pave" over many (or "hard-wire" if you will) of these neural pathways because they are so critical to our survival. 

This "hard-wiring," unfortunately, has some negative consequences. For example, it is speculated that this is why adults have a more difficult time learning a second language than children. Their brains are no longer as malleable.

In an era of relative stability (where society and our jobs didn't change much) there wasn't much of a downside to closing down seldom used neural pathways. But what about in an era of accelerating and constant change--such as society is now experiencing and will continue to experience?

I personally believe this is a bad thing. Moreover, it isn't merely sufficient to be open to adopting a new "mind-set" now and again. Instead, I believe we need to encourage a strategy of "mind-flex"--of keeping open as many possible neural pathways for as long as possible--for we must always be receptive to change and doing things in a new and fresh way.

How do we do this? To be honest, I don't have the slightest clue but perhaps we could start by:

Keeping An Open Mind; Embracing Ambiguity; Seeing Things from Different Perspectives; Asking New Questions; Acknowledging What We Don't Know; and Teaching Unlearning in Kindergarten.

If you agree--or even if you disagree--I'd love to hear your suggestions for how else we might encourage "Mind-Flex."

Country Road Dangers

The other day I discussed this interesting paradox involving bike helmets and suggested that innovative designers might be able to craft a solution. I'd now like to pose another opportunity to creative designers--design safer country roads.

People mistakenly feel safer on country roads even though they are far more dangerous than urban streets. In fact, although only 23% of the population lives and works in rural settings over 57% of all accidents occur on rural roads.

There are a number of reasons for this (i.e. people are more likely to drink-and-drive on country roads; they are more likely to speed; feel as though they don't have to pay close attention, etc.) but could country roads also be designed in way to improve safety?

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Study at an Anti-Library