Unlearning - The new learning

Do a simple exercise. Take a white board and start writing on it with a marker. Write and write and keep writing till you fill up the board. Then write some more. Fill in the spaces between the letters. Find the white patches and scribble something there till these is no scope for anything more. NOW, try to write something important that you want others to read. OR try to solve a mathematics problem on it. You will not be able to do it because the board is full, no surprises there. What will you do? You will take a duster and wipe out a patch that is at least big enough for you to write the new message or solve the problem, right?

If you have not been doing this till now, start doing it because you will have to do this exercise everyday in the coming times. Only, in this case the 'board' will be your mind and what you have to write, wipe and rewrite will be knowledge, concepts, ideas, ways of working and even beliefs and doctrines. We are living in a world that is rapidly changing in which clinging on to anything means obsolescence. We will have to start each day as a student, willing to learn and adapt. In other words, we have to be willing to unlearn and learn everyday. 

But, the world has always been changing. New things have always been coming in the market. So why the stress on unlearning and relearning now? The main reason is the sheer pace at which the world has started changing today. We are living in times where things become outdated even before they come into the market. And this is mainly applicable to technology. However, given the impact of today's technology it affects the way of working immensely. Each advance in technology has the potential to alter our work and workspace.

Another big reason is the way the world is connected today. Everyone in the world can get in touch with everyone else, at least the capacity exists. This means instant transfer of ideas and their integration with what one knows. If I can think of something now, by the end of the day the whole world can know about it. The result? People are no longer restricted as far as ideas or way of working is concerned. The only restriction that exists is the willingness to accept these. In other words, the mindset is the only restriction. 

There is an increasing realization that traditional ways of working and thinking will not address the issues of the future world. There is a growing stress on 'out of the box' and going ahead there will be no box at all. The young generations of today starting with the millennials have little or no patience with those who cannot adapt to their world.

But is it possible to unlearn? I mean once you learn something you know it all your life, right? We do not have memories like those of a computer with the options of 'select' and 'delete'. So what does it mean to unlearn and relearn. I think it means the following -

1. The willingness to innovate

2. The willingness to integrate new ideas of work, doctrines and belief systems

3. It will also mean a willingness to accept major changes to the lifestyles that we know

4. Going ahead unlearning and relearning will also impact our ideas of the self, self-image and individuality vis-a-vis the society. 

More than technical knowledge or technology (but not excluding it), the unlearning and relearning will be more applicable to the spears of the mindset and ideas.