The ability to "unlearn"
As I near the end of my master’s program, I’ve been reflecting on a few thoughts I’d like to share. While I’m grateful for all I’ve learned throughout my studies, I also want to remind myself to maintain the ability to “unlearn.” Let me explain!
Imagine you look at 50 trees, one after another, spending about five minutes on each, and then ask only one question: “Is the tree green?” You may notice many patterns and differences during your observation of the trees, which can vary from person to person, but since your final question is just about the tree’s greenness, all other details disappear. This reflects how the education system sometimes works ( yes, I simplified it way too much). We focus on one isolated way of thinking and ignore the rest creating a boundary, which can be useful for solving a particular problem or creating a mental model to understand something complex.
However, problems arise when we get used to thinking this way all the time, jumping from concept to concept without seeing the bigger picture. “Unlearning” means removing that guiding question, and no longer asking, “Is the tree green?” and instead observing the trees without expectations, rules or boundaries.
Ultimately, the key is to balance these modes of thinking, so you can switch between a focused, problem-solving mindset and an open-ended, exploratory mindset, depending on what the situation demands.