Unlearning

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,
in the expert’s mind there are few.”
– Shunryu Suzuki

I’ve been reflecting on this quote a lot. Lately, it seems like I’ve had to unlearn much of what I’ve been taught.

Learning how to write well is a simple example. I learnt to write–like many others I imagine–in an academic, formal and objective manner. I considered myself to be a very articulate and competent writer. But this style of communication no longer serves me well.

I detest gobbledegook, weasle words and spin, and my preference is to read things written in plain english, free of jargon and ambiguity. So why should I expect that readers of my writing are any different?

I’m trying to develop a more open style of communication, aimed at a large, rather than restricted audience. This means using an active voice rather than the passive voice and limiting the number of discjuncts and buzzwords beloved by beauracrats the world over. It’s a work in progress.

My point is that we all have preconceived ideas or have an attachment to concepts, techniques and methods that prevent us from receiving the new. Sometimes learning new things means letting go of something that served you so well for a long time. This may seem like a simple thing to do, but in practice it can be very difficult.

It tests your emotional resilience. It’s really difficult to admit ‘I don’t know what to do’. That feeling when you realise how little you don’t know can be very confronting. But to learn, you have to brave that sense of incompetence and open yourself up to new possibilities. Learning begins with not knowing.

In my case, it’s been a conscious decision to go through a process of unlearning. I hope to emulate a martial arts instructor who has been training for a long period of time. He has a worn and discoloured belt signifying the time he has been training his way back to white belt.

(The white belt is said to signify the purity of the beginners mind).

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