Unlearning

What if the most important thing you need to learn right now is how to unlearn?

Our culture is obsessed with accumulating knowledge. But true growth often requires the opposite: the deliberate process of letting go of old concepts, frameworks, patterns, methods, or models completely. 

In fact, the stakes are even higher than missed growth. In today’s world, clinging to old ideas is a sure-fire way to get left behind.

When I look at professional trajectories, I see three distinct levels.

First, there are those who claim, often with pride, that they are “set in their ways,” ignoring the biological fact that our brains retain neuroplasticity well into old age.

Next, there are the lifelong learners, constantly adding new skills to their repertoire.

But the highest level belongs to the un-learners.

The most effective leaders know how to unlearn. They understand that to move forward, adding new information isn’t enough. They must create space for the new by consciously releasing the old.

Unlearning is an active pursuit; it requires us to aggressively seek out outdated beliefs and habits rather than simply waiting for them to fade.

Sometimes, this process unfolds moment-to-moment. The un-learner notices a mindset that doesn’t serve them, catches themselves falling into it, and makes an adjustment on the fly.

Other times, unlearning is more deliberate, taking the form of an audit. You might periodically take stock of your mental inventory through journaling or structured reflection, identify what is expired, and let those things go.

It is more than okay to change your mind; it is essential.

As the 1960s counterculture poet and musician Tuli Kupferberg (pictured above) said: “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”

We have to unlearn to unlock our potential.

What are the five things you need to unlearn to unlock your next level of greatness?