TheFoggBlogg: The Enemies of Learning

The things that get in the way of learning are simply the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves in the domain of learning. In a former life, I called them beliefs— memories, beliefs, thoughts, habits of thought, attitudes, emotions, moods... whatever. What they ARE is a story we made up. And please be oh so clear about that last bit: "We made up." Not true. Not false. Just a story that we place a value of good, bad or indifferent upon.

Thing is we ACT (or not) out of those stories. We learn (or not) because of those stories.

Here are the enemies of learning Chris Majer lists in The Power To Transform.

1. Knowing — Learning enemy #1. "I already know that." Closes down the possibility of learning.

2. Unwilling to be a beginer — Beginners make mistakes, do it wrong and often look foolish. Not cool! Looking good & needing to be right kill learning anything.

3. We are blind to our blindness — The things that limit us are unseen by us. We need someone else to help us notice them. It's why GOD created coaches & (real) teachers.

4. Comfort zone — People crave comfort; intellectual, physical, emotionsl, spiritual comfort. Learning is NOT comfortable. Authentic learning and comfort are mutually exclusive.

5. Understanding — Like comfort, people crave it. When we understand an idea, we're safe, sure, certain. Any change brings with it unknowns. Just have to get used to that.

6. Opinions are NOT learning. Awareness is NOT competence — Opinions are assessments and as such are neither true nor false. Having an opinion is NOT knowing. And just because you are aware of something, doesn't mean you are able to achieve the results you're after. Most of "personal growth & development" processes give you increased awareness, but NOT increased competence.

7. The magic bullet — "I want it all & I want it now." Sorry Charlie. Learning doesn't work that way. Short cuts, fast food, magic pills & tonics are pretend & false in terms of authentic learning.

8 The essential role of the body — The mind understands. The body learns. And the body learns by determined & deliberate practice over time. No other way. (For example; the fear you need to overcome to make a sales call lives in the body.) Practice. Practice. Practice.

9. Novelty — much like the magic bullet or pill, always looking for the latest, greatest, best new way of doing things keeps the focused practice needed to achieve embodied competence off in the future, like the carrot dangling at the end of the stick.

10. Living in constant assessment — Like/don't like, agree/disagree, both close down possibilities for learning for there is nothing you don't already "know."

11. Characterization — we confuse the stories we make up about ourselves, others & the world with reality. "I can't... I'm too (old, young, stupid, smart...)" are all varriations on the underlying theme that there's something wrong with me, which chokes off learning.

We've all encountered these enemies of learning at some point. Usually, people have their "favorites," the ones that appear with regularity. Our enemies of learning are also "domain specific" in that they apply or appear in one area of life & work, but not necessarily in another. I.e; I may be full of assessments about who & how I am as a parent, but open to new possibilities as a writer.

More to come & go on the enemies of learning. Since learning is a life-long process, gaining competence in dealing with its enemies is also a long-term adventure.

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