Most Learning Is Unlearning
The smartest people aren't those who learn fastest—they're those who unlearn fastest.
Dear Unlearners,
The biggest obstacle to learning isn't ignorance. It's the illusion of knowledge.
We don't start with empty cups waiting to be filled. We start with cups already full of ideas, assumptions, and mental models that may be outdated, incorrect, or simply not useful anymore.
Before you can pour in the new, you must first pour out the old.
The Problem With Your Brain
Your brain wasn't designed for truth. It was designed for survival.
It creates patterns, shortcuts, and beliefs that helped our ancestors stay alive, not necessarily understand reality. These mental shortcuts were useful for avoiding predators on the savannah. They're less helpful for navigating modern life.
The first step in real learning is recognizing that much of what you "know" is actually getting in your way.
What We Need to Unlearn
We need to unlearn that:
Being busy is the same as being productive
Credentials determine competence
Information is scarce and difficult to access
More options lead to better decisions
Money equals success
Following the established path is safer than creating your own
These aren't just incorrect ideas. They're active barriers to growth.
The Hard Truth About Expertise
The more expertise you develop in a field, the harder unlearning becomes.
Experts often struggle more with fundamental shifts in their disciplines than beginners do. Their existing knowledge becomes a liability rather than an asset.
This is why industries are rarely disrupted from within. The experts are too busy defending what they've spent years learning to notice when the rules have changed.
When was the last time you questioned your fundamental assumptions about your work, relationships, or worldview?
Why Schools Get It Wrong
Our education system is built on the idea that learning is about accumulation—collecting facts, theories, and credentials.
But the most valuable skills today involve letting go: abandoning outdated information, questioning assumptions, and remaining flexible enough to adapt when evidence changes.
Schools teach you how to add. Life requires learning how to subtract.
The Unlearning Process
Unlearning follows a predictable pattern:
Awareness - Recognizing that a belief or assumption may be limiting
Discomfort - Feeling the resistance to letting go of familiar ideas
Curiosity - Opening to alternative perspectives without immediate judgment
Practice - Deliberately trying new approaches despite the awkwardness
Integration - Incorporating new ways of thinking until they feel natural
The hardest part isn't step 4 or 5. It's steps 1 and 2—becoming aware of what needs unlearning and sitting with the discomfort of letting it go.
The Freedom of Not Knowing
There's a strange liberation in saying "I don't know" or "I was wrong."
These phrases aren't admissions of failure. They're declarations of growth. They create space for new possibilities that certainty doesn't allow.
The most powerful learning happens when you're willing to empty your cup completely and start fresh.
Start Unlearning Today
Begin by identifying one "truth" you've never questioned. Something so obvious that examining it feels silly.
Then ask: What if the opposite were true? What if this belief is actually holding me back?
The path to breakthrough knowledge isn't through finding better answers. It's through questioning better questions.
Most education focuses on adding to what you know.
The most valuable education focuses on removing what's in your way.
Until tomorrow,
Cammi
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More to Unlearn
23 Dangerous Lies We Tell Ourselves
Why Most People's Definition of Success Will Make Them Miserable
7 Brutal Life Lessons 2024 Taught Me Through Pain
25 Ways To Get Luckier in 2025
Why I Stopped Helping People and You Should Too
Great article Cammi! I love the perspective.
I’m going to feature this in next weeks issue of Life’s Leadership Lessons (13k+ subs).
By the way, what did you use to make the cat video?
Oh, newsletter is here: www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com
This entire article remind me of a quote I came across yesterday "humans need to unlearn in order to learn" it warms my heart so much to read this well detailed and well-written work Cammi.
I believe God directed me to your path and I am so blessed by you with this.