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 We start with cups already full of ideas, assumptions, and mental models that may be outdated, incorrect, or simply not useful anymore.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

• Failure is something to avoid rather than learn from

• 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But the most valuable skills today involve letting go: abandoning outdated information, questioning assumptions, and remaining flexible enough to adapt when evidence changes.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:

1. Awareness - Recognizing that a belief or assumption may be limiting

2. Discomfort - Feeling the resistance to letting go of familiar ideas

3. Curiosity - Opening to alternative perspectives without immediate judgment

4. Practice - Deliberately trying new approaches despite the awkwardness

5. 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

---

Please hit the ❤️ “Like” button at the top or bottom of this article if you enjoy it. It helps others find this article.

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

Don't Date A Man Who Reads

How To Be The 1%

Why I Stopped Helping People and You Should Too

8 Life Lessons I Wish I Knew in My 20s

How To Read Your Way To Success - A No Bullsh*t Guide