Unlearning Styles

"The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn." --Alvin Toffler More unlearning quotes

Learning styles are so popular in business training and development as to be almost a cliche, but what about unlearning? It could be said this id just another way of looking at learning but it feels slightly different to me. In the modern world where information is so freely available and change is constant it is also a key skill.

Just for kicks and giggles here are my own totally unscientifically researched unlearning styles:

Replacers
Replacers simply replace the old with the new, forgetting and importing. This is actually very rare.

Destroyers
Destroyers take old models kick them in the head and torture them to death. Having a destroyer as a delegate/student can be challenging for all concerned. They are committed to truth but risk damaging relationships in the process.

Dismantlers
Dismantlers are more careful and considered than destroyers, examining and taking old ideas apart carefully bit y bit (this can be frustratingly slow and hyper-rational).

Cloakers
Cloakers don't really unlearn at all, but rather make their old knowledge look like something new to please or fit a trend. Because underlying beliefs remain the same everyone is wasting their time with cloaking.

Transformers
Transformers are not only robots in disguise but learners who develop old ideas into new ones. This is common and healthy enough, the only downside being when a paradigm shift is needed.


I know that many teachers, trainers and coaches read this blog - what distinctions would you add?
..........

Training So What: Learning is about unlearning and there are different ways to do this.