Sometimes We Need To Unlearn

I’m a huge believer that our learning journey never ends. There is ALWAYS something new to learn, something wonderful to stumble upon, something amazing to discover – and oftentimes learning occurs in ways we never expected or anticipated.  

But…sometimes we need to unlearn things. Societal expectations that make us feel inadequate and excluded. Behaviors and attitudes that make us feel ashamed and unworthy. Feedback and language that makes us feel like we bring no value.

I stumbled upon this post somewhere online (I’m sure I was falling down some Internet rabbit hole at night) and it really struck me (I wish I knew who to give credit to for this). I had to read it multiple times because there is a depth and complexity to it that belies the simplicity of the message. The title is simply 10 Things We Need To Unlearn.  

I suspect that we’ve all encountered these ideas at some point in our lives – whether with family and friends or at work. On feeling deeply, you’re told you’re too sensitive. On success equaling hustle at all costs, I remember a Cadillac commercial that celebrated this thinking and reinforced an unhealthy stereotype about work in the United States. At the time, I remember feeling repulsed by it. For the record, I still am. 😉 We live in a bootstrap culture where we’re supposed to simply strengthen our resolve and figure it out, regardless of the cost to our mental and physical well-being.

We are bombarded every day by images, words, sounds, voices, stories, videos, etc., that reinforce many of the above cliches and beliefs. How could we not learn to think this way, even if only subconsciously? But this way of thinking isn’t healthy. And it certainly doesn’t reflect the journey – the real journey – of nearly every human being on this planet.

We need time to heal, space to be vulnerable, opportunity for healthy conflict, support and help from our communities, and the chance to rest and recharge. In other words, we simply need to be human.

Until next week.

Cheers,

Andy