Comments on: Learning not Leaning

By: Andrej Brda

Andrej Brda — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:19:54 +0000

I've randomly stumbled upon your post… And I have to say that I couldn't agree more with what you wrote in this post. This is exactly the same source that my own frustrations are coming from. Most people just take things for granted. I started calling those people an average people. I don't hate them or anything… its just my own markup of those people that you can see that are always leaning towards someone. If they could just use their head, if they would just educate themself. Then the world would be a better place and something that we call democracy might even work. I am blaming an education system. People have to learn how to think with their own heads. There should be emphasis on reseach projects in schools. Instead of writing some random essay on their own experience they could get an assigments to research things and dive in and come out with their own opinions about some problems and maybe even come out with some solutions…

Great post

By: Josiah

Josiah — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:00:09 +0000

oh, I like the use of “I don’t know” coupled with “tell me more” :-) Brilliant!

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:51:28 +0000

It’s funny, but you’re right Josiah…how often are we actually asked for our opinion on something? Not often. But as a sidenote, I think saying “I don’t know” is the first step to learning…even if it’s someone starting to share something they know about and us saying “wow, I don’t know anything about that…tell me more”. So, I think injecting “i don’t know” can be an effective listening strategy as well (‘active’ listening, maybe)

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:29:04 +0000

Bob, so much of this attitude is so prevalent in our culture! I don’t understand how or where it got started, but it just seems like most people honestly don’t want to learn ANYTHING! Maybe we aren’t teaching our kids critical thinking skills well anymore? Maybe we’ve just stopped valuing knowledge and thinking in the same way. It’s almost as though the increase in the accessibility of information (internet, etc.) has coincided with the decline in knowing how to use it properly! Just my two cents, even though I know I’ve been guilty of not owning up to “not knowing” myself!

By: Josiah

Josiah — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:11:59 +0000

I really like the learning v. leaning encapsulation of this concept. Thanks Bob! There is another option to “I don’t know”. Keep your mouth shut, of course you have to revert to “I don’t know” when you’re asked your opinion, but in my experience that doesn’t really happen that much.

By: John Kozicki

John Kozicki — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:54:22 +0000

How great would it be if everyone did just say “I don’t know”? Imagine how quiet the world would be.