Learning by Unlearning

I have found the process of monetizing my passions to be soul-sucking.

Reading became burdensome.
Writing lost its luster.
My work-life began to center solely around Instagram, algorithms, numbers, growth, marketing, emails, advertising, and wondering what else I needed to be doing in order to experience greater growth.

I decided to create LBU because of my love for learning, thinking, and creating. And yet, very quickly, well over 90% of my energy went into BS, leading me to neglect what compelled me to start LBU in the first place.

I lost the plot.
The main thing was no longer the main thing.
I began to experience very little joy in the things that once lit me up.

This all led to me stepping away from LBU entirely for a handful of months.

I am still getting to know myself, it turns out.
What works.
What doesn’t.

I am still getting to know myself.
What a strange thing to say.
Yet, it’s undeniably true.

My goal behind LBU is still something that excites me: Creating courses & content to help people become lifelong (un)learners.

What that will look & feel like, I’m not entirely sure yet... But, as I figure that out, please enjoy pictures of our new puppy, Auggie 🐾🐾

True learning takes place when two boxes are checked off:

1️⃣ An optimal level of challenge
2️⃣ High relevance

If a task is too challenging or too easy, we are quick to tune out.

If a task isn’t relevant to our goals, needs, or interests, we are quick to grow bored.

To maximize your learning, ensure it’s properly challenging (but not overwhelming) and something of high relevance to you.

The Lifelong Learning Project can help you utilize these principles and learn on your own so you can achieve your goals without going back to school.

The first 3 people who DM me “LLP” will receive a $100 discount off of the Lifelong Learning Project.

(Research done by Erin Westgate from the U of Florida)

—

What’s coherent is not always correct.
What’s correct is not always coherent.

I learned about cognitive ease from the brilliant Daniel Kahneman in his book Thinking, Fast and Slow.

An idea that is high in cognitive ease is easy for our brains to process, providing us with a sense of mastery and certainty over at least some part of our environment.

But just because an idea is easily understandable doesn’t make it true.

We don’t have to go our whole lives believing simply what is easiest for our brains to understand.

Here are four tips for how to with / against cognitive ease:

1️⃣ Understand the science of learning
2️⃣ Peel back the layers of ideas high in cognitive ease
3️⃣ Seek out information from a range of sources
4️⃣ Intentionally challenge your assumptions

---

To strive towards competence, one must first recognize their incompetence.

The Four Stages of Competence is a great framework that can be used as a map, to help us understand where we are at in our learning and what’s required to reach out goals.

Learning goes through four phases:
1️⃣ You don’t know that you don’t know
2️⃣ You know that you don’t know
3️⃣ You know that you know
4️⃣ You don’t know that you know

❇️ Learning is a process
❇️ There is no non-stop flight from Stage 1 to Stage 4 (or even Stage 3)
❇️ To strive towards competence, one must first recognize their incompetence

Do you want a framework to help you strive towards mastery?

Enroll in the Lifelong Learning Project, and get 20% off when you use discount code lifelonglearner!

---

Straw-manning is a logical fallacy where we distort opposing opinions, and then argue against the distorted opinion instead of the true opposing opinion. This is entirely different than steel-manning, where you to seek to find solid reasons and evidence to support opinions you do not hold.

The process of steel-manning is simple, but it isn’t easy:

1️⃣ Take a belief you disagree with
2️⃣ Consider what may influence someone to hold this belief
3️⃣ Reflect on how someone may benefit from this belief
4️⃣ Search for reasons and evidence that support this belief

🤔 Have you heard of steel-manning before? How do you challenge your views?

---

Three reasons to avoid unlearning:

1️⃣ It may disrupt your identity.
2️⃣ It may disrupt your stability.
3️⃣ It may disrupt your community.

Before rushing into it, one should familiarize themselves with what’s on the other side of unlearning: change.

An equal blend of harmonious, disruptive, shocking, anticipated, and confusing change, all at once.

To receive free access to my five day Unlearning Masterclass, DM me for your personal invite.

---

Just in case you needed a reminder 👆👆

---

🌱

"Only the ideas we actually live are of any value." - Hermann Hesse

---

I cannot control if your past student loans are forgiven, but I can help you learn on your own without accruing more debt 🤷‍♂️

For the next 24 hours, the Lifelong Learning Project is pay-what-you-want.

I believe learning is a right, and because of that, it should be affordable and accessible to all. You shouldn’t have to go back to school and pay thousands of dollars to learn.

If you’re interested, you can click the link in my bio 👍

---

Looking for book recommendations?

I just sent out this month’s reading newsletter, where I share book recs, lessons I learned, and influential quotes.

To get the newsletter sent to your inbox, click the link in my bio.

PS I always love to hear what other people are reading and learning. Feel free to share any recommendations in the comments!

---

📖