What is Unlearning LO10106

Dr. Ivan Blanco (BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU)
Sat, 21 Sep 1996 11:49:32 -0400 (EDT)

Replying to LO9862 --

Even after this extensive discussion on unleraning, I still think that
this notion is a non-existent one. Unlearning seems to indicate to me
that I must forget what I have learned, or even worse that I have to
reverse the process of learning. As I followed the discussion, I came
very close to accepting the notion of unlearning on organization. Then,
thinking about the whole thing again, I thought that in organizations we
might find "non-learning" situations, exactly like in individuals. But I
could not find the notion of unlearning in organization. So far, what I
have seen in this discussion is more re-learning (improved upon what we
have learned before, or chaniging old for new ones), but I can't see
unlearning operating here.

Unlearning also seems to indicate to me that we must throw out of our
brains something we have learned before, to put new things in. This
operates in computers becuase of their limited capacity, but not in human
beings. We use all knowledge to evaluate new one. In fact, we know that
new knowledge is good or bad as we compare it with old ones. I may not
remember anything (should say everything) I have learned in the past, but
I have not unlearned anything. I think that this ability to use old
knowledge to define the value of new is one of the attributes that
differentiates us from other animals, from computers, etc.

IVan
Blanco@bu4090.Barry.edu

-- 

"Dr. Ivan Blanco" <BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>