Posted in Creativity, Education, Games, General, Innovation, Lessons Unlearned, New Cards, Paradox, Sports, The Way We See the Problem
Learning to juggle isn't about catching the balls, it's about throwing them. One reason many people have difficulty learning to juggle is because they can't unlearn the "catching" part. Letting go of old habits is difficult but if you can master the trick of unlearning you just might be able to better handle the new…
Posted in Less is More, New Cards, Running, See What Isn't There, Sports
The Wall Street Journal has an informative article on running entitled Why Trainers Say, 'Slow Down.' It does a good job of punching a hole in the "more-is-better" mentality espoused by many in the marathon/distance running community. (Including, I should add, myself — once upon a time.) From an unlearning perspective, however, I especially enjoyed…
On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. Although it is a myth that physiologists considered the barrier physically impossible, what is interesting to consider is this: By 1957 another 16 runners had also accomplished the feat. In other words, it is now evident that…
“It’s not what you don’t know that hurts you; it’s what you know that just ain’t so.”–Satchel Paige Question #86: In both 1995 and 1996, David Justice of the Atlanta Braves had a higher batting average than the New York Yankees Derek Jeter. Who had the higher two-year average over the same two-year…
Posted in Education, General, Sports, Unlearn Strategy
“When men know not what to do, they ought not to do what they know not.”–Abigail Adams. Question #58: If five frogs are sitting on a log and four decide to jump off, how many are remaining on the log? The answer is five because deciding to do something isn’t the same…
Posted in Analogy, Books, Business, Culture, Education, General, Government, Marketing, Politics, Quiz, Quotes, Sports, Unlearn Strategy
"When it becomes necessary to develop a new perception of things, a new internal model of reality, the problem is never to get new ideas in, the problem is to get old ideas out." – Dee Hock Question: How many planets are there in our solar system? The answer is eight. If you…
Posted in Business, Games, Quiz, Sports, Unlearn Strategy
Almost two years ago now, after his team's stunning upset loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, I applauded Bill Belichick for his willingness to make an unconventional — but statistically correct — decision in a high stake situation. After his latest controversial decision on Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts, where…
This past Sunday I completed the Twin Cities Marathon and achieved my goal of qualifying for the 2010 Boston Marathon. As I mentioned last month, however, I am serious about this idea of "Unlearning the Running Rules." Today, I purchased my first pair of Vibram FiveFinger's — the "barefoot alternative" — and went for a modest…
Posted in Advertising, Creativity, Culture, Design, Film, Games, General, Hollywood, Humor, Sports
Check out the logo of the Big Ten Conference to the left. Do you notice anything? Do you see the number "11" embedded on both sides of the "T"? I never did and I live in Minnesota and am a big fan of the Big Ten conference (as evidenced by this recent post on Ohio…
Posted in Business, Culture, Games, General, Psychology, Quiz, Sports, Stories, Unlearn Strategy
In an early key college football matchup, the 8th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes lost to the 3rd ranked USC Trojan's last evening by a score of 18-15. A number of reasons will be given for the defeat and many will be valid. One key decision likely to be overlooked by most observers was Ohio State Coach…
