Most of us have heard Robert Fulghum’s famous statement, “All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten.” It is a much loved and widely embraced statement because it holds a heavy dose of truth. I mean, really, who can argue against “playing fair,” “saying sorry,” “cleaning up one’s own mess,” and “learning some and thinking some?”
Alas, the statement is wrong because kindergartners are not taught how to unlearn and, if we want our children to be successful in the future, one of the most important — if not the most important — skill a child needs to possess is the ability to unlearn.
The world is changing so fast — and will continue to evolve at a near exponential rate — that it is vital we all become comfortable with the notion of discarding ideas which have outlived their usefulness.
Think about it for a moment. What are some of the first things a kindergarten teacher tells her or his new charges? Among other things, they tell them where the bathrooms are so they might properly and promptly discharge the remnants of food and drink no longer useful to the body. And much like a bladder full of “Number 1” or a load of “Number 2” held past the breaking point, old ideas can also create a stinky, uncomfortable mess if kept inside a child’s head for too long.
Therefore, for their sake as well as the benefit of society as a whole, it would behoove us to properly instruct all kindergartners in the necessity and mechanics of flushing away obsolete knowledge. (For the record, I’m also in favor of instructing them in how to diligently wash their minds after each episode lest the residue from some old nasty dogma infect either themselves or others.)
A second thing kindergartners immediately learn upon entering school is what to do in the event of a fire or natural disaster. Alas, few are ever instructed in how to abandon old knowledge when it no longer provides protection against a raging future. The absence of this skill could literally be a matter of life or death — as this old post explains.
As we begin this new decade, I have made it my personal mission to ensconce the concept of unlearning in every kindergarten curriculum in the world by the end of this decade. It is a bold idea but it is an idea worth spreading.
I welcome your comments, thoughts, and ideas on how I might make this happen. If you like this idea, I encourage you to retweet this post; share it on Digg, Reddit, Facebook or any of the many other social networking platforms which can help spread the idea.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Alan Kay who once said that “The best way to discover the future is to create it.” My way of creating a better future is to help all people — but most especially the young — appreciate the fact that, often, we must first unlearn the past — or, perhaps I should say, “unlearn those ideas which have passed” — before we can seize a new and better future. I can think of no better place to plant the seed of unlearning than Kindergarten.
Sincerely,
Jack Uldrich … Your Chief Unlearning Officer
