What does it mean to "learn"? How do you know if you've "learned" something? And just because you've "learned" something, can you do it?
Here's the thing: When I watch TV, I always opt for History, National Geographic, Discovery, or Science channel - because I'm a real nerd like that. And when my boyfriend asks what I'm doing, I'll say I'm learning. Because when I watch these shows, I'm learning about volcanoes or synesthesia or butterflies or whatever. But just because I've watched a really interesting program, I am not now a geologist, psychologist, or botanist. I can't do anything with that new knowledge except win trivia challenges.
...So have I really not learned anything?
When I take a class and learn a new skill that is useful and applicable, I have no trouble saying "I learned this skill". I can also look back on times in my life (hello! first job!) and say, "I learned a lot". But if you said, what did you learn and how did you learn it? I'm a little stuck. Think about your own experiences. At what point can you really, truly say "I learned X."?
I really grapple with this word, "learn". I hate it because it's ambiguous and vague. It doesn't tell the whole story.
So I ask you, readers, if there are any of you out there: what does it mean? How do you KNOW if you have learned something? What does it mean to learn something?
To me, having learned something means that I acquired “knowledge” either through experience or explanation which I have been able to store away and to will be able to recall upon need either consciously or unconsciously. Some of the best things that I learned was not to stick my finger on the stove top when my mother was cooking. My mother has passed on many years ago and I still remember! I didn’t learn the lesson by listening to her repeatedly warn me not to do it, but instead by the act of not listening to her and putting my finger there anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn college I learned a lot of heavy mathematics during my engineering days but after changing majors into the business field I no longer used that knowledge and my profession did not rely upon my engineering level math. Today I couldn’t solve many of the equations that I once could have. So…did I really learn it and just forget it or did I just memorize it?
What did you learn at your first job? You likely gathered and internalized a grand plethora of information that created who you are. I don’t know what you did, so I can’t speak to your newly acquired skill set of directly relatable tasks many of which you may have forgotten, but I bet you observed and internalized the conceptual spirit of work such as having to arrive on time, having to perform a set of tasks of which you do not desire, to be friendly and personable to those with whom you interact, and the necessity for you to perform in a manner that satisfies the needs of the organization. Sorta’ like burning your finger don’t ya think?
And lastly and probably most importantly…Make sure that you don’t watch River Monsters on the Discovery Channel before you come down to the boat.
I just LEARNED that Lauren has a blog. I didn't ever know this, yet suddenly I do. And what is more, I am unlikely to forget this piece of information ever (although perhaps the URL might slip my memory). What can't mathematical formulae and vocabulary and other subjects be so easy to learn?
ReplyDeletewww.chickenmonkeydog.com