Introduction

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
- Alvin Toffler

To unlearn is as hard as to learn. What is that thing you have always thought about and that you have stood by all of your life? Is it true? Is there something that you have been quick to adopt without any form of questioning just because someone said so? Have they been true?

“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but religiously follows the new.” That was written by Henry David Thoreau in his book Walden. It looks really simple, right? We laugh at the old and outdated thinking of our ancestors while simultaneously riding on the wings of the enlightened and new ideas of the new.

However, if you go by the adage that says, “there is nothing new under the sun,” we might be making a huge mistake. This means that while circumstances may change and shift, there is nothing really new to learn under the sun, only the ability to unlearn some parts. With this in our mind, how frequently do we stop to examine how backward- or progressive-thinking our society or culture really is? How well or how often do we question and to what degree do we allow ourselves to be conditioned to conform to the groupthink.

Let’s face this, there are several blatant falsehoods that have been sold to us as the truth. We are told to pursue the “perfect body” or even how the “perfect body” is to look like, we are told what success and happiness has to look like. However, if we truly want to live not according to the passing trends of the times but according to truth, then we have to unlearn the “wisdom” of this world. How can we achieve this?

Take time out to try out and test out your introspection. Take time out to contemplate the beliefs you have in quiet and let it connect you to your most authentic self. Interact and listen to open minds and you will be able to deepen your understanding of the world to achieve unparalleled success. The older we get, we must be willing to learn, unlearn, and relearn all the beliefs and behaviors we have grown with to become our best self.