LEARNING ABOUT THE ABILITY TO LEARN

 




“The capacity to learn is a gift;

the ability to learn is a skill;

the willingness to learn is a choice.”

— Brian Herbert

 

Learning shouldn’t stop. This means, we should be lifelong learners. But, then, there are thousands of things out there, which we won’t be able to learn…

Did I say, “We won’t be able to learn”?

Yes, I did…

For, as Brian Herbert says, “The ability to learn is a skill.”

And, skills need to be honed, developed, finetunes –- either on our own (self-develop, like Ekalavya did), or under some experts and trainers…

What is interesting to note is, that our ability to learn (skill) is sandwiched between our capacity to learn (gift/talent) on one side, and our willingness to learn (choice) on the other…

How interesting!

Take swimming for example. I think, I am capable of learning it, and I am, certainly, able to learn it. But, if I have no willingness to learn it, it clearly tells, it is because I make that choice -- not to learn. This lucidly explains why this blogger has not done swimming in his 68 years even though he lived for more than 28 years in housing societies which had swimming pools and trainers…

Willingness to learn is a choice, Sir… I have learnt this lesson well even though I haven’t learnt swimming!

Let me take another example –- teaching and writing. In my late teens, I became aware of this gift (talent). Mark this: I woke up to my hidden gift/talent…

So, the first thing in learning anything is to realize you are capable –- you possess that gift/talent… Unless that ‘awakening’ happens, learning, too, doesn’t…

Now, I have already told this: I know I am capable, I know I am able to develop the skill… but, if I am unwilling to learn…

Yes, it is the end of the learning road…





Yesterday, while holding a session at a premier college of architecture in Mumbai, a young student asked: “Sir, where does the ability to learn fall –- under talent, or skill?”

For years, I have been telling young ones, that to develop self-confidence, they needed to feel worthwhile… Become aware of their your talents, skills, strengths and weaknesses.

The young boy was sincere… He wanted to learn… But, I did not want him to take home the ability to learn with a label attached to it… I wanted him, and two hundred young students out there, to pause, think and enquire -- where did the ability to learn fall…

Thus, I said, “It’s a blessing.”

 I don’t know, if this budding architect and his fellow-students took home the lesson…

 




GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic.: Pixabay: 1. tarasyasinski  2.  sasint

Video: elephantnews


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