Bowen White Blog

the final common pathway of learning, part 2

Did I keep you in suspense? The final common pathway of learning is TRIAL AND ERROR. In other words, we earn our learning the old fashioned way, one mistake at a time. Notice a little cognitive dissonance here? There is only one way, the "right way", yet the only way to learn that "right way" is by screwing up! And, why don't people know the answer, why don't they just shout it out?  Making Mistakes!  It's part of normal not being healthy. We only know how to celebrate our victories, not our defeats, mistakes or losses. We have the employee of the year awards. But, have you ever been to a mistake of the month meeting?

Here in the Excited States of Amnesia we've forgotten what our hunter-gatherer ancestors knew. Life will teach you what you need to learn if you pay attention. Try something, fail. Make adjustments, try again, and fail. Adjust, try, and fail. And what happens when one has failed enough? One learns. Adjusting to the feedback from ongoing experience one continues to learn and eventually new skills are gained. Learning is important. Survival depended upon learning and learning didn't require punishment...

the final common pathway of learning, part 1

I would like the opportunity to invade your thought space for a few seconds. Is yours full? Just kidding. I know you have many other important grownup concerns that could just as easily impinge upon your thinking. Alas, none is more important than what you are about to read. Although it is of vital importance to Adult-Child relationships, it is nonetheless something that is rarely discussed, or even acknowledged.

Regardless of ethnic or cultural differences, there are many things that we share in common. It's important to honor our differences and learn from them. Exposure to difference informs, it educates. However, exploring what we share in common can also educate. For instance, the specifics may vary but in every family system there is the "right way" to do things. And every child in that family has to learn that "right way". Didn't we all hear the same thing: "any thing worth doing is worth doing well", "if you can't do it right, then don't do it at all", etc? But, we're not born with intrinsic knowledge of how to do things "right".

We have to learn. There are different learning styles: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. But what is the final common pathway of learning? I have asked that question to thousands of professionals that work with children. Their answers relect the problem: "experience", "practice", "repetition". These professionals include teachers, educators. So why don't professional educators know the answer? When we see someone do something and try it ourselves, will we do it right the first time? Maybe, if we're lucky. But, more than likely, not. We need practice; repetition, repetition, repetition. Why? Because the final common pathway of learning is ...    (stay tuned)