Aprender y desaprender: cuatro elementos y el ejemplo de Djokovic. Gerry Garbulsky, Dir. TED español

Summary

In this insightful script, the speaker, Vilma, discusses the concepts of learning and unlearning using the metaphors of glass and clay. She explains that learning involves reshaping our neural connections, akin to molding heated glass or wet clay, which become rigid once cooled or dried. The script highlights four triggers for learning: motivation, surprise, error, and dedication. It also addresses the misconception of unlearning as a prerequisite for new learning, arguing that most of the time, existing knowledge should be leveraged to enhance learning, with exceptions in cases of ingrained biases or incorrect foundational skills.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Learning involves reconfiguring our neural connections to enable new actions or knowledge acquisition.
• 🔥 The metaphor of glass and fire illustrates that heat (learning) makes the glass (mind) malleable, allowing it to be shaped into new forms.
• 🎨 Similarly, clay (mind) becomes moldable with water (learning), and retains its new shape after drying, representing the solidification of new knowledge.
• 👶 Children possess high neural plasticity, allowing them to adapt to the environment and learn rapidly through natural evolution.
• 🌱 Four 'doors' are open for learning: motivation, surprise, error, and dedication, which signal the mind to release chemical substances for learning.
• 🚀 Motivation creates fertile ground for learning, making it easier to acquire new knowledge or skills.
• 😲 Surprise can disrupt existing models of the world, indicating that it's time to learn and adapt to new information.
• 🤔 Errors signal to our minds that something went wrong, prompting a need to learn and correct our understanding.
• ⏳ Dedication and time investment are crucial for deep learning, as there are few shortcuts to mastering new skills or knowledge.
• 🧐 Unlearning is not always necessary; in most cases, building upon existing knowledge can enhance our ability to learn more.
• 🛑 There are specific instances where unlearning can be beneficial, such as when overcoming ingrained biases or correcting fundamental errors in technique.
• 🎼 In some cases, like learning to play an instrument, unlearning incorrect techniques can be more challenging than learning the correct way from the start.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the transcript?

The main topic discussed in the transcript is learning and unlearning, with a focus on how our brain connections can be reconfigured and the metaphors used to explain these concepts.

What is the metaphor used to describe the learning process in terms of glass and fire?

The metaphor compares learning to heating a piece of glass until it becomes malleable, allowing it to be shaped into something new. Once cooled, the glass retains its new shape but becomes hard and fragile again.

What is the second metaphor mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to the learning process?

The second metaphor is clay and water. Just like adding water to clay makes it soft and moldable, certain conditions can make our minds receptive to new learning.

What are the four 'doors' or signals that evolution left open for our minds to be fertile and ready to learn?

The four signals are motivation, surprise, error, and dedication. These signals indicate that it is time for the mind to be open to learning and for the release of chemical substances that facilitate the process.

Why is motivation important in the learning process according to the script?

Motivation is important because it creates a fertile ground for learning, signaling to our minds that it is time to be open to new knowledge and experiences.

What role does surprise play in learning according to the transcript?

Surprise plays a role in learning because it disrupts our existing models of the world, indicating that there is new information to be learned and our minds need to adapt.

How does making an error contribute to the learning process?

Making an error signals to our minds that something did not go as expected, which is a cue that we need to learn something new because our previous knowledge or actions were not effective.

What is the significance of dedication in the learning process?

Dedication is significant because it sends a signal to our body that learning is important, and by dedicating time, we allow our minds to absorb and integrate new knowledge more effectively.

What is the speaker's opinion on unlearning in the context of learning new things?

The speaker advises against unlearning for the sake of learning new things, as the mind learns by associating with what it already knows. However, there are specific cases where unlearning might be beneficial, such as when overcoming biases or correcting incorrect habits.

Can you provide an example from the script where unlearning is necessary?

One example is when someone has incorporated many biases or filters that prevent them from seeing the world in a different way. In such cases, it might be beneficial to 'unlearn' these biases to adopt a more naive and open-minded perspective.

What is the piano learning anecdote shared in the script, and what does it illustrate about unlearning?

The anecdote is about the speaker's experience learning to play a song on the piano. They reached a limit and sought a piano teacher who pointed out that their fingering was incorrect. The speaker had to unlearn the incorrect fingering to progress, which was more difficult than learning the correct technique from the start.