Ben's comments trigger me to take another cut at this conversation.
However, I do not intend to repeat myself on the matter. The choice
of using "unlearning" or not is a linguistic one and those who find
it useful should continue.
My original objection was to point out the possible difficulties
(future conflicts) that might arise by using that term when one
pursues learning and learning organisation concepts. Having made my
points, and heard many others, I'm no longer interested in the
positions on the matter.
But Ben's contribution has me stop and consider learning at this deep
level that he raises when he says, "What I've learned has regularly
made me alter my deep values, etc and has even transformed my life."
(I paraphrase here.)
The kind of learning that I'm interested in is of this kind. New
learning, at this level, doesn't replace old so much as require a
transformation, an integration of originally "un-integratable" ideas
or experiences. In this process, the old is neither forgotten nor
discarded. The old is transformed and connected with the new and may
become unrecognisable in the process.
This is the kind of learning that maintains my interest in
organisational learning. Of course, to be organisational learning at
this level, we are talking about this kind of transformation
throughout an organisation - and that's what lights my fires.
Michael McMaster : Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk
book cafe site : http://www.vision-nest.com/BTBookCafe
Intelligence is the underlying organisational principle
of the universe. Heraclitus
--Michael McMaster <Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>