Unlearn what you think you know

ernestm March 05, 2017 at 17:00 2100 views 6 comments

When I was 35, I started work in a Japanese company. A friend there told me this on my first day. "If you are going to be successful here, you have to unlearn everything you think you know. I'll give you an example. Our logo is red. In the USA, red means stop, or danger. In Asia, it means a party. In this company, you are part of a red parade, and there is nothing you knew that can help you find your place in it. That will be done for you. When you started here, you gave up everything you knew. You are a like a baby that needs bottle feeding to us. Don't make it more difficult for yourself by thinking you know what is right better than others decide is right for you." That is how philosophy really works. Do not think you know an answer because you imagined it. Lots of people have been imagining answers a long time. When you understand their answers, rather than think of your own, that is when you are truly a philosopher. The more philosophers in history you can understand, the better a philosopher you become. Have a milk bottle and take your place in line.

Comments (6)

Nils Loc March 05, 2017 at 20:31 #59333 0 likes

I hope you aren't ever caught wearing ?? if you haven't earned it by merit.

ernestm March 05, 2017 at 23:12 #59370 0 likes

Thank you for the thought. :)

jkop March 06, 2017 at 00:53 #59391 0 likes

It would take time travel to unlearn something already learned. If they want you to learn and use their methods instead of your methods, then would you thereby unlearn something? Knowledge, skills, methods, habits and such can be revised or replaced, not unlearned.

ernestm March 06, 2017 at 00:57 #59392 0 likes

lol, but that assumes you actually have a will in that which you learn, an assumption missing from Japanese thought. They have no concept of self. There is only a mask.

It strikes me as funny that everyone attacks the story and ignores the conclusion. The same happened on Facebook.

jkop March 06, 2017 at 01:32 #59400 0 likes

Quoting ernestm

lol, but that assumes you actually have a will in that which you learn

Where is it assumed? Lay it out for me.

Quoting ernestm

It strikes me as funny that everyone attacks the story and ignores the conclusion.

What conclusion?

ernestm March 06, 2017 at 01:45 #59404 0 likes

What I did, as this didnt go the way I expected, was start another thread, for which the prior paragraph in this thread will be a preface:

http://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/1168/natural-law-rights-and-the-usas-social-contract

Thank you for your thoughts.