I Don't Want to Learn That

We should be ok with ourselves and others saying this.

A Terrible Admission

"I don't want to learn that." I can feel terrible with I say this. In fact, I don't think I can hardly bring myself to say it. If I think it, I still feel terrible.

I want to learn all the things. I want to be able to help out on anything. I don't want to think of myself as choosing a limiting path.

Should I feel terrible if I think, "I don't want to learn that"?

Discerning Limitations

It turns out every day we make choices. We have to. When we choose one thing, we preclude another. This is true in essentially everything in a day: what we do when we wake up, who we speak to, what we eat, where we go, and so on. This includes what we choose to learn.

It is a sobering and sometimes unwanted thought to realize our own limitations. This includes our limitations in learning. There isn't enough time, energy, brain or emotional capacity for us to learn it all. This is part of the human condition.

Expressing our Desires

Is it better to express our desires, including those things we don't want to do, or is it better to express that implicitly by what we choose to do without saying it? It may depend. But why not be explicit? You'll create a situation for yourself where you're more likely to end up doing something you like, and that's powerful.

When we hear someone else say they don't want to do or learn something, let's not immediately brand them as lacking an open mind or a degree of cooperation or helpfulness. We can instead see them as people who are managing themselves, their lives, their interests, and learning.

What don't you want to learn? Do you feel like that's ok for you? What about for other people?