Cognitive Process-Based Education 5
look at education in a new way. We need to think about how people actually learn, regardless of the subject, in order to address them.
Let’s think about dating, then. I was never any good at it as a kid. I know how the non-cool guys feel. But, later on, much later on, I got very good at it. So, I must have learned something. What?
What was I bad at as a kid? Meeting girls, for one thing. Other kids could do it easily. I always needed to be fixed up.
Talking to girls, for another. I hardly knew any girls. I went to an all-boys high school. I was 16 when I went to college and the other freshmen were 18, so that didn’t help either. In other words, I had no confidence.
But mostly, I had no idea what to say to a girl. What did they talk about?
And, one more thing. I really didn’t get the point. I didn’t know why one wanted to go out with girls anyway. I mean I eventually got the idea, at least I think I did.
Why am I saying it this way? I am trying to get an insight into the learning process and I am a fine example. I didn’t know how to do it and then I did. I didn’t get the point and then I did, sort of. So I must have learned something between the ages of 16 and 60. What?
Here are some things I learned:
e Human relationships are important, but they aren’t easy to establish or maintain. They require work.
e The work involves, among other things, learning how to listen and respond to the needs of another human being. It involves subjugating one’s own interests from time to time for the interests of another.
e Girls, and later women, feel good. Being with someone who loves you feels good. Learning to love feels good. More than feeling good, these things are critical for staying alive. This is not so obvious when you are surrounded by love from your family. But eventually you are alone, and alone is not so much fun.
As this is not a chapter on love, I will stop there. Suffice it to say that I learned how to meet girls, how to gain their interest, and how to form relationships with them. I also learned why I wanted to do that.
Now let’s see what we have learned about learning from my little diversion into teenage angst.
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