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The objective of learning is not necessarily to remember…

“The objective of learning is not necessarily to remember. It may even be salutary to forget. It is only when we forget the early pains and struggles of forming letters that we acquire the capacity for writing. The adult does not remember all the history s/he learned but s/he may hope to have…” quote by Henning Hansmann
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““The objective of learning is not necessarily to remember. It may even be salutary to forget. It is only when we forget the early pains and struggles of forming letters that we acquire the capacity for writing. The adult does not remember all the history s/he learned but s/he may hope to have acquired a standard of character and conduct, a sense of affairs and a feeling of change and development in culture. Naturally there is nothing against having a well-stocked mind provided it does not prevent the development of other capacities. But it is still more important to allow knowledge to sink into one in such a way that it becomes fruitful for life; this best done when we feel deeply all we learn. For the life of feeling is less conscious, more dream-like, than intellectual activity and leads to the subconscious life of will where the deep creative capacities of humanity have their being. It is from this sphere that knowledge can emerge again as something deeply significant for life. It is not what we remember exactly, but what we transform which is of real value to our lives. In this transformation the process of forgetting, of allowing subjects to sink into the unconscious before "re-membering" them is an important element.””

Henning Hansmann

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Learning is valuable when knowledge sinks deeply, allowing forgetting of early struggles and fostering creative transformation rather than mere memorization

In simple terms: True learning forgets the process, not the insight

Key Takeaway

Allow knowledge to become intuitive and transformative

Themes

education memory forgetting creativity growth transformation

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive inspiring

Type

Camphill:0 Education:1 Feeling:0 Forgetting:1 Goals:0 Knowledge:1 Learning:1 Life:1 Memory:0 Real value:1 School:0 Waldorf:0 Life Remember:0 Stocked Mind:0 Forgetting Allowing:0 Learning Necessarily:0

When to use this quote

  • teaching methods
  • personal study
  • mindful reflection

Key Concepts

deep learning cognitive integration creative emergence personal development

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you balance forgetting and retaining essential knowledge?
  • What practices help knowledge become lived experience?
A Different Perspective

Forgetting may lead to loss of useful details

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