--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the illiterate of the future will not be…" description: "\"“the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot read or write. Rather, they will be those that cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”\" — J.R. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/j-r-woodward-44422_illiterate_the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be_86718.jpg" --- # the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot… ![“the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot read or write. Rather, they will be those that cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” quote by J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/j-r-woodward-44422_illiterate_the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be_86718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/j-r-woodward-44422_illiterate_the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be_86718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/j-r-woodward-44422_illiterate_the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be_86718.jpg) > ““the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot read or write. Rather, they will be those that cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”” [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Future literacy hinges on the ability to continuously acquire, discard, and relearn knowledge, not merely on reading or writing skills. **In simple terms:** Learning agility defines future literacy. Key Takeaway Adapt, unlearn, relearn. Themes education technology future of work Mood forward‑looking urgent Type quote advice When to use this quote - corporate training - STEM curricula - personal development Key Concepts learning agility lifelong learning Practical Applications - skill‑refresh programs - adaptive learning platforms Questions to Reflect On - What habits foster unlearning? - How can institutions teach relearning? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Relearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relearn/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [By instructing students how to learn, unlearn and relearn, a powerful new dimension can be added to education. Psychologist Herbert Gerjuoy of the Human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/by-instructing-students-how-to-learn-unlearn-and-relearn-a-powerful/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/the-illiterate-of-the-21st-century-will-not-be-those-who-cannot-read-2/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [By instructing students how to learn, unlearn and relearn, a powerful new dimension can be added to education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/by-instructing-students-how-to-learn-unlearn-and-relearn-a-powerful-2/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [“The illiterate of the 21st Century are not those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/the-illiterate-of-the-21st-century-are-not-those-who-cannot-read-and/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [Those who do not learn how to decipher photographs will be the illiterate of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/those-who-do-not-learn-how-to-decipher-photographs-will-be-the/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as the pen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laszlo-moholy-nagy/the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-be-the-person-ignorant-of-the-use/) [Laszlo Moholy-Nagy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laszlo-moholy-nagy/) > [The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be-the-person-who-cannot-read/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) > [The illiterate of the future will not be the man who cannot read the alphabet, but the one who cannot take a photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/the-illiterate-of-the-future-will-not-be-the-man-who-cannot-read-the/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [You have to learn to unlearn, I am a true believer in that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laufey/you-have-to-learn-to-unlearn-i-am-a-true-believer-in-that/) [Laufey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laufey/) > [Learn and unlearn, it goes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniyal-butt/learn-and-unlearn-it-goes-on/) [Daniyal Butt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniyal-butt/) > [“Sometimes life isn’t about anything new that we have to learn, but about what we have to UNlearn instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timber-hawkeye/sometimes-life-isn-t-about-anything-new-that-we-have-to-learn-but/) [Timber Hawkeye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timber-hawkeye/) > [The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/the-first-problem-for-all-of-us-men-and-women-is-not-to-learn-but-to/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [“We do not learn for the benefit of anyone, we learn to unlearn ignorance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/we-do-not-learn-for-the-benefit-of-anyone-we-learn-to-unlearn/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Wisdom comes to those who learn nothing, unlearn everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/wisdom-comes-to-those-who-learn-nothing-unlearn-everything/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [I wasn't feeling challenged. I needed to walk away and unlearn and relearn everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-wasn-t-feeling-challenged-i-needed-to-walk-away-and-unlearn-and/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) ## More by J.R. Woodward > [“More than a strategy, vision or plan, the unseen culture of a church powerfully shapes her ability to grow, mature and live missionally.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/more-than-a-strategy-vision-or-plan-the-unseen-culture-of-a-church/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“Culture is like gravity. We never talk about it, except in physics classes. We don’t include gravity in our weekly planning processes. No one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/culture-is-like-gravity-we-never-talk-about-it-except-in-physics/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“Leaders need community to pursue wholeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/leaders-need-community-to-pursue-wholeness/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“Ultimately, each church will be evaluated by only one thing—its disciples. Your church is only as good as her disciples. It does not matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/ultimately-each-church-will-be-evaluated-by-only-one-thing-its/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“Leaders of God’s people uniquely contribute to the cultivation of a culture distinct and different from the dominant culture. For it is the role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/leaders-of-god-s-people-uniquely-contribute-to-the-cultivation-of-a/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“A mature community cultivates a lifestyle of love in the midst of market-style exchanges: a lifestyle of joy in the midst of manufactured desire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/a-mature-community-cultivates-a-lifestyle-of-love-in-the-midst-of/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“The world is now an urban place. The resources and concerns of the church need to acknowledge this.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/the-world-is-now-an-urban-place-the-resources-and-concerns-of-the/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) > [“Creating a missional culture is more than just adding some outward programs to the church structure. Creating a missional culture goes to the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-woodward/creating-a-missional-culture-is-more-than-just-adding-some-outward/) [J.R. Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) [Explore all 9 J.R. Woodward quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-woodward/) ## More Illiterate quotes > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [It's a great lesson in modesty that you realize you're illiterate in a field that you think you're an expert in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wim-wenders/it-s-a-great-lesson-in-modesty-that-you-realize-you-re-illiterate-in/) [Wim Wenders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wim-wenders/) > [You can't have people making decisions about the future of the world who are scientifically illiterate. That's a recipe for disaster. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/you-can-t-have-people-making-decisions-about-the-future-of-the-world/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Our legal system, including the police, is anti-Dalit and anti-poor. The death penalty laws' wrathful majesty, in blood-shot equality, deals the fatal blow on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-r-krishna-iyer/our-legal-system-including-the-police-is-anti-dalit-and-anti-poor-the/) V. R. Krishna Iyer > [“Those captivated by the cult of celebrity do not examine voting records or compare verbal claims with written and published facts and reports. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/those-captivated-by-the-cult-of-celebrity-do-not-examine-voting/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [The basic scam in the Internet age is pretty easy even for the financially illiterate to grasp. It was as if banks like Goldman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/the-basic-scam-in-the-internet-age-is-pretty-easy-even-for-the/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [Ignorance and illiteracy are obviously not synonymous; even illiterate masses can cast their ballots with intelligence, once they are informed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-orville-douglas/ignorance-and-illiteracy-are-obviously-not-synonymous-even-illiterate/) William Orville Douglas > [Illiterate people on the computer and I don't go well together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/illiterate-people-on-the-computer-and-i-don-t-go-well-together/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I admire Laura Bush because she's the only librarian who would marry an illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-admire-laura-bush-because-she-s-the-only-librarian-who-would-marry/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [Luckily, I'm not educated. If you act like an illiterate man, your learning will never stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunachalam-muruganantham/luckily-i-m-not-educated-if-you-act-like-an-illiterate-man-your/) [Arunachalam Muruganantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunachalam-muruganantham/) > [Having a financially illiterate society is dangerous, and we have to do something about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mellody-hobson/having-a-financially-illiterate-society-is-dangerous-and-we-have-to/) [Mellody Hobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mellody-hobson/) > [I shouldn't say bad stuff about illiterate people. I should write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-shouldn-t-say-bad-stuff-about-illiterate-people-i-should-write-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Helen Keller became deaf, dumb, and blind shortly after birth. Despite her greatest misfortune, she has written her name indelibly in the pages of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/helen-keller-became-deaf-dumb-and-blind-shortly-after-birth-despite/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [The road to ignorance is paved with good editions. Only the illiterate can afford to buy good books now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-road-to-ignorance-is-paved-with-good-editions-only-the-illiterate/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [ “\[E\]very man hath liberty to write, but few ability. Heretofore learning was graced by judicious scholars, but now noble sciences are vilified by base… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burton/e-very-man-hath-liberty-to-write-but-few-ability-heretofore-learning/) [Robert Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burton/) Browse all 299 Illiterate quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“the illiterate of the future will not be those that cannot read or write. Rather, they will be those that cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.R. 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