--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't learn anything new, until you…" description: "\"You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to forget everything you think you know\" — James Victore" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png" --- # You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to… ![“You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to forget everything you think you know” quote by James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png) > “You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to forget everything you think you know” [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning requires letting go of prior assumptions to make space for new knowledge. **In simple terms:** Forget old ideas to learn new ones. Key Takeaway Release old beliefs to grow. Themes growth learning open-mindedness Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - career change - personal development Key Concepts cognitive flexibility paradigm shift Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs are you holding that block new learning? - How can you create mental space for fresh ideas? A Different Perspective Old habits may resist change, making forgetting difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Forget everything you think to know, because when it really matters, there is only one thing that can keep you alive. Magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-thoden-van-velzen/forget-everything-you-think-to-know-because-when-it-really-matters/) Cecilia Thoden van Velzen > [If you think you know it all, you really know nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-think-you-know-it-all-you-really-know-nothing/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [You think you know your possibilities. Then other people come into your life and suddenly there are so many more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/you-think-you-know-your-possibilities-then-other-people-come-into/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [If you think you know what I'm doing wrong well you're gonna have to get in line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/if-you-think-you-know-what-i-m-doing-wrong-well-you-re-gonna-have-to/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [Just when you think you know something, it gets turned around and challenged in some way. But those changes are welcome because you end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-beals/just-when-you-think-you-know-something-it-gets-turned-around-and/) [Jennifer Beals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-beals/) > [Adolescence is such a fun time in your life, because you think you know it all, and you haven’t gotten to the point where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-kiedis/adolescence-is-such-a-fun-time-in-your-life-because-you-think-you/) [Anthony Kiedis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-kiedis/) > [It's not what you know, it's what you think you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/it-s-not-what-you-know-it-s-what-you-think-you-know/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [Sometimes you think you know things, know things very deeply, only to realize you don't know a damn thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jandy-nelson/sometimes-you-think-you-know-things-know-things-very-deeply-only-to/) [Jandy Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jandy-nelson/) > [Just when you think you know the answers, I change the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-when-you-think-you-know-the-answers-i-change-the-questions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The less you 'think' you know, the greater your ability to learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/the-less-you-think-you-know-the-greater-your-ability-to-learn-and-grow/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [You think you know what is just and what is not. I understand. We all think we know." I had no doubt, myself, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/you-think-you-know-what-is-just-and-what-is-not-i-understand-we-all/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [Knowing the edge of your competency is important. If you think you know more than you do, you will get in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/knowing-the-edge-of-your-competency-is-important-if-you-think-you/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [You think you know yourself, the world. You believe you've got a bead on everybody else's bullshit, but what about your own?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-lipsyte/you-think-you-know-yourself-the-world-you-believe-you-ve-got-a-bead/) [Sam Lipsyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-lipsyte/) > [As you get older and you realize you really don't know as much as you think you know, you listen more. Because then you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/as-you-get-older-and-you-realize-you-really-don-t-know-as-much-as-you/) [Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/) > [Eventually we realize that not knowing what to do is just as real and just as useful as knowing what to do. Not knowing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/eventually-we-realize-that-not-knowing-what-to-do-is-just-as-real-and/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) ## More by James Victore > [We are born with magic inside of us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/we-are-born-with-magic-inside-of-us/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [In the particular lies the universal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/in-the-particular-lies-the-universal/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [If your work appeals to everyone, it moves no one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/if-your-work-appeals-to-everyone-it-moves-no-one/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Creativity is not to be rudely shoved into being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/creativity-is-not-to-be-rudely-shoved-into-being/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [But the few brave ones, both companies and individuals, who risk comfort and safety for a chance at beauty or being able to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/but-the-few-brave-ones-both-companies-and-individuals-who-risk/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [By believing your work is a 'gift,' it radically changes what you create. I think this is a revolutionary idea. It's no longer about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/by-believing-your-work-is-a-gift-it-radically-changes-what-you-create/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Things that make you weird as a kid will make you great tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/things-that-make-you-weird-as-a-kid-will-make-you-great-tomorrow/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [The life you want doesn't exist. You have to make it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/the-life-you-want-doesn-t-exist-you-have-to-make-it-up/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Put your weird in your work!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/put-your-weird-in-your-work/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Inspiration is hogwash. My work comes directly out of my loves and hates. Muses don't whisper in my ear, and ideas don't flow over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/inspiration-is-hogwash-my-work-comes-directly-out-of-my-loves-and/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [Distraction is the most corrosive disease of the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/distraction-is-the-most-corrosive-disease-of-the-20th-century/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [The first rule of business is FUN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/the-first-rule-of-business-is-fun/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [No one can stand in the way of your personal greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/no-one-can-stand-in-the-way-of-your-personal-greatness/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [We're supposed to be the people who make culture, not decorate culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/we-re-supposed-to-be-the-people-who-make-culture-not-decorate-culture/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) > [It's about whittling. It's about taking something and whittling and whittling and getting it sharp and perfect. Then you've got something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/it-s-about-whittling-it-s-about-taking-something-and-whittling-and/) [James Victore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) [Explore all 21 James Victore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to forget everything you think you know", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Victore" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-are-open-enough-to-forget/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-are-open-enough-to-forget/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/043/james-victore-27057_education_you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-a_1833588.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't learn anything new, until you are open enough to forget everything you think you know” — James Victore", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Victore", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-victore/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You can't learn anything new, until...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-are-open-enough-to-forget/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-victore/you-can-t-learn-anything-new-until-you-are-open-enough-to-forget/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```