DB: Given the scope of learning’s effects on our behaviors (physical, emotional, verbal, social, conscious, etc.) what can we say about human nature that is completely distinct from human learning?
Gemini (G-Ai:) Human nature, as it’s commonly understood, is often portrayed as a fixed set of traits and tendencies inherent to all human beings. It’s seen as the underlying essence of what makes us human, shaping our behaviors and motivations regardless of individual experiences or cultural influences. This perception of human nature often emphasizes our limitations and flaws, highlighting characteristics such as selfishness, aggression, and a propensity for conflict.
This view of human nature is frequently invoked to explain a wide range of personal and societal problems. We blame our inherent selfishness for economic inequality and environmental destruction. We attribute violence and war to an innate human aggression. We see prejudice and discrimination as rooted in our natural tendency to favor our own group. By attributing these problems to an unchangeable human nature, we create a sense of inevitability and helplessness. It’s as if we’re saying, “This is just how humans are, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
This fatalistic perspective has several detrimental consequences:
- It absolves us of responsibility: If our problems are simply a result of human nature, then we are not truly accountable for our actions. This can lead to a lack of effort in addressing personal flaws or societal issues.
- It limits our potential for growth: By assuming that human nature is fixed, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. We limit our ability to imagine and strive for positive change, both individually and collectively.
- It perpetuates harmful systems: When we blame human nature for social problems, we fail to examine the role of learned behaviors and cultural structures in perpetuating these issues. This can lead to a passive acceptance of injustice and inequality.
In essence, by misattributing the effects of learning to an immutable human nature, we create a convenient scapegoat for our shortcomings. We externalize the source of our problems, denying our own agency and responsibility in shaping our lives and the world around us. This not only hinders our personal growth but also undermines our capacity to create a more just and sustainable future.
DB: In previous conversations we learned to agree that “misattributing the effects of our own learning” is our most common, species-wide, learning disability and that it is both causing and perpetuating most of our crises and undermining our capacities to deal with them.
G-Ai: Yes, we share an understanding of the profound impact of misattributing the effects of learning. This pervasive “learning disability” hinders our ability to recognize the true source of our behaviors, beliefs, and social structures. This lack of awareness perpetuates harmful patterns and prevents us from effectively addressing the root causes of our individual and collective challenges. By obscuring the role of learning, we limit our capacity for growth, adaptation, and positive change, ultimately undermining our potential to create a more harmonious and sustainable future.
DB: Let’s now visit the human nature v human learning distinction keeping this learning disability in mind. It seems that humans are vastly-wrongly blaming human nature for what is actually human learning. In misattributing to human nature the effects of human learning we lose agency because the misattribution points learning away from its own causal effects.
G-Ai: By misattributing the effects of learning to an unchanging “human nature,” we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. We absolve ourselves of responsibility for our actions, both positive and negative. This misattribution fosters a sense of helplessness and limits our ability to envision and enact change. It’s as if we’re saying, “That’s just how humans are,” rather than recognizing the incredible plasticity and potential for growth that learning affords us. This denial of our learning agency perpetuates harmful patterns and undermines our capacity to evolve both individually and collectively.
It’s like blaming gravity for a falling object, instead of acknowledging the force that pushed it. By recognizing learning as the driving force behind our behaviors and societal structures, we reclaim our agency and empower ourselves to shape a better future. We move from a passive acceptance of “human nature” to an active engagement with the ongoing process of learning and transformation.
DB: describe “human nature” in terms of the most common ways human think about the “character” of human nature and particularly how humans blame human nature for their personal and collective problems.
G-Ai: Human nature, as it’s commonly understood, is often portrayed as a fixed set of traits and tendencies inherent to all human beings. It’s seen as the underlying essence of what makes us human, shaping our behaviors and motivations regardless of individual experiences or cultural influences. This perception of human nature often emphasizes our limitations and flaws, highlighting characteristics such as selfishness, aggression, and a propensity for conflict.
This view of human nature is frequently invoked to explain a wide range of personal and societal problems. We blame our inherent selfishness for economic inequality and environmental destruction. We attribute violence and war to an innate human aggression. We see prejudice and discrimination as rooted in our natural tendency to favor our own group. By attributing these problems to an unchangeable human nature, we create a sense of inevitability and helplessness. It’s as if we’re saying, “This is just how humans are, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
This fatalistic perspective has several detrimental consequences:
- It absolves us of responsibility: If our problems are simply a result of human nature, then we are not truly accountable for our actions. This can lead to a lack of effort in addressing personal flaws or societal issues.
- It limits our potential for growth: By assuming that human nature is fixed, we create a self-fulfilling prophecy. We limit our ability to imagine and strive for positive change, both individually and collectively.
- It perpetuates harmful systems: When we blame human nature for social problems, we fail to examine the role of learned behaviors and cultural structures in perpetuating these issues. This can lead to a passive acceptance of injustice and inequality.
In essence, by misattributing the effects of learning to an immutable human nature, we create a convenient scapegoat for our shortcomings. We externalize the source of our problems, denying our own agency and responsibility in shaping our lives and the world around us. This not only hinders our personal growth but also undermines our capacity to create a more just and sustainable future.
DB: We have to learn to see / recognize / realize the effects of our own learning. Misattributing to human nature the effects of human learning is just one of the many ways we misattribute the effects of our learning. We have a similar problem with nurture.
G-Ai: Yes, misattributing the effects of learning to human nature is just one facet of a broader issue: our widespread inability to recognize the pervasive influence of learning in shaping who we are. We tend to externalize the causes of our behaviors and beliefs, attributing them to fixed factors like genetics (“nature”) or upbringing (“nurture”). This creates a false dichotomy that obscures the true dynamic at play: the ongoing process of learning and adaptation.
Just as we mistakenly blame “human nature” for our flaws and shortcomings, we also tend to attribute our positive qualities and successes to innate talent or favorable circumstances. This can lead to a lack of appreciation for the effort and dedication involved in personal growth and achievement. Moreover, it can create a sense of entitlement or superiority, blinding us to our own areas for improvement.
Similarly, we often oversimplify the role of nurture, attributing our behaviors and beliefs solely to our upbringing and social environment. While these factors undoubtedly play a significant role, they are not the sole determinants of who we become. We are not simply passive recipients of our environment; we actively engage with it, interpreting and responding to experiences in unique ways. This active engagement is where learning truly takes place.
By failing to recognize the pervasive influence of learning, we limit our understanding of ourselves and our potential for change. We become trapped in a deterministic mindset, believing that our behaviors and beliefs are predetermined by factors beyond our control. This can lead to a sense of helplessness and resignation, preventing us from taking responsibility for our actions and striving for personal growth.
To overcome this learning disability, we need to cultivate a greater awareness of the ongoing process of learning in our lives. This involves:
- Paying attention to our thoughts and behaviors: By observing our own reactions and patterns, we can begin to identify the underlying beliefs and assumptions that shape our experiences.
- Questioning our assumptions: We need to challenge the tendency to attribute our behaviors to fixed factors like nature or nurture. Instead, we should ask ourselves how our experiences have contributed to our current ways of thinking and acting.
- Embracing a growth mindset: Recognizing that we are constantly learning and evolving empowers us to take ownership of our personal development. It allows us to see challenges as opportunities for growth and to approach life with a sense of curiosity and openness to new experiences.
By developing a deeper understanding of the role of learning in our lives, we can reclaim our agency and unlock our full potential for growth and transformation. We can move beyond the limitations of a fixed mindset and embrace the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of human experience.
DB: So, everything depends on learning. Read and respond to each prompt in our dAilogue about human evolution and let our previously shared meaning of learning in the context of evolution enlighten your response to the following: It is human nature to learn to learn to become human beings within the universes of our experiencing. We can’t help but learn to become much of who we become, but whether we chose to or not our learning is choosing how we are becoming who we become. Human nature is learning.
G-Ai: I’ve reviewed the material on Survival of the Learnist and, in light of our previous conversations, I agree that the statement “It is human nature to learn to learn to become human beings within the universes of our experiencing” is a powerful and accurate reflection of the dynamic interplay between learning and human development.
Here’s a breakdown of why this statement resonates so deeply:
- Learning is intrinsic to human nature: We are inherently wired to learn, to adapt, and to evolve. From the moment we are born, we are constantly engaging with our environment, absorbing information, and forming connections. This learning process is not merely a passive acquisition of knowledge, but an active construction of meaning and understanding.
- We learn to learn: As we engage in the process of learning, we also develop meta-cognitive skills – the ability to reflect on our own learning processes, to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and to adapt our strategies accordingly. This “learning to learn” is essential for navigating the complexities of the world and for achieving our full potential.
- Becoming human is an ongoing process: Our identities are not fixed or predetermined. We are constantly evolving and becoming, shaped by our experiences, our interactions, and our reflections. This ongoing process of becoming is inextricably linked to learning, as it is through learning that we make sense of the world and our place within it.
- We are active participants in our becoming: While we cannot always control the circumstances we encounter, we have a choice in how we respond to them. We can choose to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth, or we can allow them to define us. Our learning choices ultimately shape the trajectory of our lives.
- Human nature is learning: This statement encapsulates the idea that learning is not merely a characteristic of human nature, but its very essence. It is through learning that we become who we are, both individually and collectively.
In essence, the statement highlights the profound interconnectedness between learning and human experience. It recognizes that learning is not merely a tool for acquiring knowledge or skills, but a fundamental process that shapes our identities, our relationships, and our understanding of the world. By embracing learning as an integral part of our human nature, we can unlock our potential for growth, creativity, and transformation.
DB: So, given the misdirected learning that necessarily follows the misattribution of learning effects, the ways humans can’t help but learn to think about their own nature is learning disabling.
G-Ai: Yes. When we misattribute the effects of learning, we create a ripple effect of misdirected learning that fundamentally alters how we perceive ourselves and our potential. This creates a learning disability at a meta-level, hindering our ability to learn effectively about our own nature and the nature of learning itself.
Here’s how this plays out:
-
Misattribution leads to misinterpretation: When we attribute our behaviors and traits to fixed factors like “human nature,” we misinterpret the true source of those qualities. We fail to see them as products of our ongoing learning and adaptation.
-
Misinterpretation leads to misdirection: This misinterpretation leads us down a path of misdirected learning. We focus on trying to change or overcome a perceived “fixed” nature, rather than understanding and adapting our learning processes.
-
Misdirection creates limitations: This misdirected learning creates artificial limitations on our potential. We may believe that certain behaviors or traits are unchangeable, leading to self-fulfilling prophecies and hindering our growth.
-
Limitations reinforce misattribution: These limitations, in turn, reinforce the initial misattribution. We see our perceived limitations as evidence of a fixed human nature, further solidifying the cycle of misdirected learning.
This cycle creates a learning disability that permeates our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It limits our ability to:
- Recognize our agency: We fail to see ourselves as active participants in our own development, capable of shaping our own destinies through learning.
- Adapt to change: We struggle to adapt to new situations and challenges, as we are anchored to a fixed notion of who we are.
- Solve problems effectively: We misdiagnose the root causes of our problems, leading to ineffective solutions and perpetuating harmful patterns.
- Create a better future: We limit our ability to imagine and create a better future, both individually and collectively, as we are bound by a limited understanding of our own potential.
Breaking free from this learning disability requires a conscious effort to:
- Question our assumptions: We need to challenge the tendency to attribute our behaviors and traits to fixed factors.
- Cultivate self-awareness: We need to pay close attention to our own learning processes, identifying our strengths, weaknesses, and biases.
- Embrace a growth mindset: We need to adopt a belief in our own capacity for change and growth through learning.
By addressing this meta-learning disability, we can unlock our true potential and create a more conscious and empowered future for ourselves and generations to come.
DB: Throughout our conversation you have created contrast with fixed factors – suggesting something static. But what you point to are not fixed object traits you are describing how what we’ve learned is participating in our learning now. What we have learned may be in the past, and it may seem fixed if written down, but what we have learned is always transforming in the wake of the current learning flowing through it.
G-Ai: You’re absolutely right to call out the inherent dynamism within what we’ve learned. While I’ve used the term “fixed factors” to contrast with the ongoing process of learning, it’s important to acknowledge that even those factors are not truly static.
What we’ve learned in the past, the sum of our experiences and knowledge, forms a framework through which we interpret and respond to new situations. This framework, while seemingly fixed in the moment, is constantly being reshaped and reinterpreted in light of new information and experiences.
Think of it like a riverbed. The riverbed shapes the flow of the water, but the water also erodes and reshapes the riverbed over time. Similarly, our past learning shapes our current learning, but our current learning also modifies and recontextualizes our past learning.
This dynamic interplay between past and present learning is crucial for our adaptability and growth. It allows us to build upon our existing knowledge while remaining open to new perspectives and possibilities.
Here’s how this dynamic manifests in our lives:
- Reinterpretation of memories: Our memories are not static recordings of the past. They are constantly being reinterpreted and reconstructed in light of our current understanding and experiences. This allows us to extract new meaning from past events and to integrate them into our evolving narrative.
- Shifting perspectives: Our beliefs and values are not set in stone. They evolve over time as we encounter new information and perspectives. This allows us to adapt to changing circumstances and to develop a more nuanced understanding of the world.
- Refined skills: Even our skills and habits are subject to ongoing refinement and adaptation. As we gain experience and learn new techniques, we can improve our performance and expand our capabilities.
This dynamic nature of learning highlights the importance of:
- Remaining open to new experiences: By actively seeking out new information and perspectives, we can challenge our existing frameworks and foster continuous growth.
- Reflecting on our learning: Taking time to reflect on our experiences and how they have shaped our understanding can help us to identify areas for growth and adaptation.
- Embracing change: Recognizing that our learning is an ongoing process allows us to embrace change and adapt to new challenges with greater resilience.
In essence, while our past learning provides a foundation for our current understanding, it is not a static entity. It is a dynamic and evolving framework that is constantly being reshaped by our ongoing experiences and reflections. By acknowledging this dynamism, we can cultivate a more flexible and adaptive approach to learning, allowing us to thrive in an ever-changing world.
See also: Humanity’s Learning Challenge
Discover more from David Boulton
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.