Another extract from Nothing is Written…
“In the process of adaptation, man persistently separates from his old self or at least from those segments of his old self that are now outlived. Like a child who has outgrown a toy he discards the old parts of himself for which he has no further use… the ego continually breaks away from its worn-out parts, which were of value in the past but have no value in the present.” – Otto Rank
Unlearning and breaking from the past is at the heart of learning and creativity. As Rank observes, great artists like Rembrandt and Picasso were able to leave behind their greatest successes and move beyond old ideas of themselves.
In order to learn, we need to lose our attachment to old versions of ourselves.
Playful learning helps us to try out new versions of ourselves, bypassing some of the stories our minds invent about us.
