Unlearning

Unlearning

   Someone mentioned to me that she was so puzzled at the amount of what seemed to be, hatred, going on in the world.  From college campuses to distant lands, it seemed that race and color and religion were again stirring emotions, almost to the point of justifying whatever vocal and physical actions they were doing.  But as mentioned earlier, much of this is learned; and indeed, un-learning is sometimes more difficult that learning, even (or perhaps especially) socially.

   For the first time in three decades or more, I decided to take a swim lesson.  I have been quite active at my local recreation center, dutifully joining other older gents (many of them were actually competitive swimmers when they were much younger) in the pool early in the morning (and while I tend to be in one of the pools by 6:30 in the morning, many of those men and women are finished and already leaving the rec center, which opens at 5:00 AM).  But even with as much as I swim, I couldn't help but notice that several of the swimmers were, in a polite word, more graceful.  Not that I am a flailing fish or anything, for I do swim a good distance an average of 4-5 per week;  but  these certain swimmers looked a bit more like dolphins riding waves, their strokes uneventful yet smooth, their breathing seemingly a second thought.  So I thought, as much as I was pretty content with what I was doing, perhaps being coached in a few lessons wouldn't be a bad thing.  You're never too old to learn, right?

   The first thing the swim coach (that's what they're called when you take lessons, even if they look like they might be young enough to be just entering college) noticed was that I wasn't using the proper muscle groups.  My knees were doing most of the work when I should be shoving that effort over to my thighs.  Then came my arms, each stroke crossing near my head and thus slowing me down.  Then my elbows, coming up a bit too shallow and making more work for my arms.  Then a lack of an "s" curve in the water, making me start each stroke anew instead of keeping me gliding.  Hmmm, who knew I would need so much work?  Nah, said the coach, just work on those few things and otherwise I was looking pretty good.  Huh?

   So out I go like an excited student, ready to put into practice what little changes he suggested during that first lesson.  Were such subtle changes really going to make that big a difference?  And were my strokes and kicks that far off the norm?  As it turns out, the answer was yes to both questions.  Once in the pool the next morning, my movement and speed increased substantially;  swimming the way he suggested was actually --gulp-- easier.  Except that it wasn't.  You see, it wasn't learning the technique that was difficult, but rather, un-learning my old way of stroking and kicking.  Each repetitive stroke had to be thought out or I would find myself tiring and moving just an inkling back to my old, and more comfortable, stroke.  And one change at a time.  Heaven forbid that I would attempt to change my kicking at the same time as I was concentrating on my strokes (I tried and found myself suddenly moving a bit like a watersoaked log).

   And even worse, it all hurts.  No, not like I got bruised and strained muscles; but rather, it was more like not hiking all winter and suddenly coming back from your foolishly long first hike.  Muscles ache, your body is tired, and all in a somewhat good way.  It takes work, in other words, work beyond the physical effort of learning and doing the right thing;  more so, it takes work just to un-learn what you've done for years or decades, to un-learn what is so, so comfortable because that's the way you grew up and nobody since has told you any different, or at least, no one you wanted to listen to.

   Hearing one reporter on NPR talk to an scholar on the teachings of ancient Islam, I was surprised to hear what sounded like a justification for the brutal actions being carried out by the IS (formerly, ISIS).  But this scholar was doing anything but condoning such actions; rather, she was explaining the feelings being conveyed by some of the leaders, that the people being executed and terrorized were, in the scholar's words, being viewed by the IS as infidels, people who deserved such treatment and actions due to their blasphemous beliefs, either of another religion or in not having a strong-enough belief in what the IS believed.  Some of this belief-training, she admitted, was accomplished through an elaborate marketing effort, people trained to hear the subtle changes in others who were put down or feeling unappreciated, people ready to be praised, have their egos bolstered up and told how much the IS wanted people just like them, people ready to believe in something so true, so welcome, and so intolerant of any other religion that didn't know the real path. 

   Darren Smith is the weekend writer for the blog of legal scholar, Jonathan Turley, and he pointed out that a consortium of Islamic leaders have posted an open letter to the leader of the IS, a somewhat legal sounding letter that notes some of the beliefs of Islam from their eyes, among which are these: It is forbidden in Islam to kill emissaries, ambassadors, and diplomats; hence it is forbidden to kill journalists and aid workers...Jihad in Islam is defensive war.  It is not permissible without the right cause, the right purpose and without the right rules of conduct...It is forbidden in Islam to declare people non-Muslim unless he (or she) openly declares disbelief...It is forbidden in Islam to harm or mistreat—in any way—Christians or any ‘People of the Scripture’...The re-introduction of slavery is forbidden in Islam.  It was abolished by universal consensus...It is forbidden in Islam to force people to convert...It is forbidden in Islam to deny women their rights...It is forbidden in Islam to deny children their rights...It is forbidden in Islam to enact legal punishments (hudud ) without following the correct procedures that ensure justice and mercy...It is forbidden in Islam to torture people...It is forbidden in Islam to disfigure the dead...It is forbidden in Islam to attribute evil acts to God...It is forbidden in Islam to destroy the graves and shrines of Prophets and Companions.

   There is much we have to learn, and to un-learn.  There may be a bit of pain and uncomfortableness in doing so, in changing our ways.  But as I mentioned in an earlier post, underneath it all, one hopes that we are able to un-learn what is wrong despite what we were taught, or are being taught.  One hopes that underneath it all, we can work through the differences and finding that the right path will take work but when all is said and done, will indeed be easier and smoother.  As was said by Nelson Mandela, we have to learn to hate.  Now comes the more difficult part...the un-learning.