"It is what we know already that often prevents us from learning"

Familiarity can be both a foundation and a boundary for growth. When a person believes they have mastered a subject, their confidence in their existing knowledge may inadvertently close them off to new ideas. The comfort derived from established understanding can solidify assumptions, turning them into barriers. Preconceived notions, rigid perspectives, or habitual explanations cause genuine curiosity to fade. As a result, opportunities to expand and evolve one’s understanding are ignored or dismissed, not out of laziness but because the brain prefers the certainty of what is known.

Throughout history, progress has stalled when experts firmly held on to outdated beliefs, refusing to entertain alternative viewpoints or question old systems. Scientific revolutions often occur when someone is willing to set aside everything they know and re-examine the evidence with fresh eyes. Claude Bernard, himself a scientist, recognized that real learning requires acknowledging the limits, and potential fallibility, of established knowledge. If a physician, for example, accepts long-held medical dogmas without question, they might overlook new findings that could save lives. If a teacher clings rigidly to traditional pedagogy, their students may miss out on methods better suited to diverse ways of learning.

To truly learn, individuals must practice intellectual humility, recognizing that their current understanding may be incomplete. Remaining open to being wrong is essential to progress. This requires an active effort to identify the invisible walls erected by one’s own expertise. Letting go of certainty can feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, but it is precisely this openness that cultivates deeper learning and meaningful discovery. The wisdom of the past has value, but it becomes most powerful alongside a willingness to challenge, refine, or even discard it in light of new evidence. Ultimately, genuine learning flourishes not in the shadow of what is already known, but in the light cast by questioning and curiosity.