The 4 Stages of Learning

While reading this book by John Assaraf, I found this to be quite interesting. Learning is something that we experience throughout our life, though sadly to say, for most people, the amount of learning is somehow indirectly proportional to their physical age.

Here are the 4 stages of learning shared in this book:

First stage: Unconscious incompetence

• The state of ignorance, i.e. we don't know what we don't know.

Second stage: Conscious incompetence

• We know and admit that we're incompetent.

Third stage: Conscious competence

• We understand and know how to do something, but it requires a lot of focus and concentration.
• This comes from doing the right things in the right order repeatedly.

Fourth stage: Unconscious competence

• We had so much practice and become so good at the skill that it has become second nature and can be performed effortlessly.

I can easily relate this to my experience in driving. When I was small, I didn't even bother whether I knew how to drive. As I grow older, I realized that I needed to learn how to drive or else I'll be a burden to others. I remembered that on the first day of my driving lesson, it was such hell of an experience that I had so much stress focusing on the road, cars and my instructor. But as time went by, it got easier and easier, and today, I don't even have to remind myself what to do when I step into my car driving to my destination.

If you watch in envy wondering how some people can do something so effortlessly, it is because they have been through the 4 stages of learning. It's impossible for anyone to just jump from the first stage to the fourth stage of learning in a short period of time. As long as you understand this concept, I'm sure one day you can do what those people you envy did too  :)