Chapter 3

In Chapter 3 I found the section on Marty Kaplan very interesting. This chapter was very easy to read. The part "You Can Learn Anything You Want to Learn", really illustrated how Kaplan embraced everything about the movie business or as Bennis refers to it "being fully deployed". The section that really resonated with me was when Bennis was taking about how true learning is often times preceded by unlearning, because of what we are taught. I find this hits very close to home for me. My husband is without a doubt on of the strongest supporter in my life. He has encouraged me to go farther than I even thought possible, and he has done this by challenging my beliefs of how I was taught things should work. Often times I catch myself saying to him "This is the way that it is done, because that is the way I was taught". My thought process on this can range from a kitchen procedure to my career. He then challenges me by simply asking "Why?". My usual response is "I don't know why, that is just the way it is." I then realize myself what a cop out statement that is and try to change my way of thinking. Because of his inquisitiveness I'm in this program right now, and as a result I feel that I'm starting to shed my "learned truths" and attempt to discover myself. I challenge myself more now in all aspects of my life. This leads me to another quote from Bennis "Until you make your life your own, you're walking around in borrowed clothes. Leaders, whatever their field, are made up as much of their experiences as their skills, like everyone else." (Bennis p. 62). This program has given me the tool of reflection. Now that I have taken the time to reflect on my past educational experiences both bad and good I am finally beginning to make my educational vision my own.