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The illiterate of the future
7

The illiterate of the future

The illiterate of the future

(OP)
“The illiterate of the future are not those that cannot read or write. They are those that can not learn, unlearn, relearn.”

Alvin Toffler

Please comment

RE: The illiterate of the future

... and there are a lot of them these days! sad

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

RE: The illiterate of the future

That will be the unemployable not the illiterate unless the meaning of illiterate is changed.

RE: The illiterate of the future

Although it is clear what the author is trying to convey, the use of "illiterate" in that context is incorrect.

"Underpriviledged" maybe? But then that is already the case & has been for a long time.

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: The illiterate of the future

Here's a variation, also attributed to Tofler:

"In the year 2000 an illiterate person will not be someone who can't read or write, but someone who is not able to learn, unlearn and learn again."

Seems when he spoke of the future he was actually referring to a time we would now call the past.

RE: The illiterate of the future

2
illiteracy is the new pink.

RE: The illiterate of the future

Illiteracy is not knowing Java.

RE: The illiterate of the future

I know of no one who can not learn. I know many who will not learn.

corus

RE: The illiterate of the future

(OP)
New Pink?

Daniel Pink's new book, A Whole New Mind; Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age

Says

We are leaving the age of logical, linear, computer-like abilities and move on to a society based on invention, conceptualisation, creativity and design.


RE: The illiterate of the future

For those of you confused by ivymike, he refers to the saying "pink is the new black" (and all of it's numerous progeny.

See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_new_black

for more details.

Fashion quiz question for everyone, what's the hot trend this fall?

Better question, why do I know?!

RE: The illiterate of the future

I thought brown was the new black, or is that so last year.

Depending on which definition of illiterate you take it then Alvins quote has always been true, not just in the future.

RE: The illiterate of the future

... and I was too scared to say "illiterate is the new black" because of the likely misinterpretation (USA anyway).

RE: The illiterate of the future

Fair point well made.

Anyway for me to redact that last post?

Merriam Webster:

Main Entry: il·lit·er·ate

1 : having little or no education; especially : unable to read or write <an illiterate population>
2 a : showing or marked by a lack of familiarity with language and literature <an illiterate magazine> b : violating approved patterns of speaking or writing
3 : showing or marked by a lack of acquaintance with the fundamentals of a particular field of knowledge <musically illiterate>


Oxford English

illiterate


1 unable to read or write.
2 ignorant in a particular subject or activity; politically illiterate.
 

RE: The illiterate of the future

Thanks KENAT!

I guess I'm more illiterate than I am literate.

NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas

RE: The illiterate of the future

The illiterate WHAT though?  "Illiterate" is an adjective.

RE: The illiterate of the future

2
Adjectives can be nominalized.  "Give me your tired, your poor..."

"Brown is the new black" is so last-decade.  Chartreuse was all over the place last year, but, Bruno, what is it this year, and why *do* you know?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: The illiterate of the future

SomptingGuy

Illiterate is also a noun.  Refers to one or more persons who are illiterate.  Source: Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition (yes, an actual book!)

RE: The illiterate of the future

does anyone else have a problem with "unlearn" ?

"relearn" i appreciate means to take advantage of new opportunities.

"unlearn" implies that what was learnt originally was wrong, and wrong with a capital R (my way of saying "really wrong").

personally i think the illiterate of the future are those who put their trust in stuff posted on the Internet, without doing the work to verify what's being proposed; that'd be work with a capital W.

RE: The illiterate of the future

To me "unlearn" implies forgetting what you had learned, not necessarily because it was wrong, but because it no longer has any application.

RE: The illiterate of the future

""unlearn" implies that what was learnt originally was wrong"

Not necessarily wrong ... just different.
For example, many long term users of AutoCAD (2D) have a problem converting to solid modelling programs. They keep trying to do things the AutoCAD way. Thay have to "unlearn" (i.e. forget or push aside) the ways they have learned and learn (relearn) the ways of the new program.

cheers
Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to find answers ... FAQ559-1091

RE: The illiterate of the future

re: "unlearn"
Not necessarily because a lesson learned was wrong, but almost always because it is obsolete.

RE: The illiterate of the future

(OP)
“The illiterate of the future are not those that cannot read or write. They are those that can not learn, unlearn, relearn.”

I suppose that in the metaphoric sense of the sentence “illiterate” are those who don’t have the versatility to adapt to management of changes  

RE: The illiterate of the future

I think he means 'the equivalent of today's illiterates are those who cannot learn, unlearn, relearn'

Nice soundbite, complete waffle.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

RE: The illiterate of the future

HgTX

We've made great leaps in fashion since last year, we've moved from chartreuse to... hunter green.  Throw in shoudler straps (is epaulettes the right word?), lots of buttons and tall lace up boots and you have the in look this fall.  

Why do I know this?  My girlfriend reads all those fashion magazines and I tend to read everything I see, so she leaves them out on the table just to bug me.

RE: The illiterate of the future

rb1957, I also have a problem with "unlearn".  

The fact is, I don't want to "unlearn" anything, that is to relegate it to irrelevance.  I have fought to "learn", that is to garner knowledge from successes, failures and trivialities, and I wouldn't want to lose any of that knowledge (though my wife would really really like me to "unlearn" some of the trivialities).  I learned how to code in 4 or 5 programming languages which I haven't used for more than a decade, but I wouldn't want to forget how to structure code...it helps with organizing other functions like project planning.  I've learned how to bypass or tweak CAD methods from what I've learned from other packages.  To paraphrase an old saying, "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it"; to "unlearn" (to me at least) is to forget what history has taught you.

I also have a problem with "relearn".  To me, that's what people who've had a stroke or brain injury do to regain their lives.  They relearn how to walk, how to talk, how to eat, and so much more.

I think the "future illiterate" is the same as the present illiterate...those unfortunates who can't read or write.  To me, the original quote is less about literacy than relevance.  Society will relegate to irrelevance those who can't learn, assess the validity and relevance of their knowledge, and move beyond the limitations of that knowledge.

And those are my deep thoughts for today.
Jim

Jim Sykes, P.Eng, GDTP-S
Profile Services
CAD-Documentation-GD&T-Product Development
www.profileservices.ca

RE: The illiterate of the future

Perhaps he's saying your "I will" is more important that your I queue.

RE: The illiterate of the future

(OP)
Devil or evil?

RE: The illiterate of the future

"Unlearn" to me is shorthand for "learn not to do it that way any more".  Which isn't too far from "forget about doing it that way".  The way I think about it, it applies more to habits than anything else--things that are automatic.  So it's not so much about remembering the valuable lessons about why one should take on the new ways and let go of the old, but about forming new automatic behaviors and losing old ones.  In that context, "unlearn" captures the sense pretty well.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies:  FAQ731-376

RE: The illiterate of the future

While it doesn't have much to do with the context of the original quote, that is a very good explanation, Hg.

RE: The illiterate of the future

Would HgTx be an unlearned or learned engineer?

RE: The illiterate of the future

People, quit getting hung up on idiom.

The quote means: Don't be dogmatic.

RE: The illiterate of the future

By brother achieved his RN after being a Paramedic for 30 years.
During Nursing school he was told to "Unlearn" many of his Paramedic practices which could get him in legal trouble as an RN.
He really has to think about what & how he is doing things now. After 30 years, some things were habit.

RE: The illiterate of the future

CorBlimeyLimey says: "Although it is clear what the author is trying to convey, the use of "illiterate" in that context is incorrect.

"Underpriviledged" maybe? But then that is already the case & has been for a long time."

I beg to differ. The underprivileged and the illiterate may be intersecting sets, but one is not a subset of the other.  I know many literate persons from an underprivileged background, and many illiterate persons from a highly privileged background.  I think the author meant exactly what he said.

Overall, illiteracy is increasingly engendered in our education system, and that is sad.  It just puts more of a burden on our youngsters, first, to recognize that they are being given short shrift, and second, to find the discipline to educate themselves, despite their increasingly illiterate teachers, who may actually discourage such independent action (often at the direction of higher authorities).  It ends up bankrupting the mental development of those less driven.

RE: The illiterate of the future

Eubonics vs Profanics:

 Faith and Force together at last:

 You can't post the ten commandments in jail even.

 Alvin Toffeler was more to blame all the idiots who read him are school teachers now think about that one.

 People who learn then unlearn are not welcome to work on electricity with me.

RE: The illiterate of the future

What the chickens dude?  
Is this conspiracy haiku?  
Politics sans grammar...

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