Not learning.

"Not learning tends to take place when someone has to deal with unavoidable challenges to her or his personal and family loyalties, integrity, and identity. In such situations there are forced choices and no apparent middle ground."

"Not-learning and unlearning are both central techniques that support changes of consciousness and help people develop positive ways of thinking and speaking in opposition to dominant forms of oppression."

-Herbert Kohl in "I Won't Learn from You"

When have you witnessed someone actively not-learning? I know I have, at times, felt resistance to that which another said and kept that grudge, thus working very hard to reject all that they were saying. How interesting that not-learning is such an active process. How can we, when offended or wounded by the words of another work to create change with this energy? How can we redirect it to address the roots of the problems in the offensive or alienating words of another rather than actively disengaging? Or is this act of disengaging alone a strong and meaningful message?