Stop learning. Start unlearning.

More knowledge won't help if your foundation is broken

Welcome to issue #32 of Friday Matter. Every Friday, I drop one distilled idea to help you cut through the chaos, think with precision, and build a business — and life — that actually makes sense. If you’re not subscribed yet, you’re basically tuning into the noise and skipping the signal.

We’re obsessed with learning.

Courses. Books. Podcasts. Workshops. YouTube tutorials. We consume information like it’s going out of style.

“Always be learning” is the mantra.

But here’s what nobody tells you…

The stuff you already believe is holding you back more than the stuff you don’t know yet.

You don’t need more information. You need to unlearn the bad information you’ve already accumulated.

The outdated beliefs. The limiting assumptions. The advice that worked for someone else but doesn’t work for you.

Your brain is cluttered with ideas that are actively sabotaging your progress.

And until you clear them out, no amount of new learning will help.

The problem with constant learning

Don’t get me wrong—learning is great.

But most people are just hoarding information without ever questioning what they already think they know.

You take another course. Read another book. Watch another video.

And your brain just stacks the new information on top of the old, broken beliefs.

Result? Mental clutter. Confusion. Overwhelm.

You know 47 different productivity systems but can’t stick to one. You’ve read about healthy habits but still eat like crap. You understand the theory of discipline but can’t follow through.

Because knowing more doesn’t help if you’re still operating on faulty assumptions.

Here’s the truth… Your growth is limited by what you refuse to let go of.

What unlearning actually means

Unlearning isn’t about forgetting things.

It’s about actively questioning and dismantling beliefs that no longer serve you.

Some examples:

You learned: “Hard work always pays off.” Reality: Hard work in the wrong direction is just wasted effort. Smart work beats hard work.

You learned: “Follow your passion.” Reality: Passion follows mastery. Get good at something valuable first, then passion shows up.

You learned: “Failure is bad.” Reality: Failure is data. The faster you fail, the faster you learn.

You learned: “More hours = more results.” Reality: Focused hours beat long hours. Quality over quantity.

See the pattern?

Most of what you “know” is just recycled advice that sounded good but doesn’t actually work in real life.

And it’s costing you.

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How to start unlearning

Okay, so how do you actually do this?

Here’s the process:

Step 1: Identify your invisible beliefs

Most of your beliefs are invisible. You don’t even realize you hold them because they’re so deeply ingrained.

So start by asking:

“What do I believe about success, work, money, relationships, myself?”

Write them down. Don’t filter. Just get them out.

You’ll be surprised how many unexamined beliefs you’re carrying around.

Step 2: Challenge each belief

For every belief you wrote down, ask:

“Is this actually true? Or is this just something I was told and never questioned?”

Most of your beliefs came from:

• Your parents

• Society

• A teacher

• A book you read once

• Something someone said in passing

None of these sources are infallible. Most are outdated.

Question everything.

Step 3: Look for evidence against your belief

Confirmation bias is real. You only see what confirms what you already believe.

So flip it.

For every belief you hold, actively search for evidence that contradicts it.

Believe “you need a degree to be successful”? Find 10 successful people without degrees.

Believe “mornings are for productive people”? Find night owls crushing it.

Your job isn’t to prove yourself right. It’s to prove yourself wrong.

Step 4: Test a new belief

Once you’ve identified a belief that’s holding you back, try adopting the opposite belief—just as an experiment.

Belief: “I need 8 hours of sleep to function.” Experiment: Try 7 hours for a week and see what actually happens.

Belief: “I need to check email first thing in the morning.” Experiment: Don’t check it until noon for a week.

Don’t make it permanent. Just test it.

You’ll be shocked how many of your “rules” are completely arbitrary.

Step 5: Let go of what doesn’t serve you

This is the hardest part.

Even when you know a belief is wrong, your brain will resist letting it go.

Why? Because that belief has been part of your identity. Letting it go feels like losing a piece of yourself.

But here’s the truth: Letting go isn’t loss. It’s liberation.

Every belief you unlearn creates space for something better.

The paradox

Here’s the irony:

The more you learn, the more you think you know.

The more you think you know, the less open you are to new information.

The less open you are, the slower you grow.

Learning makes you smarter. Unlearning makes you wiser.

Wisdom isn’t about knowing more. It’s about knowing what to ignore.

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Pick one belief you’ve held for years. Something you’ve never questioned.

Write it down. Then ask yourself:

“What if the opposite is true?”

Test it for one week.

See what happens.

You might be surprised.

Hit comment and tell me which belief you’re unlearning. I want to hear about it.

See you next week!

-Paolo