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childhood
May 2009 
What was the first thing you remember learning?
Posted on Mar 30th, 2009
by 
ruth
ruth
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for March 30, 2009:
Right vs Left
I was preschool and this was the first time I recall asking that a concept be explained to me. No doubt learning before that was by subconscious absorption.
My mother expained that right and left were relative to vantage point.
In that concrete stage of brain development I internally balked and was offended at the fluid nature of right and left. I must have developed a mental block right then and there because to this day, I have trouble figuring out right from left.
So I guess I never really did 'learn' it: even though I trusted my mother as I assert in my previous blog.
In retrospect this has taught me that humans may shut the door to knowledge and wisdom when it transgressions the paradigms they are comfortable with.
I was preschool and this was the first time I recall asking that a concept be explained to me. No doubt learning before that was by subconscious absorption.
My mother expained that right and left were relative to vantage point.
In that concrete stage of brain development I internally balked and was offended at the fluid nature of right and left. I must have developed a mental block right then and there because to this day, I have trouble figuring out right from left.
So I guess I never really did 'learn' it: even though I trusted my mother as I assert in my previous blog.
In retrospect this has taught me that humans may shut the door to knowledge and wisdom when it transgressions the paradigms they are comfortable with.
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” …humans may shut the door to knowledge and wisdom when it transgressions the paradigms they are comfortable with.”
I would agree with that. And,though it is not universally true, that seems to happen more with age. I think that's why it's important to travel, take up a new hobby or language, etc. every now and again.
I used to be able to get my right and left straight, because my wedding ring was on my left hand. Then I lost weight, and it kept slipping off. And, I took up pottery and painting, so it didn't make sense to get it resized. I prefer to be a “centerist” myself. :-)