Langer's seventh chapter discusses the myth of there being right and wrong answers. This is the narrative on which most of us have been raised. You go to school, raise your hand, answer the question, and you're either right or wrong. Or, maybe you're somewhere on the right-to-wrong spectrum, but none the less, there exists a "right" and a "wrong." Rightness and wrongness continue through the lifespan, and while we will undoubtedly encounter some "gray areas," there's a general sense that an objective right and wrong still exist, if only we had the resources and capacity to know.
But Langer disagrees. She explains that, "To view an answer as right or wrong, we must freeze the context in which the answer is being evaluated," (p. 130). Things aren't nearly as cut and dry as we might like to make them. Everything exists within some context. Something right in one context may be completely wrong in another. To accept a "fact" as universally right is to isolate it from context and ignore the potential for a context in which it might be wrong.
And this brings us to Langer's sixth chapter about the myth of intelligence. Langer argues that our measures of intelligence, whether as a general intelligence quotient or as multiple intelligences, rely on the idea of an objective reality that is right. The more intelligent the person, the closer he or she is able to come to what is perceived to be the right answer.
Except, if you're on board with Langer's argument that right and wrong has everything to do with context and perception, the whole idea of intelligence falls apart. There doesn't exist an objective right reality against which we can accurately measure people. Attempting to label some people as highly intelligent and others as less so (or as having or not having a particular kind of intelligence) only works to discount the potential value in alternative perspectives.
Instead of intelligence, Langer suggests mindfulness that centers around flexible thinking, with much consideration for context and perspective. While by nature, mindfulness seems impossible to measure, mindful learning seems to offer greater potential for growth and discovery than the concept of intelligence.
As with her other chapters, Langer has given me lots to ponder in these final two. And while I appreciate the many points that she has made in the last 38 pages of her book, one particular point really drove these ideas home for me.
If you've been following my blog, you may recall that in my initial post about Langer's book, I wrote, "I like where she's going with this; though, I may need some more time to wrap my head around the idea that two plus two might not equal four…."
Famous last words!
In her discussion of the influence of context on right and wrong, Langer writes, "try fitting the equation 2 + 2 = 4 with 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,'" (p. 130). Point taken.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Power of Mindful Learning. It has helped me to stretch my mind and broaden my perspective, and I anticipate that many of Langer's ideas will surface time and time again for me. I encourage you to read the book in its entirety as well. Langer presents so many intriguing ideas that one person's blog could never do the book justice. And, in the interest of mindful learning, your own perspectives will certainly help you take away from the book different things than I have explored here. The only trouble is, you'll have to get your own copy, as I'll be keeping mine close by!