- "The basics" were constructed and are taught by people. This means that "the basics" are subject to influence from people's perspectives. For more on this idea, see my very first post on the book.
- If we learn "the basics" and move on to more advanced material without ever returning to those basics (because why would we go back to the basics when we already know them?), our knowledge on the subject may be built on shoddy foundation. We tend to learn the basics when we are new to a subject, and we have a relatively limited context and understanding at that time. For this reason, Langer suggests that it makes sense to revisit "the basics" as we become more knowledgeable.
- It is possible to overlearn a certain set of "basics" to the point that we no longer consider alternatives or opportunities for variation. As a result, Langer argues, we may not be able to make critical adaptations and may be limiting our ability to truly master a subject or skill.
Our group, all seemingly skilled dancers, had come to a sequence in the choreography that was particularly difficult. One of the instructors, scratching his head at why we just couldn't get it, stepped back to more carefully and more critically watch each pair attempt the move. Lo and behold, our right turns were the problem. For many of us, this was the very first "move" that we learned after the most basic step. How on earth could we be getting this wrong?! If "practice makes perfect," this had to be among our most practiced steps; for an advanced group, the right turn should be darn near perfect. It wasn't.
I will never forget what our instructor told us that night. "Practice doesn’t make perfect," he said. "Practice makes permanent." While we had all been executing the right turn well enough to get us to that point, our technique wasn't as sharp as it needed to be. By practicing a sloppy right turn for years, we hadn't perfected it; we had simply ingrained the sloppiness until it had become second nature. We needed to revisit the mechanics of the turn and really master it before we could hope to execute the choreography. We spent the rest of that lesson dissecting the right turn, re-learning each aspect of it, leading with our shoulders, spotting, tightening, polishing. When we returned for the next week's lesson, more mindful of our technique and having had a week to practice our new basic turn, we were finally able to succeed with the new choreography. Had we not invested the time into revisiting "the basics," we might still be stuck struggling with the choreography--or worse, have given up entirely.
I am so glad that my dance instructor took the time to help us relearn the basics that night. It's a case in point for Langer's first myth.