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Learning to unlearn: The Challenge of Shifting Your Paradigm

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Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you think the way you think? Behind every decision, opinion, and reaction is something known as a "paradigm."


What Is a Paradigm?

A paradigm is a system of beliefs, assumptions, and perspectives through which we see the world (Study.com, n.d.). It is the invisible framework shaping how you interpret reality, often so ingrained you don’t even realize it’s there. It colors your perspective, filters your choices, and silently directs the course of your life.

Your paradigm functions like a lens, shaping what we notice, how we interpret situations, and ultimately how we live. Paradigms operate quietly in the background; they aren’t just ideas we consciously hold—they are the default settings of our minds (SimplyPsychology, 2023).


Scripture points to the same truth: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7, NKJV). Our paradigms are not just thoughts but deeply embedded perspectives that influence who we become.


How Paradigms Are Formed


Paradigms are shaped over time by multiple factors:


  • Upbringing: Family, culture, and community influence what we perceive as “normal.”

  • Experiences: Successes, failures, trauma, and relationships reinforce what we believe about ourselves and the world.

  • Education and Environment: Schools, media, and communities confirm certain assumptions (Huitt, 2020).

  • Spiritual and Moral Influences: Faith traditions, mentors, and moral teaching further form our worldview.


By adulthood, many of us have fairly fixed paradigms—often without realizing it. The apostle Paul acknowledged this when he urged believers not to be “conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2, NKJV).


How Paradigms Guide Life’s Decisions


Paradigms actively guide us in three ways:


  • Filtering Information: We tend to notice what aligns with our paradigm and ignore what doesn’t.

  • Shaping Behavior: Many of our choices flow from hidden assumptions.

  • Determining Reactions: How we respond to challenges is often less about the situation and more about the lens we’re using.


For example, if your paradigm is “I’m unworthy of love,” you will interpret criticism differently than someone whose paradigm is “I am chosen and loved by God” (Eph. 1:4–5).


Learning to Unlearn


Growth often requires unlearning. To move forward, we must be willing to question paradigms that no longer serve us or align with truth. This is hard because paradigms feel natural and true. But unlearning is not forgetting—it is intentionally loosening the grip of an old framework to make room for a new one. Jesus captured this idea when He said, “No one puts new wine into old wineskins” (Mark 2:22, NKJV). A new paradigm requires a new container.


Practical Ways to Shift Your Paradigm


  1. Recognize the Paradigm You’re Living In

    Ask: What beliefs drive my choices? What assumptions go unchallenged? Awareness is the first step.


  2. Challenge the Old Narrative

    Examine its origin. Does it align with God’s truth, or with past wounds and cultural pressures?


  3. Expose Yourself to New Perspectives

    Read Scripture, study theology, and engage in conversations with those who live from a Kingdom mindset. Fresh perspectives disrupt stale assumptions (Unstoppable Rise, 2025).


  4. Replace, Don’t Just Remove

    Jesus warned that casting out the “old” without filling it with the “new” leaves us vulnerable (Matt. 12:43–45). Replace false paradigms with truth—e.g., trade “I’m powerless” for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).


  5. Practice the New Paradigm

    Transformation requires action. Start small—make daily decisions aligned with your renewed mindset. Over time, these habits reinforce your new paradigm.


  6. Stay Humble and Open

    Paradigm shifts are ongoing. As disciples, we must remain teachable, continually seeking the Spirit’s leading (John 16:13).



Conclusion

Unlearning is one of the hardest but most freeing parts of growth. Paradigm shifts require humility and courage to admit that what “worked” before may no longer serve. But when we embrace a renewed paradigm grounded in Christ, we step into transformation, clarity, and freedom.


The question is: What paradigm are you living in—and is it aligned with the mind of Christ?



References


Huitt, W. (2020). Analyzing paradigms used in education and schooling. Educational Psychology Interactive. https://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/intro/paradigm.html



Paradigm shifting: How to change your paradigm in 5 ways. (2025, August 19). Unstoppable Rise. https://www.unstoppablerise.com/how-to-change-your-paradigm/


SimplyPsychology. (2023, July 31). Thomas Kuhn: Paradigm shift. SimplyPsychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/kuhn-paradigm.html


The Holy Bible, New King James Version. (1982). Thomas Nelson. https://www.biblegateway.com


 
 
 

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