“Learning is more than the acquisition of the ability to think; it is the acquisition of many specialized abilities for thinking about a variety of things”
— Lev Vygotsky
Simplified Meaning:
Learning isn't just about knowing how to think in general; it's about getting good at thinking in many specific ways for different kinds of problems. Imagine a chef learning to cook. At first, they learn how to follow a recipe, but over time, they get better at understanding flavors, deciding what ingredients work well together, and creating new dishes. Just like the chef needs to master different techniques for different kinds of food, people need to learn different ways of thinking for different subjects, like math, writing, or problem-solving. So, learning builds up a toolkit of different thinking methods. If someone is learning a new language, they need to get good at grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Each of these is a different kind of thinking skill. The more skills they have, the better they communicate. In short, learning makes you more capable by giving you many ways to understand and solve different kinds of problems. This idea can help you focus on mastering specific skills in different areas, rather than just becoming a good thinker overall.
