You Can't Unknow What You Know (Any Why That's Actually Good News)

I joke around with my kids when they eat a particular well-known fried food about how ignorance is bliss.
In my twenties, when I was working and studying at night, I used to thoroughly enjoy chowing down on a crunchy piece of chicken after a late-night lecture.

Until I found out how it really wasn't good for me, and my enjoyment wavered.

There was no going back. I couldn't unknow what I know.

The Moment Everything Changes

I said the same thing to a coaching client

Once you discover a belief you know doesn't help you and you begin questioning it, yes, you can still think it, but there's a part of you that no longer believes it.

That's crucial because the grip that belief has on your view of life begins to waver, just as my passion for fried chicken did decades ago.

The Plot Twist About Limiting Beliefs

The plot twist? Yes, there has to be one because we humans are complex beings.

Even though you know this belief isn't beneficial, you still want to hang out with it. It's familiar - you've spent years with it as your go-to. It feels scary to let it go. Who are you without it? And honestly, breaking up with a lifelong belief takes work.

Here's where it gets messy. Now that you know this belief doesn't serve you, you beat yourself up for still thinking it. You tell yourself you were happier when you didn't know better (like I joke with my kids about junk food).

But is that actually true?

Red Pill or Blue Pill? Why Awareness Matters

I love The Matrix and secretly believe the Wachowskis are life coaches in disguise. Because here's the question: Were you really happy in the matrix, believing what you'd been fed by others and conditioning? Or were you just comfortable?

Knowledge is power. I'm not the first person to write that, and I won't be the last.

Knowing the limitations you're putting in your own way means you have the power to stop and decide whether you're going to keep them or commit to no longer believing them.

What Happens When You Choose to Change

My end result?

I stopped eating food that felt good for five minutes but made me feel awful for hours. I didn't want to 'unknow' what was hurting me. I chose to change.

And now? That longing for fried chicken feels like a costume that no longer fits - I couldn't put it back on if I tried.

The same is true for the beliefs that once ran your life. When you see them clearly - really see them - they lose their power. Not overnight. Not without effort. But gradually, inevitably, they stop fitting.

The Work of Unlearning

Letting go of limiting beliefs isn't about positive thinking or willpower. It's about honest awareness followed by committed action.

It's about recognising that the discomfort of change is temporary, while the discomfort of staying stuck compounds over time.

It's about understanding that you weren't actually happier before you knew better. You were just operating on autopilot, letting old programming run your decisions without questioning whether it still served you.

Your Next Step

What's one belief you can't 'unknow' anymore—but you're still hanging onto?

Name it. Write it down. Look at it clearly.

That's the first step to deciding whether you're keeping it or committing to letting it go.

Because once you see the matrix, you can't unsee it. And that's not a problem - it's your power.