Learner & Lisa Simpson

I like to consider myself an early-adopter and innovator.

For example, I was the first kid in my 6th grade class to wear a Simpsons t-shirt to school. Channeling my inner Bart Simpson, I got in trouble for wearing it — and made a rare trip to the Principal’s office.

This was because the shirt featured Bart Simpson and I guess a “bad word” (pictured below)

Scandalous, I know. This is why kids now have school uniforms.

I was told to put a piece of tape over the word “hell”. Mind you, I was 12 years old and this was in 1990. Fast forward 34 years and the Simpsons is still on TV. I haven’t watched it regularly in decades but from what I can gather, not much has changed. Specifically, Bart’s sister Lisa is still heavily into learning.

From all of the Simpsons episodes I can recall, Lisa Simpson was always learning something new. I searched through some episode descriptions and found these highlights:

Lisa joins Mensa Springfield, a group of intellectuals, highlighting her drive to associate with other like-minded individuals who value knowledge and learning.

“They Saved Lisa’s Brain” (Season 10, Episode 22):

Lisa uncovers the true, less flattering history of Jebediah Springfield and goes to great lengths to verify her findings, demonstrating her dedication to historical accuracy and knowledge.

“Lisa the Iconoclast” (Season 7, Episode 16):

When Maggie is declared a genius, Lisa struggles with feelings of inadequacy but ultimately realizes her own love for learning is what truly makes her special. Her desire to always improve and learn is a core part of her identity.

Smart and Smarter” (Season 15, Episode 13):

Lisa seems like a Learner

Learner is in the Strategic Thinking domain. I like to think of the Learner talent as someone who always wants to get a better, clearer understanding. Someone who has this burning desire to soak up new information. Someone who gets excited about the process of discovery and is maybe less concerned about what to do with the information.

Have you ever tried to learn a musical instrument or a new language, and found that that first few steps are thrilling? Maybe you can’t wait for the next lesson, hoping to build on that foundation. You might have high Learner talent.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

In higher education, we like to talk about Bloom’s taxonomy to represent the advanced process of learning. If you have Learner as a talent, invest in ways to practice high-order thinking skills. We start with remembering, understanding and explaining. At the more advanced application, we can analyze, evaluate and ultimately create new information. Learner is a talent that you can likely invest in on your own, and the best steps to take in order to make it your superpower are to continually improve your process of learning.

How to work with a person with Learner

Do you work with or manage a person with Learner? Feed the machine! If this person is on a project, they will dig into the subject matter and get up to speed quickly. They’ll be energized by researching best-practices or contacting peers to benchmark data.

Of course — the subject matters and that will be influenced by their interests, experience and background. The Learner will be more likely to appreciate the opportunity to dig into the material. Give Lisa a chance to research a topic and she’ll get to it in short order. Ask Bart to do it… well, he might tell you to eat his shorts.