I just bought a new book: NLP for Rookies. This book has many interesting stuff related into NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming), a methodology designed to study, model, and train individuals in human excellence – not related with computer programming, for sure!

One of them is about four stages of competencies. I think these stages really really show us the process of learning. I copied the four stages from Wikipedia below.

Unconscious Incompetence
The individual neither understands nor knows how to do something, nor recognizes the deficit, nor has a desire to address it.

Conscious Incompetence
Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, he or she does recognize the deficit, without yet addressing it.

Conscious Competence
The individual understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires a great deal of consciousness or concentration.

Unconscious Competence
The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it becomes “second nature” and can be performed easily (often without concentrating too deeply). He or she may or may not be able teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.

What do you think? Are you experiencing these stages while learning something?