It has often been shown that controversial material is more readily if it fits in with existing beliefs and attitudes. For example, pro-communist students learnt more readily than anti-communist students a list of statements fovourable to the U.S.S.R. That material is most easily learnt which conforms to existing opinions. The recall of controversial material may also be selective : for instance, theistic students remembered better than atheistic students statements favourable to religion and vice versa. This suggests some resistance to learning and retaining material which is not acceptable to us. Conversely we are very ready to learn from certain sources to which we are favourably inclined, such as a political weekly or a particular author whose work we admire. Even in factual subjects , in which there may not seem to be much room for controversy , there may be parts of the subject which you regard as old-fashioned or dead wood. Once you begin to develop enthusiasms for certain approaches to your subject, as every active and spirited person does, it becomes rather too easy to dismiss other approaches as worth-less and not to brother to learn about them. The hard fact is, however, that if you have to cover syllabus, you probably cannot afford to neglect any part of it because you think it is unimportant or because you don't like the way it is taught.