The article is devoted to the issue of learning from the cognitive perspective. As life-long learning is an integral part of our modern life, the authors were attracted by the phenomenon when even young people demonstrate cognitive "resistance" to learning. This particular study is focused on cognitive destructions as challenges to learning and is based on the idea of non-linear nature of a cognitive style. Eighty subjects participated in the study with different types of psychological tests employed, including Stroop test, embedded figure test, tolerance of ambiguity, assumptive worlds, personality characteristics in decision making. The main findings are the following: cognitive degradations, which are based on different types of rigidity, which impedes not only the process of learning but also social behaviour of a person as well; the second finding is the intensity of tolerance of ambiguity in a subgroup with extreme analytical thinking is a destructive cognitive phenomenon, one of the manifestations of a negative mental attitude - the closure to the experience. The results prove that the subjects with extreme types of cognitive styles tend to demonstrate a "close" type of mind. This raises the discussion of different understanding of the rigidity phenomenon and gives fruit for thought and prospects of further research into the field of the role of cognitive resources in learning. [For the complete proceedings, see ED600498.]