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This chapter is part of a book that examines the generic abilities that have become so important in determining what makes both a good employee and a successful learner. It is argued that the process of acquiring these abilities is a lifelong process. In this chapter, the author suggests that, although lifelong learning is a commonly used graduate quality, a shared understanding of terms such as 'lifelong learning' and 'graduate attributes' is questionable. An approach that recognises the reality of disparate understandings rather than the imposition of a single 'correct' definition, is described. The approach involved the application of a derived description of academics' conceptions of graduate attributes to the revision of one university's statement of generic graduate attributes, with a particular focus on the attribute of lifelong learning. In the process, the author considers the varying understandings of lifelong learning as a graduate attribute held by academics and how these are reflected in different approaches to university curricula. It is concluded that teaching generic attributes requires a transdisciplinary approach based on a cluster of attributes rather than individual skills.