The white-haired Nobel Prize winner calmly replied, "It was in kindergarten."
The reporter was surprised and asked, "Why in kindergarten? What do you think you learned in kindergarten? "
The Nobel Prize winner smiled and replied, "I learned a lot in kindergarten. For example, I gave half my things to my friends; " Don't take things that are not your own; Things should be placed neatly; Wash your hands before meals; Have a rest after lunch; Apologize for doing something wrong; Think and study more and observe nature carefully. I think that's all I have learned. "
All the people present warmly applauded the Nobel Prize winner's answer. In fact, most scientists believe that the most important thing they have learned in their life is the good habits taught by kindergarten teachers.
Benjamin? Franklin is one of the most influential great men in American history. As a scientist, writer, diplomat, inventor, painter and philosopher, Franklin read widely. He taught himself French, Spanish, Italian and Latin, and led America to independence. Franklin's success also comes from his use of habits.
Franklin invented a method when he was young. He first listed the necessary conditions for the success of 13: temperance, silence, order, decisiveness, frugality, diligence, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, calmness, purity and humility; Then, Franklin decided to acquire these 13 virtues and form a habit; To this end, he designed a success record, each virtue occupied a page, and drew a grid. When he reflected every night, if he found something that had not been realized that day, he marked it with a pen. It was by turning these virtues into habits that Franklin succeeded.
At the age of 79, Franklin recorded his life in his autobiography. In that immortal autobiography, Franklin devoted a whole page 15 to describing his great inventions. He believes that all his success and happiness come from this great invention, that is, the control of habits. Franklin wrote in his autobiography: "I hope my descendants will follow this path and get some benefits."
This is the case. Habit has a profound influence on a person.
You may have heard the story of Lin Wang.
Lin Wang is a baby elephant. He was put in the zoo when he was very young, and his nose was chained to a stake.
On one occasion, Lin Wang wanted to get rid of the shackles and go to Monkey Mountain to see Monkey Brother. Unexpectedly, the chain made his nose ache. "Oh, this chain is too strong!" Lin Wang licked his tearful nose and thought, "My baby elephant can't earn this chain." "
Six months later, Lin Wang wanted to walk in the street again. He earned a chain and his nose hurts. He thought, "My baby elephant can't earn this chain." After two failures, Lin Wang never dared to earn that chain again.
Day after day, year after year, Lin Wang has grown into an elephant. At this time, Lin Wang can completely break free from the chains and go outside to run with the bulls. However, after the first two failures, Lin Wang has habitually thought that he can't break away from this chain, and he doesn't want to play outside any more. Finally, Lin Wang died of old age in the elephant room. Until his death, Lin Wang didn't realize his desire to travel around the world smartly.
It can be seen that habit determines Lin Wang's life. Bacon, a British materialist philosopher, the originator of modern experimental science and the founder of scientific induction, made great achievements in his life. When talking about habits, he said with deep feelings: "Habits are really a tenacious and huge force that can dominate a person's life. Therefore, people should cultivate a good habit through education from an early age. "
1998, Bill, the richest man in the world? Gates and Buffett were invited to give a speech at the University of Washington. When students ask, "How did you become richer than God?" Buffett replied: "It is very simple, the reason is not IQ. Why do smart people do things that prevent them from giving full play to their role? The reason lies in habits, personality and mentality. " Bill? Gates also agreed. It can be seen that many successful people attach great importance to the role and influence of habits.
So, what is a habit?
In the latest edition of Xinhua Dictionary, the definition of "habit" is: "actions, lifestyles and social customs that cannot be changed for a long time." In fact, habits in a broad sense are not only actions, lifestyles or social fashions, but all the advantages of human beings. Even the eternal theme of "kindness" and "benevolence" needs constant cultivation before it can be cultivated.
Confucius said, "Small people get used to nature when they are successful." This means that the good behavior habits developed as a child are as firm as when they were born. Locke, a modern British educator, said in his Random Talk on Education: "Children can be educated without rules, and the rules are always forgotten by them. If you think they have something to do, you should seize every opportunity to give them an indispensable exercise to fix them. This makes them.
Indeed, childhood is a critical period for forming habits. The child's mind is a magical land. You sow an idea and you will reap an action. Sow an action and you will reap a habit; Sow a habit and you will gain a character; If you plant a character, you will reap a fate. Habits are very important for children's life, study and even career success. Mr. Chen Heqin, an educator in China, said, "If you form good habits, you will benefit for life. If you don't form a habit well, you will suffer for a lifetime. " In fact, habit is an inertia and an energy saving. Only by forming good habits can you develop your great potential. For the healthy growth and life of children.
Ye Shengtao, a famous educator, once said, "What is education? In a word, it is to cultivate good habits. " Ye Shengtao believes that the purpose of education is to cultivate habits. He said: "The education we receive at school is to cultivate habits and enhance our abilities. After we leave school, we still have to receive various education and educate ourselves. The purpose is to cultivate habits and enhance abilities. The more natural the habit, the better. Teacher Ye Shengtao attaches great importance to the cultivation of children's good habits. In the 1940s, Mr. Ye Shengtao put forward the concept of "education is to form good behavior habits", and wrote articles such as "Habits become nature" and "Two habits cannot be formed".
Cultivating children's good behavior habits is also the educational thought of Mr. Tao Xingzhi, a famous educator. Mr. Tao Xingzhi studied in the United States in his early years and studied under Dewey, an American progressive educator. After returning to China, he devoted his life to the educational reform in China, and his educational thoughts and practical experience were very rich.
Tao Xingzhi believes that childhood is the best period for the formation of personality and habits. He wrote in the article "Declaration on the Establishment of Rural Kindergarten": "Since Froebel invented kindergarten, the world has gradually felt the importance of early childhood education; Since Montessori studied preschool education all his life, the world has gradually felt the effectiveness of kindergartens. Since primary school, we have paid attention to comparing the nature of students sent by families with those sent by kindergartens. The world gradually feels that early childhood education is the foundation of life and must be firmly established for him. Children's scholars tell us that the most important habits, tendencies and attitudes needed for life can be successfully cultivated before the age of six. In other words, the most important period of personality cultivation is before the age of six. If you practice well during this period, you will naturally become an outstanding member of society as long as you let nature take its course. If it is not cultivated well, then habits will not change, tendencies will not change, and attitudes will not change. "
So, how to cultivate children's good habits?
First, we should form good habits in life.
Fukuzawa Yukichi, a Japanese educator, said: "Family is a school of habit, and parents are teachers of habit." This is the case. Children's habits are mainly cultivated at home, and parents should pay attention to cultivating children's good habits in their lives.
Mr. Tao Xingzhi believes that it is best to learn all kinds of knowledge and skills in life, especially to cultivate habits. He wrote in the article "Life Education": "Life education is an original, independent and necessary education for life. The fundamental meaning of education is the change of life, which means that life always contains the meaning of education. So we say' life is education', and life is everywhere, that is, everywhere. The whole society is a place to live, that is, a place to educate ... life education is born, born. Birth is a shame, and graduation is only when you enter a coffin ... All these are living books, knowledge and skills ... Since the beginning of mankind, society has been a school and life is education. "
Kant, a German philosopher, developed strict living habits under his father's education since childhood. It is said that he walks through the fountain in the town every day, and every time he passes the fountain, the time points to seven in the morning. This methodical style is the root of philosophers' rigorous thinking. It can be seen that good living habits have a positive effect on a person's success.
Family is the first environment for children to grow up and the cradle of their habits. Children before the age of 6 mainly live in the family, and the influence of family life on children is very important.
There is a child named Yang Yang. Because his parents were busy with work, Yang Yang lived with his grandparents since childhood. Grandparents like Yang Yang very much. They always take good care of Yang Yang. When Yang Yang enters kindergarten, he won't go to the toilet alone, nor will he eat and sleep by himself ... Yang Yang has never learned good habits of self-care! At this time, Yang Yang's parents realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly took Yang Yang home to cultivate Yang Yang's living habits.
Thus, life is education, and parents should actively create a suitable family environment for their children. At the same time, parents should always set the best example for their children in behavior and speech, pay attention to politeness and gentleness, and show noble sentiments, moral behaviors and good habits. If you can set such an example often, this long-term edification will make children get the best education in a subtle way, and keep their good habits through accumulation.
Second, good habits should be cultivated in practice.
To form a habit in practice, we must keep practicing and make it natural. Mr. Tao Xingzhi's life education theory attaches great importance to learning by doing. So he advocates forming a habit by doing, that is, forming a habit in practice. He wrote in the article "Freshmen in Education": "What we put forward is that knowledge is the beginning of action and knowledge is the success of action. Action is Laozi, knowledge is his son, and creation is his grandson. The action is brave. "
Mr. Ye Shengtao also believes that to form a good habit, we should pay attention to it at any time and place, and practice it, so that "habit becomes nature" and get considerable results.
What is "habit becomes nature"?
Ye Shengtao explained it this way: "Naturally, you don't have to bother deliberately, as if that's what you mean." For example, he said, "Walking and talking are the two basic abilities we need most. These two abilities are formed because we have been used to them since childhood. No matter what kind of ability it is, only when habit becomes natural can we have that ability. If we don't reach the point where habits become natural and just do it reluctantly, it means that we don't have that ability yet. "
"Generally speaking, someone's ability is not strong, that is to say, someone doesn't mean that they have formed many habits. For example, Zhang San's memory is not strong, that is, Zhang San can't remember some things he saw and heard clearly. To say that Li Si's expressive ability is not good, that is to say, Li Si has no habit of expressing his thoughts and feelings. Therefore, the more habits he develops, the stronger his ability. Being a man and doing things requires all kinds of abilities, so the most important thing is to develop all kinds of habits. "
The formation process of good study habits is the result of strict training and repeated reinforcement. Weiner, the founder of modern cybernetics and a famous American mathematician, recalled his father's strict training of his early study habits and said, "Algebra is not difficult for me, but my father's teaching methods make us fidget, and every mistake must be corrected. The first time he accidentally made a mistake to me, it was a warning, a sharp and loud' what'. If I don't, he will severely reprimand me and let me' do it again'. I have met more than one capable person, but they all achieved nothing in the end. Because these people are lax in their studies and cannot be bound by strict discipline, that's what I got from my father. " His father's strict training finally made Weiner develop good study habits and later became a world-famous scientific giant.
Third, we must seize the critical period of education.
Since Austrian animal psychologist Lorenz discovered the critical period of animal behavior development and won the Nobel Prize, human beings have extensively studied the critical period of their own abilities and behaviors.
It is found that there is a critical period for the formation of children's habits. Kindergartens and primary schools are the key periods to cultivate living habits and study habits, while in middle schools, it is the period to change habits.
Good habits developed in childhood can benefit children for life; If you form bad habits in childhood, you may be hurt for life. Therefore, in the process of forming habits, you must pay attention to the critical period of children. If you miss the critical period, it will be much more difficult to transform your habits than to shape them. Grasp the critical period and cultivate habits. Good results can be achieved. The following table is the critical period for some children to develop habits. They are 2 years old, 3 years old, 3 and a half years old, 4 and a half years old, 5 and a half years old and 5 and a half years old respectively. They are used to counting, awareness of rules, observation, language ability, communication ability, life concept and thinking ability. Parents must pay attention to their children's first behavior in order to let them form good habits. For example, the first time a child swears, it is not driven by morality, but is amused. At this time, children will observe the reaction of parents or other adults to their own behavior. If the adult's attitude is cold and serious, the child will understand: "Adults don't like my behavior." Therefore, they will reduce this behavior. If adults show approval, praise or a happy smile to the child's behavior at this time, the child will feel that his behavior is liked by adults. In this way, they will increase the frequency of this behavior and form bad habits.