Born to learn.
It is generally agreed that humans have plenty of brain power and an amazing ability to pick up skills and information. Some things, such as breathing, we do instinctively, but there are many other things that we have to be shown how to do. The question of how much we are naturally prepared for life and how much we need to be tough is called the “nature versus nurture” concept. Do we start life like a blank page which is waiting to be written on, or do our inbuilt abilities have a large part to play?
Wanting to learn and to teach
Humans come into the world with curiosity, a thirst to explore and find out. What baby does not try to take hold of anything and everything, to feel it and put it in its mouth? Adults are keen to help their children learn about the world and, because of this, and for social reasons, they are eager to help them develop their language skills.
Setting goals at the right level
Psychologists and educationalists have investigated the stages of development that we go through on our road towards adulthood. They have demonstrated the value of encouraging children to learn about the world around them and to develop the ability to handle ideas as well as things they can hold or see. They also emphasize the important educational role of play and make-believe. They say that, whatever we try to teach, we should challenge youngsters to make them interested in learning. However, the lesson should not be so difficult as to make them give up.
Be kind to yourself and to others
Labeling yourself is another trend psychologists warn us against. They want to highlight the value of compassion: not only sympathy and feelings for others, but also for yourself. Recent research suggests that we can lead happier lives if we are brought up to realize that, although we may make mistakes or have negative feelings, we can learn from them. We should not be made to feel that we should be punished life isn’t always exactly the way we have learnt to see it. Some people are more accepting, of others and themselves, while others could benefit from learning how to be this way.
