Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.

DESCRIBING 16 HABITS OF MIND

By
Arthur L. Costa, Ed. D.
and
Bna !a""#$%, &h.D.
By definition, a problem is any stimulus, question, tas, phenomenon, or dis!repan!y, the e"planation for
#hi!h is not immediately no#n. $hus, #e are interested in fo!using on student performan!e under those
!hallenging !onditions that demand strategi! reasoning, insightfulness, perseveran!e, !reativity, and
!raftsmanship to resolve a !omple" problem. %ot only are #e interested in ho# many ans#ers students
no#, but also in no#ing ho# to behave #hen they &'%($ no#. )abits of *ind are performed in response
to those questions and problems the ans#ers to #hi!h are %'$ immediately no#n. +e are interested in
observing ho# students produ!e no#ledge rather than ho# they merely reprodu!e no#ledge. $he !riti!al
attribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also no#ing ho# to a!t on it.
A ,)abit of *ind- means having a disposition to#ard behaving intelligently #hen !onfronted #ith problems,
the ans#ers to #hi!h are not immediately no#n. +hen humans e"perien!e di!hotomies, are !onfused by
dilemmas, or !ome fa!e to fa!e #ith un!ertainties..our most effe!tive a!tions require dra#ing forth !ertain
patterns of intelle!tual behavior. +hen #e dra# upon these intelle!tual resour!es, the results that are
produ!ed through are more po#erful, of higher quality and greater signifi!an!e than if #e fail to employ those
patterns of intelle!tual behaviors.
/mploying ,)abits of *ind, requires a !omposite of many sills, attitudes !ues, past e"perien!es and
pro!livities. It means that #e value one pattern of thining over another and therefore it implies !hoi!e
maing about #hi!h pattern should be employed at this time. It in!ludes sensitivity to the !onte"tual !ues
in a situation #hi!h signal this as an appropriate time and !ir!umstan!e in #hi!h the employment of this
pattern #ould be useful. It requires a level of sillfulness to employ and !arry through the behaviors
effe!tively over time. It suggests that as a result of ea!h e"perien!e in #hi!h these behaviors #ere
employed, the effe!ts of their use are refle!ted upon, evaluated, modified and !arried forth to future
appli!ations
HABITS OF MIND ATTEND TO' .
(a"u'
Choosing to employ a pattern of intelle!tual behaviors rather than other, less
produ!tive patterns.
In$"#nat#on'
0eeling the tenden!y to#ard employing a pattern of intelle!tual behaviors.
Sns#t#)#ty'
1er!eiving opportunities for, and appropriateness of employing the pattern of
behavior.
Ca*a+#"#ty'
1ossessing the basi! sills and !apa!ities to !arry through #ith the behaviors.
Co,,#t,nt'
Constantly striving to refle!t on and improve performan!e of the pattern of
intelle!tual behavior.
DESCRIBING HABITS OF MIND
+hen #e no longer no# #hat to do #e have !ome to our real #or and #hen #e no longer no#
#hi!h #ay to go #e have begun our real 2ourney. $he mind that is not baffled is not employed. $he
impeded stream is the one that sings.
+endell Berry
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+hat behaviors are indi!ative of the effi!ient, effe!tive problem solver3 4ust #hat do human beings do #hen
they behave intelligently3 5esear!h in effe!tive thining and intelligent behavior by 0euerstein 67890:,
;latthorn and Baron 6789<:, =ternberg 6789<:, 1erins 6789<:, and /nnis 6789<: indi!ates that there are
some identifiable !hara!teristi!s of effe!tive thiners. $hese are not ne!essarily s!ientists, artists,
mathemati!ians or the #ealthy #ho demonstrate these behaviors. $hese !hara!teristi!s have been
identified in su!!essful me!hani!s, tea!hers, entrepreneurs, salespeople, and parents>people in all #als
of life.
0ollo#ing are des!riptions and an elaboration of 7? attributes of #hat human beings do #hen they behave
intelligently. +e !hoose to refer to them as )abits of *ind . $hey are the !hara!teristi!s of #hat intelligent
people do #hen they are !onfronted #ith problems, the resolution to #hi!h are not immediately apparent.
$hese behaviors are seldom performed in isolation. 5ather, !lusters of su!h behaviors are dra#n forth and
employed in various situations. +hen listening intently, for e"ample, one employs fle"ibility, meta!ognition,
pre!ise language and perhaps questioning.
1lease do not thin that there are only si"teen #ays in #hi!h humans display their intelligen!e. It should be
understood that this list is not meant to be !omplete. It should serve to initiate the !olle!tion of additional
attributes. Although 7? )abits of *ind are des!ribed here, you, your !olleagues and your students #ill #ant
to !ontinue the sear!h for additional )abits of *ind by adding to and elaborating on this list and the
des!riptions.
1. &rs#st#n-
1ersisten!e is the t#in sister of e"!ellen!e.
'ne is a matter of quality@ the other, a matter of time.
*arabel *organ,
The Electric Woman
/ffi!a!ious people sti! to a tas until it is !ompleted. $hey don(t give up easily. $hey are
able to analyAe a problem, to develop a system, stru!ture, or strategy to atta! a problem.
$hey employ a range and have repertoire of alternative strategies for problem solving. $hey
!olle!t eviden!e to indi!ate their problem.solving strategy is #oring, and if one strategy
doesn(t #or, they no# ho# to ba! up and try another. $hey re!ogniAe #hen a theory or
idea must be re2e!ted and another employed. $hey have systemati! methods of analyAing
a problem #hi!h in!lude no#ing ho# to begin, no#ing #hat steps must be performed, and #hat data need
to be generated or !olle!ted. Be!ause they are able to sustain a problem solving pro!ess over time, they
are !omfortable #ith ambiguous situations.
=tudents often give up in despair #hen the ans#er to a problem is not immediately no#n. $hey sometimes
!rumple their papers and thro# them a#ay saying, ,I !an(t do this,, ,It(s too hard,, or, they #rite do#n any
ans#er to get the tas over #ith as qui!ly as possible. =ome have attention defi!its@ they have diffi!ulty
staying fo!used for any length of time, they are easily distra!ted, they la! the ability to analyAe a problem,
to develop a system, stru!ture, or strategy of problem atta!. $hey may give up be!ause they have a
limited repertoire of problem solving strategies. If their strategy doesn(t #or, they give up be!ause they
have no alternatives.
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
.. Mana-#n- I,*u"s#)#ty
,....goal dire!ted self.imposed delay of gratifi!ation is perhaps the essen!e of emotional self.
regulationB the ability to deny impulse in the servi!e of a goal, #hether it be building a business,
solving an algebrai! equation, or pursuing the =tanley !up.
&aniel ;oleman Emotional Intelligence 6788<: p. 9C
/ffe!tive problem solvers have a sense of deliberativenessB $hey thin before they a!t. $hey
intentionally form a vision of a produ!t, plan of a!tion, goal or a destination before they
begin. $hey strive to !larify and understand dire!tions, develop a strategy for approa!hing a
problem and #ithhold immediate value 2udgments about an idea before fully understanding
it. 5efle!tive individuals !onsider alternatives and !onsequen!es of several possible
dire!tions prior to taing a!tion. $hey de!rease their need for trial and error by gathering
information, taing time to refle!t on an ans#er before giving it, maing sure they understand dire!tions, and
listening to alternative points of vie#.
'ften students blurt the first ans#er that !omes to mind. =ometimes they shout out an ans#er, start to
#or #ithout fully understanding the dire!tions, la! an organiAed plan or strategy for approa!hing a problem
or mae immediate value 2udgments about an idea>!riti!iAing or praising it> before fully understanding it.
$hey may tae the first suggestion given or operate on the first idea that !omes to mind rather than
!onsidering alternatives and !onsequen!es of several possible dire!tions.
/. L#stn#n- To Othrs01#th 2ndrstand#n- and E,*athy
Distening is the beginning of understanding.....
+isdom is the re#ard for a lifetime of listening.
Det the #ise listen and add to their learning and let the dis!erning get guidan!e E
1roverbs 7B<
)ighly effe!tive people spend an inordinate amount of time and energy listening 6Covey,
7898:. =ome psy!hologists believe that the ability to listen to another person, to
empathiAe #ith, and to understand their point of vie# is one of the highest forms of
intelligent behavior. Being able to paraphrase another person(s ideas, dete!ting indi!ators
6!ues: of their feelings or emotional states in their oral and body language 6empathy:,
a!!urately e"pressing another person(s !on!epts, emotions and problems>all are
indi!ations of listening behavior 61iaget !alled it ,over!oming ego.!entrism,:. $hey are able to see through
the diverse perspe!tives of others. $hey gently attend to another person demonstrating their understanding
of and empathy for an idea or feeling by paraphrasing it a!!urately, building upon it, !larifying it, or giving an
e"ample of it.
=enge and his !olleagues 6788F: suggest that to listen fully means to pay !lose attention to #hat is being
said beneath the #ords. Gou listen not only to the ,musi!,, but also to the essen!e of the person speaing.
Gou listen not only for #hat someone no#s, but also for #hat he or she is trying to represent. /ars
operate at the speed of sound, #hi!h is far slo#er than the speed of light the eyes tae in. ;enerative
listening is the art of developing deeper silen!es in yourself, so you !an slo# your mind(s hearing to your
ears( natural speed, and hear beneath the #ords to their meaning.
+e spend << per!ent of our lives listening yet it is one of the least taught sills in s!hools. +e often say
#e are listening but in a!tuality, #e are rehearsing in our head #hat #e are going to say ne"t #hen our
partner is finished. =ome students ridi!ule, laugh at, or put do#n other students( ideas. $hey interrupt are
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
unable to build upon, !onsider the merits of, or operate on another person(s ideas. +e #ant our students to
learn to devote their mental energies to another person and invest themselves in their partner(s ideas.
+e #ish students to learn to hold in abeyan!e their o#n values, 2udgments, opinions, and pre2udi!es in
order to listen to and entertain another personHs thoughts. $his is a very !omple" sill requiring the ability to
monitor one(s o#n thoughts #hile, at the same time, attending to the partner(s #ords. $his does not mean
that #e !an(t disagree #ith some one. A good listener tries to understand #hat the other person is saying. In
the end he may disagree sharply, but be!ause he disagrees, he #ants to no# e"a!tly #hat it is he is
disagreeing #ith.
3. Th#n%#n- F"4#+"y
If you never !hange your mind, #hy have one3
/d#ard deBono
An amaAing dis!overy about the human brain is its plasti!ity..its ability to ,re#ire,, !hange
and even repair itself to be!ome smarter. 0le"ible people are the ones #ith the most
!ontrol. $hey have the !apa!ity to !hange their mind as they re!eive additional data. $hey
engage in multiple and simultaneous out!omes and a!tivities, dra# upon a repertoire of
problem solving strategies and !an pra!ti!e style fle"ibility, no#ing #hen it is appropriate
to be broad and global in their thining and #hen a situation requires detailed pre!ision.
$hey !reate and see novel approa!hes and have a #ell.developed sense of humor. $hey envision a range
of !onsequen!es.
0le"ible people !an approa!h a problem from a ne# angle using a novel approa!h IdeBono 67870: refers to
this as lateral thinking.J $hey !onsider alternative points of vie# or deal #ith several sour!es of information
simultaneously. $heir minds are open to !hange based on additional information and data or reasoning,
#hi!h !ontradi!ts their beliefs. 0le"ible people no# that they have and !an develop options and
alternatives to !onsider. $hey understand mean.ends relationships being able to #or #ithin rules, !riteria
and regulations and they !an predi!t the !onsequen!es of flouting them. $hey understand not only the
immediate rea!tions but are also able to per!eive the bigger purposes that su!h !onstraints serve. $hus,
fle"ibility of mind is essential for #oring #ith so!ial diversity, enabling an individual to re!ogniAe the
#holeness and distin!tness of other people(s #ays of e"perien!ing and maing meaning.
0le"ible thiners are able to shift, at #ill, through multiple per!eptual positions. 'ne per!eptual orientation
is #hat 4ean 1iaget !alled, egocentrism..per!eiving from our o#n point of vie#. By !ontrast, allocentrism is
the position in #hi!h #e per!eive through another persons( orientation. +e operate from this se!ond position
#hen #e empathiAe #ith other(s feelings, predi!t ho# others are thining, and anti!ipate potential
misunderstandings.
Another per!eptual position is ,ma!ro.!entri!,. It is similar to looing do#n from a bal!ony at ourselves and
our intera!tions #ith others. $his birdHs.eye vie# is useful for dis!erning themes and patterns from
assortments of information. It is intuitive, holisti! and !on!eptual. =in!e #e often need to solve problems
#ith in!omplete information, #e need the !apa!ity to per!eive general patterns and 2ump a!ross gaps of
in!omplete no#ledge or #hen some of the pie!es are missing.
Get another per!eptual orientation is mi!ro.!entri!..e"amining the individual and sometimes minute parts
that mae up the #hole. $his ,#ormHs.eye vie#,, #ithout #hi!h s!ien!e, te!hnology, and any !omple"
enterprise !ould not fun!tion, involves logi!al analyti!al !omputation sear!hing for !ausality in methodi!al
steps. It requires attention to detail, pre!ision, and orderly progressions.
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
0le"ible thiners display !onfiden!e in their intuition. $hey tolerate !onfusion and ambiguity up to a point,
and are #illing to let go of a problem trusting their sub!ons!ious to !ontinue !reative and produ!tive #or on
it. 0le"ibility is the !radle of humor, !reativity and repertoire. +hile there are many possible per!eptual
positions..past, present, future, ego!entri!, allo!entri!, ma!ro !entri!, visual, auditory, inestheti!..the
fle"ible mind is a!tivated by no#ing #hen to shift per!eptual positions.
=ome students have diffi!ulty in !onsidering alternative points of vie# or dealing #ith more than one
!lassifi!ation system simultaneously. $)/I5 #ay to solve a problem seems to be the '%DG #ay. $hey
per!eive situations from a very ego.!entered point of vie#B ,*y #ay or the high#ayK, $heir mind is made up@
,&on(t !onfuse me #ith fa!ts, that(s it.,
5. Th#n%#n- A+out our Th#n%#n- 6Mta$o-n#t#on7
+hen the mind is thining it is taling to itself
1lato
'!!urring in the neo!orte", meta!ognition is our ability to no# #hat #e no# and #hat #e
don(t no#. It is our ability to plan a strategy for produ!ing #hat information is needed, to
be !ons!ious of our o#n steps and strategies during the a!t of problem solving, and to
refle!t on and evaluate the produ!tiveness of our o#n thining. +hile ,inner language,,
thought to be a prerequisite, begins in most !hildren around age five, meta!ognition is a
ey attribute of formal thought flo#ering about age eleven.
1robably the ma2or !omponents of meta!ognition are developing a plan of a!tion, maintaining that plan in
mind over a period of time, then refle!ting ba! on and evaluating the plan upon its !ompletion. 1lanning a
strategy before embaring on a !ourse of a!tion assists us in eeping tra! of the steps in the sequen!e of
planned behavior at the !ons!ious a#areness level for the duration of the a!tivity. It fa!ilitates maing
temporal and !omparative 2udgments, assessing the readiness for more or different a!tivities, and monitoring
our interpretations, per!eptions, de!isions and behaviors. An e"ample of this #ould be #hat superior
tea!hers do dailyB developing a tea!hing strategy for a lesson, eeping that strategy in mind throughout the
instru!tion, then refle!ting ba! upon the strategy to evaluate its effe!tiveness in produ!ing the desired
student out!omes.
Intelligent people plan for, refle!t on, and evaluate the quality of their o#n thining sills and strategies.
*eta!ognition means be!oming in!reasingly a#are of one(s a!tions and the effe!t of those a!tions on
others and on the environment@ forming internal questions as one sear!hes for information and meaning,
developing mental maps or plans of a!tion, mentally rehearsing prior to performan!e, monitoring those plans
as they are employed..being !ons!ious of the need for mid!ourse !orre!tion if the plan is not meeting
e"pe!tations, refle!ting on the plan upon !ompletion of the implementation for the purpose of self.evaluation,
and editing mental pi!tures for improved performan!e.
Interestingly, not all humans a!hieve the level of formal operations 6Chiabetta, 787?:. And as Ale"ander
Duria, the 5ussian psy!hologist found, not all adults meta!ogitate 6+himbey, 787?:. $he most liely reason
is that #e do not tae the time to refle!t on our e"perien!es. =tudents often do not tae the time to #onder
#hy #e are doing #hat #e are doing. $hey seldom question themselves about their o#n learning strategies
or evaluate the effi!ien!y of their o#n performan!e. =ome !hildren virtually have no idea of #hat they should
do #hen they !onfront a problem and are often unable to e"plain their strategies of de!ision maing
6=ternberg and +agner, 7892:. +hen tea!hers as, ,)o# did you solve that problem@ #hat strategies did
you have in mind,3 or, ,$ell us #hat #ent on in your head to !ome up #ith that !on!lusion,. =tudents often
respond by saying, ,I don(t no#, I 2ust did it.(
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
+e #ant our students to perform #ell on !omple" !ognitive tass. A simple e"ample of this might be dra#n
from a reading tas. It is a !ommon e"perien!e #hile reading a passage to have our minds ,#ander, from
the pages. +e ,see, the #ords but no meaning is being produ!ed. =uddenly #e realiAe that #e are not
!on!entrating and that #e(ve lost !onta!t #ith the meaning of the te"t. +e ,re!over, by returning to the
passage to find our pla!e, mat!hing it #ith the last thought #e !an remember, and, on!e having found it,
reading on #ith !onne!tedness. $his inner a#areness and the strategy of re!overy are !omponents of
meta!ognition.
6. Str#)#n- For A$$ura$y and &r$#s#on
A man #ho has !ommitted a mistae and doesn(t !orre!t it
is !ommitting another mistae.
Confu!ius
/mbodied in the stamina, gra!e and elegan!e of a ballerina or a shoemaer, is the desire
for !raftsmanship, mastery, fla#lessness and e!onomy of energy to produ!e e"!eptional
results. 1eople #ho value a!!ura!y, pre!ision and !raftsmanship tae time to !he! over
their produ!ts. $hey revie# the rules by #hi!h they are to abide@ they revie# the models
and visions they are to follo#@ and they revie# the !riteria they are to employ and !onfirm
that their finish produ!t mat!hes the !riteria e"a!tly. $o be !raftsmanlie means no#ing
that one !an !ontinually perfe!t one(s !raft by #oring to attain the highest possible standards, and pursue
ongoing learning in order to bring a laser lie fo!us of energies to tas a!!omplishment. $hese people tae
pride in their #or and have a desire for a!!ura!y as they tae time to !he! over their #or. Craftsmanship
in!ludes e"a!tness, pre!ision, a!!ura!y, !orre!tness, faithfulness, and fidelity. 0or some people,
!raftsmanship requires !ontinuous re#oring. *ario Cuomo, a great spee!h#riter and politi!ian, on!e said
that his spee!hes #ere never done>it #as only a deadline that made him stop #oring on themK
=ome students may turn in sloppy, in!omplete or un!orre!ted #or. $hey are more an"ious to get rid of the
assignment than to !he! it over for a!!ura!y and pre!ision. $hey are #illing to suffi!e #ith minimum effort
rather than investing their ma"imum. $hey may be more interested in e"pedien!e rather than e"!ellen!e.
8. 9ust#on#n- and &os#n- &ro+",s
$he formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, #hi!h may be merely a
matter of mathemati!al or e"perimental sill.
$o raise ne# questions, ne# possibilities, to regard old problems from a ne# angle, requires
!reative imagination and mars real advan!es.....
Albert /instein
'ne of the distinguishing !hara!teristi!s bet#een humans and other forms of life is our
in!lination, and ability to 0I%& problems to solve. /ffe!tive problem solvers no# ho# to
as questions to fill in the gaps bet#een #hat they no# and #hat they don(t no#.
/ffe!tive questioners are in!lined to as a range of questions. 0or e"ampleB requests for
data to support others( !on!lusions and assumptions>su!h questions as,
,+hat eviden!e do you have.....3,
,)o# do you no# that(s true3,
,)o# reliable is this data sour!e3,
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$hey pose questions about alternative points of vie#B
,0rom #hose vie#point are #e seeing, reading of hearing3,
,0rom #hat angle, #hat perspe!tive are #e vie#ing this situation3,
=tudents pose questions, #hi!h mae !ausal !onne!tions and relationshipsB
,)o# are these people 6events: 6situations: related to ea!h other3,
,+hat produ!ed this !onne!tion3,
$hey pose hypotheti!al problems !hara!teriAed by ,iffy,.type questionsB
,+hat do you thin #ould happen I0.....3,
,I0 that is true, then #hat might happen if....3,
Inquirers re!ogniAe dis!repan!ies and phenomena in their environment and probe into their !ausesB ,+hy
do !ats purr3, ,)o# high !an birds fly3, ,+hy does the hair on my head gro# so fast, #hile the hair on my
arms and legs gro#s so slo#ly3 ,+hat #ould happen if #e put the salt#ater fish in a fresh #ater
aquarium3, ,+hat are some alternative solutions to international !onfli!ts other than #ars3,
=ome students may be una#are of the fun!tions, !lasses, synta" or intentions in questions. $hey may not
realiAe that questions vary in !omple"ity, stru!ture and purpose. $hey may pose simple questions
intending to derive ma"imal results. +hen !onfronted #ith a dis!repan!y, they may la! an overall strategy
of sear!h and solution finding.
:. A**"y#n- &ast !no;"d- to N; S#tuat#ons
,I(ve never made a mistae. I(ve only learned from e"perien!e.,
$homas A. /dison
Intelligent human beings learn from e"perien!e. +hen !onfronted #ith a ne# and
perple"ing problem they #ill often dra# forth e"perien!e from their past. $hey !an often
be heard to say, ,$his reminds me of...., or ,$his is 2ust lie the time #hen I..., $hey
e"plain #hat they are doing no# in terms of analogies #ith or referen!es to previous
e"perien!es. $hey !all upon their store of no#ledge and e"perien!e as sour!es of data to
support, theories to e"plain, or pro!esses to solve ea!h ne# !hallenge. 0urthermore, they
are able to abstra!t meaning from one e"perien!e, !arry it forth, and apply it in a ne# and novel situation.
$oo often students begin ea!h ne# tas as if it #ere being approa!hed for the very first time. $ea!hers are
often dismayed #hen they invite students to re!all ho# they solved a similar problem previously and
students don(t remember. It(s as if they never heard of it before, even though they had the same type of
problem 2ust re!ently. It is as if ea!h e"perien!e is en!apsulated and has no relationship to #hat has !ome
before or #hat !omes after#ard. $heir thining is #hat psy!hologists refer to as an ,episodi! grasp of
reality, 60euerstein 7890:. $hat is, ea!h event in life is a separate and dis!rete event #ith no !onne!tions to
#hat may have !ome before or #ith no relation to #hat follo#s. 0urthermore, their learning is so
en!apsulated that they seem unable to dra# forth from one event and apply it in another !onte"t.
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
<. Th#n%#n- and Co,,un#$at#n- ;#th C"ar#ty and &r$#s#on
I do not so easily thin in #ords.... after being hard at #or having arrived at results that are
perfe!tly !lear... I have to translate my thoughts in a language that does not run evenly #ith them.
0ran!is ;alton, ;eneti!ist.
Danguage refinement plays a !riti!al role in enhan!ing a personHs !ognitive maps, and their
ability to thin !riti!ally #hi!h is the no#ledge base for effi!a!ious a!tion. /nri!hing the
!omple"ity and spe!ifi!ity of language simultaneously produ!es effe!tive thining.
Danguage and thining are !losely ent#ined. Die either side of a !oin, they are
inseparable. +hen you hear fuAAy language, it is a refle!tion of fuAAy thining. Intelligent
people strive to !ommuni!ate a!!urately in both #ritten and oral form taing !are to use pre!ise language,
defining terms, using !orre!t names and universal labels and analogies. $hey strive to avoid
overgeneraliAations, deletions and distortions. Instead they support their statements #ith e"planations,
!omparisons, quantifi!ation, and eviden!e.
+e sometimes hear students and other adults using vague and impre!ise language. $hey des!ribe ob2e!ts
or events #ith #ords lie weird, nice, or OK. $hey !all spe!ifi! ob2e!ts using su!h non.des!riptive #ords as
stuff, junk and things . $hey pun!tuate senten!es #ith meaningless inter2e!tions lie ya know, er and uh.
$hey use vague or general nouns and pronounsB ,They told me to do it,. ,Everybody has one.,
,Teachers don(t understand me. $hey use non.spe!ifi! verbsB ,Det(s do it., and unqualified !omparativesB
,$his soda is better@ I lie it more,.
1=. Gathr#n- Data throu-h A"" Snss
'bserve perpetually.
)enry 4ames
$he brain is the ultimate redu!tionist. It redu!es the #orld to its elementary partsB photons
of light, mole!ules of smell, sound #aves, vibrations of tou!h..#hi!h send ele!tro!hemi!al
signals to individual brain !ells that store information about lines, movements, !olors,
smells and other sensory inputs.
Intelligent people no# that all information gets into the brain through the sensory
path#aysB gustatory, olfa!tory, ta!tile, inestheti!, auditory, visual, *ost linguisti!, !ultural, and physi!al
learning is derived from the environment by observing or taing in through the senses. $o no# a #ine it
must be drun@ to no# a role it must be a!ted@ to no# a game it must be played@ to no# a dan!e it must
be moved@ to no# a goal it must be envisioned. $hose #hose sensory path#ays are open, alert, and a!ute
absorb more information from the environment than those #hose path#ays are #ithered, immune, and
oblivious to sensory stimuli.
0urthermore, #e are learning more about the impa!t of arts and musi! on improved mental fun!tioning.
0orming mental images is important in mathemati!s and engineering@ listening to !lassi!al musi! seems to
improve spatial reasoning.
=o!ial s!ientists solve problems through s!enarios and role.playing@ s!ientists build models@ engineers use
!ad.!am@ me!hani!s learn through hands.on e"perimentation@ artists e"periment #ith !olors and te"tures.
*usi!ians e"periment by produ!ing !ombinations of instrumental and vo!al musi!.
Copyright 2007, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved.
=ome students, ho#ever, go through s!hool and life oblivious to the te"tures, rhythms, patterns sounds and
!olors around them. =ometimes !hildren are afraid to tou!h, get their hands ,dirty, or feel some ob2e!t
might be ,slimy, or ,i!y,. $hey operate #ithin a narro# range of sensory problem solving strategies
#anting only to ,des!ribe it but not illustrate or a!t it,, or ,listen but not parti!ipate,.
11. Crat#n-, I,a-#n#n-, and Inno)at#n-
,$he future is not some pla!e #e are going to but one #e are !reating. $he paths are not to be
found, but made, and the a!tivity of maing them !hanges both the maer and the destination.,
4ohn =!haar, 1oliti!al =!ientist,
Lniversity of =anta Clara Author,
Doyalty in America
All human beings have the !apa!ity to generate novel, original, !lever or ingenious
produ!ts, solutions, and te!hniques>if that !apa!ity is developed. Creative human beings
try to !on!eive problem solutions differently, e"amining alternative possibilities from many
angles. $hey tend to pro2e!t themselves into different roles using analogies, starting #ith a
vision and #oring ba!#ard, imagining they are the ob2e!ts being !onsidered. Creative
people tae riss and frequently push the boundaries of their per!eived limits 61erins
789<:. $hey are intrinsi!ally rather than e"trinsi!ally motivated, #oring on the tas be!ause of the
aestheti! !hallenge rather than the material re#ards. Creative people are open to !riti!ism. $hey hold up
their produ!ts for others to 2udge and see feedba! in an ever.in!reasing effort to refine their te!hnique.
$hey are uneasy #ith the status quo. $hey !onstantly strive for greater fluen!y, elaboration, novelty,
parsimony, simpli!ity, !raftsmanship, perfe!tion, beauty, harmony, and balan!e.
=tudents, ho#ever, are often heard saying, ,I !an(t dra#,, ,I #as never very good at art,, ,I !an(t sing a note,,
,I(m not !reative,. =ome people believe !reative humans are 2ust born that #ay@ in their genes and
!hromosomes.
1.. Rs*ond#n- ;#th 1ondr,nt and A;
$he most beautiful e"perien!e in the #orld is the e"perien!e of the mysterious.,
Albert /instein.
lifetimes.
&es!ribing the 200 best and brightest of the All L=A College A!ademi! $eam identified by
L=A $oday, $ra!ey +ong Briggs 67888: states, M$hey are !reative thiners #ho have a
passion for #hat they do.- /ffi!a!ious people have not only an ,I CA%, attitude, but also
an ,I /%4'G, feeling. $hey see problems to solve for themselves and to submit to others.
$hey delight in maing up problems to solve on their o#n and request enigmas from others.
$hey en2oy figuring things out by themselves, and !ontinue to learn throughout their
=ome !hildren and adults avoid problems and are ,turned off, to learning. $hey mae su!h !omments as,
,I #as never good at these brain teasers,, or ,;o as your father@ he(s the brain in this family. ,Its boring.,
,+hen am I ever going to use this stuff3, ,+ho !ares3, ,Dighten up, tea!her, thining is hard #or,- or ,I
don(t do thiningK, *any people never enrolled in another math !lass or other ,hard, a!ademi! sub2e!ts
after they didn(t have to in high s!hool or !ollege. *any people per!eive thining as hard #or and therefore
re!oil from situations, #hi!h demand ,too mu!h, of it.
+e #ant our students, ho#ever to be !urious@ to !ommune #ith the #orld around them@ to refle!t on the
!hanging formations of a !loud@ feel !harmed by the opening of a bud@ sense the logi!al simpli!ity of
mathemati!al order. =tudents !an find beauty in a sunset, intrigue in the geometri! of a spider #eb, and
e"hilaration at the irides!en!e of a hummingbird(s #ings. $hey see the !ongruity and intri!a!ies in the
derivation of a mathemati!al formula, re!ogniAe the orderliness and adroitness of a !hemi!al !hange, and
!ommune #ith the serenity of a distant !onstellation. +e #ant them feel !ompelled, enthusiasti! and
passionate about learning, inquiring and mastering.
1/. Ta%#n- Rs*ons#+" R#s%s.
$here has been a !al!ulated ris in every stage of Ameri!an development..the pioneers #ho #ere
not afraid of the #ilderness, businessmen #ho #ere not afraid of failure, dreamers #ho #ere not
afraid of a!tion.
Broos Atinson
0le"ible people seem to have an almost un!ontrollable urge to go beyond established limits.
$hey are uneasy about !omfort@ they ,live on the edge of their !ompeten!e,. $hey seem
!ompelled to pla!e themselves in situations #here they do not no# #hat the out!ome #ill
be. $hey a!!ept !onfusion, un!ertainty, and the higher riss of failure as part of the normal
pro!ess and they learn to vie# setba!s as interesting, !hallenging and gro#th produ!ing.
)o#ever, they are not behaving impulsively. $heir riss are edu!ated. $hey dra# on past
no#ledge, are thoughtful about !onsequen!es and have a #ell.trained sense of #hat is appropriate. $hey
no# that all riss are not #orth taingK
5is taing !an be !onsidered in t#o !ategoriesB those #ho see it as a venture and those #ho see it as
adventure. $he venture part of ris taing might be des!ribed by the venture !apitalist. +hen a person is
approa!hed to tae the ris of investing in a ne# business, she #ill loo at the marets, see ho# #ell
organiAed the ideas are, and study the e!onomi! pro2e!tions. If she finally de!ides to tae the ris, it is a
#ell !onsidered one.
$he adventure part of ris taing might be des!ribed by the e"perien!es from pro2e!t adventure. In this
situation, there is a spontaneity, a #illingness to tae a !han!e in the moment. 'n!e again, a person #ill
only tae the !han!e if they no# that there is either past history that suggests that #hat they are doing is
not going to be life threatening or if they believe that there is enough support in the group to prote!t them
from harm. Lltimately, the learning from su!h high.ris e"perien!es is that people are far more able to tae
a!tions than they previously believed.
It is only through repeated e"perien!es that ris taing be!omes edu!ated. It often is a !ross bet#een
intuition, dra#ing on past no#ledge and a sense of meeting ne# !hallenges.
Bobby 4indal, e"e!utive &ire!tor of the %ational Bipartisan Commission on the 0uture of *edi!are states,
M$he only #ay to su!!eed is to be brave enough to ris failure. M 6Briggs, 7888 p 2A:
+hen someone holds ba! from taing riss, he is !onfronted !onstantly #ith missed opportunities. =ome
students seem relu!tant to tae riss. =ome students hold ba! games, ne# learning, and ne# friendships
be!ause their fear of failure is far greater than their e"perien!e of venture or adventure. $hey are reinfor!ed
by the mental voi!e that says, M if you donHt try it, you #onHt be #rong- or Mif you try it and you are #rong,
you #ill loo stupid-. $he other voi!e that might say, Mif you donHt try it, you #ill never no#- is trapped in
fear and mistrust. $hey are more interested in no#ing #hether their ans#er is !orre!t or not, rather than
being !hallenged by the pro!ess of finding the ans#er. $hey are unable to sustain a pro!ess of problem
solving and finding the ans#er over time, and therefore avoid ambiguous situations. $hey have a need for
!ertainty rather than an in!lination for doubt
+e hope that students #ill learn ho# to tae intelle!tual as #ell as physi!al riss. =tudents #ho are
!apable of being different, going against the grain of the !ommon, thining of ne# ideas and testing them
#ith peers as #ell as tea!hers, are more liely to be su!!essful in this age of innovation and un!ertainty.
13. F#nd#n- Hu,or
+here do bees #ait3 At the buAA stop.
Andre#, Age si"
Another unique attribute of human beings is our sense of humor. Daughter trans!ends all
human beings. ItsH positive effe!ts on psy!hologi!al fun!tions in!lude a drop in the pulse
rate, the se!retion of endorphins, an in!reased o"ygen in the blood. It has been found to
liberate !reativity and provoe su!h higher level thining sills as anti!ipation, finding novel
relationships, visual imagery, and maing analogies. 1eople #ho engage in the mystery of
humor have the ability to per!eive situations from an original and often interesting
vantagepoint. $hey tend to initiate humor more often, to pla!e greater value on having a sense of humor, to
appre!iate and understand others( humor and to be verbally playful #hen intera!ting #ith others. )aving a
#himsi!al frame of mind, they thrive on finding in!ongruity and per!eiving absurdities, ironies and satire@
finding dis!ontinuities and being able to laugh at situations and themselves. =ome students find humor in
all the ,#rong pla!es,..human differen!es, ineptitude, in2urious behavior, vulgarity, violen!e and profanity.
$hey laugh at others yet are unable to laugh at themselves.
+e #ant our student to a!quire the !hara!teristi! of !reative problem solvers, they !an distinguish bet#een
situations of human frailty and fallibility #hi!h are in need of !ompassion and those #hi!h are truly funny.
6&yer, 7887:.
15. Th#n%#n- Intrd*ndnt"y
$ae !are of ea!h other. =hare your energies #ith the group. %o one must feel alone, !ut off, for
that is #hen you do not mae it.
+illie Lnsoeld
5eno#ned *ountain Climber
)uman beings are so!ial beings. +e !ongregate in groups, find it therapeuti! to be
listened to, dra# energy from one another, and see re!ipro!ity. In groups #e !ontribute
our time and energy to tass that #e #ould qui!ly tire of #hen #oring alone. In fa!t, #e
have learned that one of the !ruelest forms of punishment that !an be infli!ted on an
individual is solitary !onfinement.
Cooperative humans realiAe that all of us together are more po#erful, intelle!tually andNor physi!ally, than
any one individual. 1robably the foremost disposition in the post industrial so!iety is the heightened ability
to thin in !on!ert #ith others@ to find ourselves in!reasingly more interdependent and sensitive to the needs
of others. 1roblem solving has be!ome so !omple" that no one person !an go it alone. %o one has a!!ess
to all the data needed to mae !riti!al de!isions@ no one person !an !onsider as many alternatives as
several people !an.
=ome students may not have learned to #or in groups@ they have underdeveloped so!ial sills. $hey feel
isolated, they prefer their solitude. ,Deave me alone..I(ll do it by my self,. , $hey 2ust don(t lie me,. ,I #ant
to be alone., =ome students seem unable to !ontribute to group #or either by being a ,2ob hog, or
!onversely, letting others do all the #or.
+oring in groups requires the ability to 2ustify ideas and to test the feasibility of solution strategies on
others. It also requires the development of a #illingness and openness to a!!ept the feedba! from a
!riti!al friend. $hrough this intera!tion the group and the individual !ontinue to gro#. Distening, !onsensus
seeing, giving up an idea to #or #ith someone else(s, empathy, !ompassion, group leadership, no#ing
ho# to support group efforts, altruism..all are behaviors indi!ative of !ooperative human beings.
16 Larn#n- Cont#nuous"y'
Insanity is !ontinuing to do the same thing over and over and e"pe!ting different results.
Albert /instein
Intelligent people are in a !ontinuous learning mode. $heir !onfiden!e, in !ombination #ith
their inquisitiveness, allo#s them to !onstantly sear!h for ne# and better #ays. 1eople
#ith this )abit of *ind are al#ays striving for improvement, al#ays gro#ing, al#ays
learning, al#ays modifying and improving themselves. $hey seiAe problems, situations,
tensions, !onfli!ts and !ir!umstan!es as valuable opportunities to learn.
A great mystery about humans is that #e !onfront learning opportunities #ith fear rather than mystery and
#onder. +e seem to feel better #hen #e no# rather than #hen #e learn. +e defend our biases, beliefs,
and storehouses of no#ledge rather than inviting the unno#n, the !reative and the inspirational. Being
!ertain and !losed gives us !omfort #hile being doubtful and open gives us fear.
0rom an early age, employing a !urri!ulum of fragmentation, !ompetition and rea!tiveness, students are
trained to believe that deep learning means figuring out the truth rather than developing !apabilities for
effe!tive and thoughtful a!tion. $hey have been taught to value !ertainty rather than doubt, to give ans#ers
rather than to inquire, to no# #hi!h !hoi!e is !orre!t rather than to e"plore alternatives.
'ur #ish is for !reative students and people #ho are eager to learn. $hat in!ludes the humility of no#ing
that #e don(t no#, #hi!h is the highest form of thining #e #ill ever learn. 1arado"i!ally, unless you start
off #ith humility you #ill never get any#here, so as the first step you have to have already #hat #ill
eventually be the !ro#ning glory of all learningB the humility to no#..and admit..that you don(t no# and not
be afraid to find out.
IN S2MMAR>
&ra#n from resear!h on human effe!tiveness, des!riptions of remarable performers, and analyses of the
!hara!teristi!s of effi!a!ious people, #e have presented des!riptions of si"teen )abits of *ind. $his list is
not meant to be !omplete but rather to serve as a starting point for further elaboration and des!ription.
$hese )abits of *ind may serve as mental dis!iplines. +hen !onfronted #ith problemati! situations,
students, parents and tea!hers might habitually employ one or more of these )abits of *ind by asing
themselves, M+hat is the most intelligent thing I !an do right no#3-
)o# !an I learn from this, #hat are my resour!es, ho# !an I dra# on my past su!!esses #ith
problems lie this, #hat do I already no# about the problem, #hat resour!es do I have
available or need to generate3
)o# !an I approa!h this problem fleibly3 )o# might I loo at the situation in another #ay,
ho# !an I dra# upon my repertoire of problem solving strategies@ ho# !an I loo at this problem
from a fresh perspe!tive 6Dateral $hining:.
)o# !an I illuminate this problem to mae it !learer, more pre!ise3 &o I need to !he! out my
data sour!es3 )o# might I brea this problem do#n into its !omponent parts and develop a
strategy for understanding and a!!omplishing ea!h step.
+hat do I no# or not no#@ #hat questions do I need to as, #hat strategies are in my mind
no#, #hat am I a#are of in terms of my o#n beliefs, values and goals #ith this problem. +hat
feelings or emotions am I a#are of #hi!h might be blo!ing or enhan!ing my progress3
$he interdependent thiner might turn to others for help. $hey might as ho# this problem
affe!ts others@ ho# !an #e solve it together and #hat !an I learn from others that #ould help me
be!ome a better problem solver3
$aing a refle!tive stan!e in the midst of a!tive problem solving is often diffi!ult. 0or that reason, ea!h of
these )abits of *ind is situational and transitory. $here is no su!h thing as perfe!t realiAation of any of
them. $hey are utopian states to#ard #hi!h #e !onstantly aspire. CsisAentmihalyi 6788C, p. 2C: states,
,Although every human brain is able to generate self.refle!tive !ons!iousness, not everyone seems
to use it equally.,
0e# people, notes Oegan 6788F: ever fully rea!h the stage of !ognitive !omple"ity, and rarely before middle
age.
$hese )abits of *ind trans!end all sub2e!t matters !ommonly taught in s!hool. $hey are !hara!teristi! of
pea performers #hether they be in homes, s!hools, athleti! fields, organiAations, the military,
governments, !hur!hes or !orporations. $hey are #hat mae marriages su!!essful, learning !ontinual,
#orpla!es produ!tive and demo!ra!ies enduring.
$he goal of edu!ation therefore, should be to support others and ourselves in liberating, developing and
habituating these )abits of *ind more fully. $aen together, they are a for!e dire!ting us to#ard
in!reasingly authenti!, !ongruent, ethi!al behavior, the tou!hstones of integrity. $hey are the tools of
dis!iplined !hoi!e maing. $hey are the primary vehi!les in the lifelong 2ourney to#ard integration. $hey are
the Mright stuff- that maes human beings effi!a!ious.
,+e are #hat #e repeatedly do. /"!ellen!e, then, is not an a!t but a habit.,
Aristotle
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$his arti!le is adapted from Costa, A and Oalli!, B 62000: +abits of &ind' A $evelo%mental #eries!
Ale"andria, PAB Asso!iation for =upervision and Curri!ulum &evelopment B
)ook I' $iscovering and E%loring +abits of &ind
)ook II' Activating and Engaging +abits of &ind
)ook III' Assessing and (e%orting 3rowth in +abits of &ind
)ook I4' Integrating and #ustaining +abits of&ind