Srom

ffiffiHtWffir

MARHABAENTERPRISE
 _.__T

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Nameof the book From School To College

Subjectof the book Academic and psychological
guidance

Purposeof the book Career-building and character-

building

Especiallyaddressed
to The young collegiates - the
future hope of Pakistan

Author Prof. SaeedRashid

Address Principal Army Public School

Mangla Cantt

Edition 1993

Publishers MarhabaEnterprises
Civil Lines,JhelumPh:7494

Price deluxe edition Rs.200t-

Paper Back Rs. t20t-
 In December t932, when Allama Iqbal was staying at
2
Queen Ann's Palace in London in connection r,vith the Third
Round Table Conference, a group of Muslim research scholars FOREWORD
from Aligarh and Lahore called on him and sought his advice
about their research work. The Allama sat up in his bed and very
earnestly said, "Writing a thesis just for the sake of getting a
degree, is not of much use. Collect knowledge as well as create
knowledge. That is what required in the interest of the nation. "

prescribedcurricula.

Dedicated

To

students.
JLn ,7oungpnop/n to *eating
"o**ittnJ
/rno*/nJgn in one for* o, tln otln, ;o
tln iotnrnrt P./,utr*.
"f

The challenge of total educationpresentsa vast canvas.

Mr.SaeedRashid has decoratedit with somebroad brush
strokes.
 V

4
J

PREFACE
l.argc vacant areas are still there waiting for others to join the
elfbrt and build up a comprehensivepicture of a mature and a well
Dear Young Reader,
rounded personality for the guidance of the youth of the country.
God blessyou!
If educationistsfail to provide suitable channels for personal
growth, the spirit of adventure runs the risk of leading the
Now you are on your marks. A marathonracg for a career.
inquisitive minds into the dark alleys of social and moral
is going to start. The stakesare so high that win you must. There
degradation. We owe it to our youth to guide them to the proper
is no other option. Just none! And I may remind you, this race is
path. Mr. SaeedRashidhas put up in this book a large number of
ruthlessly competitive. There is no room for indifferent running.
pointers in. the right direction.
You have to run and run fast enough to touch the tape stretched
acrossthe finish-point first. Besides,this is entirely your own race.
You have to do all the running, from the start to the end all by
yourself. Nobody else, however near and dear, can do the runnins
Laeeq Mirza Ph. D
for you.
National Institute of SpecialEducation
Islamabad
This book 'From School to College' is just a sign post
along the route, a light-houseon top of a rock, to say, "Th1sway,
lslamabad please", and warn you here and there, of the possibleperils of the
February 14, 1988 perilous course.

My dear young man!

You are starting your long journey in search of light.

College is your first stop. I wish you god-speedin your new
venture. Take the oars and go ahead,to strive to seek.to find and
not to yield.

Yours Sincerely,
The one who takesyou as the
futurehopeof Pakistan.
 5 6
At the end, I am obligedto put in a word of thanks. CONTENTS

I'm grateful to Dr. M. Laeeq Mirza for writing a very

thought-provokingintroductoryForeword to this volume. Very PART I
kind of him. I earnestlyhopethis humbleeffort may inspiresome 1. From School to College-Comparisonsand Contrasts
educationalintellectualsto carry the themeforward. 10
2. College Education - a privilege and a Challenge
t2
3. College Expectations
l5
4. What College Can Do for you
18
5. Some Added Advantages
6.
2r
Total Education
23
7. Four Dimensionsof Knowledse
28
8. Your Mind
30
9. The Questionof I.Q. JJ
10. Wanting to karn 35
SaeedRashid ll. The Process of Learning 5t
12. The Significant Learning 4l
13. Leaming to Learn I 45
Military College Jhelum
t4. Learning to Learn II 49
15. Impedimentsto Learning 5l
23rdMarch 1988 16. Some Basic Skills 53
17. Some Factors of SuccessfutStudy 56
18. Curiosity -' the Watch-word 58
19. ReproductiveLearning Vs Creative Learning 60
20. The College Class Room 63
21. On Readine Books 65

PART II

22. The Book is not Everything 68

23. Senseof Priorities 69
ai
La. Senseof Commitment 72
25. The Student and his Values 74
26. Discipline and Freedom 76
27. From Dependenceto Independence 80
28. The Problem of Insecurity and Anxiety 84
29. Making and Unmaking of Habits 86
 7
PART III

30. How to ReadBetterand Faster v2

a. Six Rules for Faster Comprehension 92
b. Efficient Reader Vs Ineffrcient Reader 96
Reading-A Visual Process 101
d. Respondingto Total Meaning l02
e, Summing-up 103

PART IV
31 . Thinking 106

a. Kinds Of Thinking 109

Fancying 110
>k
Imagining 110
* Believing 111
Reflectingor Critical Thinking Ir2
b. Processof Thinking r13
*
*
What is Creative Thinking
How to Develop a Critical Mind
115
rt7 PART 1
* Physiological Aspect of Thinking r 19
* Thinking with Blood 120
c. What is Intuition? r20
d. Pitfalls in Thinkine 120
* Generalization 12l
:t Prejudices r21
Rationalization t2l
e. Questionsto Test Thinking t23

32. The Wonder of Wonders - The Human Brain 126

a. Structure 126
b. Function r28
c. The Miracle of Memorv 131

PART V

33.
4. The College Teacher - as a Scholar r39
b. The College Teacher - as a Leader l 4l
 =v'l

10 11
FROM SCHOOL TO COLLEGE more interests,all competingfor your time and energy.Many a
COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS college student eventually ends up in not achieving anything
worthwhileand having totally wastedboth his precioustime and
energy.The answeris in developingthe ability to sift essential
fromthenon-essential. Inthe college,you areusuallyhardpressed
'for time becauseso many new and often conflictingdemandsare
pressingyou more or lessall the time.

Finally ponder over the following questionsand provide

your own frank answers:

a. Are you in the college becauseyour parents want

you to be here? or

b. Becausethere was no other choice open to you?

c. Have you any idea what college education should

do for you in addition to giving you a professionor
a career?

d. Is a career the be-all and end-all of education?

e. Do you have a sense of direction and can you

distinguish it fiom drift?

***t<*

In the colrege, there is much ressspoon-feedingand The self-imase rs the golden key to successand
much
more freedom than there was in the school; but there heppiness.
are many
 -*1

12
l3
COLLEGE EDUCATION
A Privilege and a Challenge Examination, especially candid self-examination requires
courage - courage to know one's strong and weak points. Ask
yourself: "What are my best points and my worst ones?What are
my personal assetsand liabilities?" Ask yourself these questions
not once, but many times and have a frank dialogue with yourself.
No student will be able to do every thing that is asked of him
equally well and must learn from the beginning to sacrifice the
lesserfor the greater good. Know your area of strengthand further
strengthenit to gain confidence and recognition. But do not despair
or blame others for your handicapsor for any mishap.

From courage grows insight, the capacity for reading into

The real significance of college education rests on
self-
development.without an honestprogressin this respect,
marksare
a poor indication of achievement.
oneselfand others beyond the merely showy, illusory surfaces.A
greateducationistonce observed: "Higher educationis a meansof
leading one to know the difference between oneself as an
individuai and as a person". Take a note of this quotation and
ponder over it. You would appreciateit when you grow mentally
maturer. The same writer says: "Ask what do I think and then,
what can be thougtrt? Only thus can you place the emphasis not
upon your reasonbut upon reason, not upon yourself but onyour
kind. Such insight cannot be wholly self-generated.It derives in
collegefrom the healthy inter-actionof books, ideasand people.

Of course, the main businessof the college is to impart

socrates maintainedthat a compracentrysecurelife, a life
lived without challenges,without courage-theunexamined
life, was
not worth-living.
knowledge, so you should be prepared to respond vigorously,
enthusiastically, steadfastly, to the intellectual content of the
college life.You should make full use of all the opportunitiesand
resourcesavailableto you.
You ought to be willing to give of yourself liberally in
time, patience,industry and energy. For diverseminor problems,
 l4 15
you will be rewarded with unified breadth of conception; COLLEGE EXPECTATIONS
and for
occasional loneliness and distress, you will reap a rretime
or
satisfaction.

*{ <***:F* t<

All this will not be done at random. We have a yardstick.

We have seven-itemson check-list to assessyour progress
in
education,in general.

1. The first check-item is worry: How much does a student

worry and about what? The student is a high achiever by this
test
of maturity if he comes to worry about more important things than
when he entered the college. we are going io .oo'-.nd right
worries far more than complacency.

2. The second is Disagreeing: Does the student disagree a

great deal with wtiom and in regard to what? To some
extent we
our own unconscious
evaluationof ourselvesis our serf-- are inclined to prize a student's capacityto dispute intelligently,
to
image. protest rationally and to challenge logically even if this
makeshim
a somewhatuncomfortable person to have around. It is the quality
of man's critical capacitiesnot his ability to get along at any cosr
which marks his approach to maturity.

3. Doubt: Next we want to find out whether you have genuine

doubtsabout yourself, the nature of this world, the purposeswhich
you should seek to fulfil in your life?

Easy self-assurance
and care-freeattiturleis an indicator of
 L6 17

immaturity rather than maturity. Genuine faith and confidence is
of great value but faith, possessed
merely as a matter of habit and
comfortablerationalization,hardly qualifiesas a mark of maturity.
l-et it be clear to you that we are as vitally concernedwith
your achievementon tests of maturity as with your achievement
on
testsof academicproficiency.

4. Self-discovery:We would like to ensureif the snrdenthas We eagerly hope that you would respond by a gradual
begun to uncover lris strengths,his limitations, and what he is all adjustmentof your previous attitudes and values to meet the new
about? Remember, self-discovery is the first step towards self- challenges.
development.

5. Sharing of Purposes:The ability of a student to perceive

the dovetailingof his aspirationswith thoseof others is important.
The mature individual can recognize the necessityof cooperative
endeavour and adjust his interests so as to bring them into
harmony with the interests of others. A college student must be
t<* x * { < x *
able to look beyond the narrow range of his own immediate self-
gratification and accept as a powerful obligation those purposes
which tend to unite men. He must be able to leave the jungle of
competitive individualism and find his way into close and
purposeful relationship with his follow human beings starting from
class and college fellows.

6. IncreasedSocial Responsibility:Is rhe studentwilling and

able to undertake responsibility for the well-being of his own
immediate community, of his nation and of human community at
large? Does he willingly assume tasks which do not yield an
immediate personal reward? How ready is he to make and then
standby hard decisions?
All our actions,thoughts,feelings,emotions,reactionsand
even circumstanceshave to be consistentwith our self-image.
The self-imagecan be changedat will. It is never too late
to start a new life.

7. Human Feeling: What is the evidence in the actions and

words of a student revealing his compassion, his courage at
resisting injustice and his fundamental respect for others?
 18
WHAT COLLEGE CAN DO FOR YOU
First comesknowledge. It startsfrom academiclearning
The purposeof this book is to help you understandwhat but
a goes much beyond the narrow rimits of laid down
college is for and to help you clarify yout o*n ou.leclives curriculum in
ano Scienceor Arts.
thinkingaboutwhatyou wantto do, the liqo or u p.rrln you
wanr
to be and somehowto bring thesetwo, the collegeandyour
goars, There is a comprehensivebody of knowredge that each
together. of
us ought to acquire. It encompassesrudiments or dndamentals
of
both setsof sciences,naturalas well social, including religion.
Clarify your own purposefirst. What did you come But
here we must move from information to understanding,
for']. what is the immediatepurpos" and what is from
ttre long-range understandingto insight and from insight to values.That
purposelrhese are the crucial questionsthat compretes
haveto be answered the tiers or stepsof ideal education.
candrdly. Only by what your purposesare, is it
possibleto make this-understanding
connectionbetweenyou and the college So first we want you to obtain as much knowledge
possible. as
possible so that it may brossom into generar
understandinf and
insight.According to Albert Einstein, one of the greatest
Perhaps you have no clear idea of your scientists
. long_range the worlds has ever produced, "the development"of general
objectives.You are concernedwith your immediate ability
goal which is for independentthinking and judgement should atriys
to somehowscrapethrough the eiamination -of be placed
and q:".liry for a foremost, not the acquisition speciatknowledge.','To
eart on. This is your vocational this end
the mental skills of reasoning and thinkinf
th it. One of the aims of college _ criticaly and
analytically must be cherished as the proper aim
vocation.But that is not the end of college
education.
ring. Collegeeducationis much
tion. This is whatwe believein. But knowredgeand insight will be of no real use if you
Hence,thoughwe are as much interestedin your fail
immediategoar to develop human qualities. Spirit is more important
as you are, we are arsointerestedin your urtimate than anything
good and in the
"we'-deveroped else in a human being. So a third vital purpoie of
quality of life that you wilr live as a educationis the
civilized, humanizationof jndividuals. we wouldlike you to develop
individual.True educationis preparationfor a value
life, the lire of a I pattern, a set of moral standards,deeply embedded
cultivatedhumanbeing and eventuailya in your sour.
Muslim and Momin as
portrayedby Iqbal. This is our ambiti-on.
we are concernedwith In sum, our intentionsare to bring about some changes
your total educationfor total life. In in
the main, we want you to you, to widen your horizon, to help you
learnthreethinss. becomea better person
than what you already are. whettrer or not we
are successful,
dependsa greatdeal on you. It dependsupon
whether or not you
 20
seizetheseopportunitiesthat the collegeis presenting,whetheryou
have any clear vision of how you wish to direct your life.
The college has to provide the learning environment; the
responseswhich are required if learning is actually to take place,
are by and large yours.
* *** * t<*
Self-imageis the base, or the fbundationon which is built
one's entire personality.
It is our subconsciousmind that controls our habits,
attitudes,behaviour, performanceand indeedour potential.
Self-image is a subconsciouspicture, no arnountof effort
on the consciousmind can changeit. Only when there is a change
on the subconsciouslevel, that there can be a changein behaviour,
attitudesor performance.
2T
SOME ADDED ADVANTAGES
The college student has to learn how to spend his time. A
good student attends classes regularly, does his preparation
everydayand studiesindustriouslybecausethis is his prime goal.
But there is even more, much more to be gained from college, if
one is keen enough to recognize the extra opportunities which
exist. So be on the look out for such opportunities.
These are at least four 'extras' which are availableto an
alert student. The first is knowing college professorsas people.
Few experiencesare more rewarding than conversationswith
informed teachersabout the ideasthey cherish and the values they
hold. For a person of college age, such experiencesare education
by themselves.
The second 'extra' of the college life is attending the
specialeventsat the campus- speeches,plays etc. The purposeof
college educationis to lead on, to lead out, to take people where
they have not been before. A judicious sampling of student-
arrangedintellectual activities is the third 'extra' opportunity. A
fourth 'extra' is reading unassignedbooks and magazines;a visit
to the library is a thing of never-endingwonder and excitement.
Everyone has the same twenty-four hours but each person
spends his twenty-four hours differently. If one integrates these
opportunities into his twenty-four hours, he will in effect be
gettingdouble collegeeducation,while othersare gettingonly one.
Residential institutions of Public School type provide
another invaluable opportunity in the form of House Systemwhich
 22
is a lniniature form of self-government.
> l< *tr <**
'A hundred times every day' I remind myself that
my inner and outer life dependson the labours of
other men living and dead, and that I must exert
myself in order to give in the same measureas I
have received and am still receivins.
Albert Einstein
23
TOTAL EDUCATION
Education is not a prescribed amount of knowledge
passivelycollectedplus someskills indifferently acquired.The real
test of education is not merely the passing of examinations and
lecuring a career. It is much more than that. Education is for self'-
fulfilment, for self-development,and for attainingmental, social
and emotional maturity. Education is preparation for life, for
better,happier and creative life. Real education,is total education
for all aspectsof life, and for the whole life. Educationor learning
goes on side by side with life. Ir is one with life. school and
college education is only formal groundwork for the life-long
processof growth and learning for self-educationunto death.
You are in the college for a round of total education.
Nobody, no power on earth can give you total or even partial
educationif you do not actively want it. In fact, educationis a
very personalaffair. It is for you and by you. Only a fraction of
it, the text book part of it, will be testedin the examinationhall;
the rest of it will be tested in the arena of life and this test will
continue for the rest of your life, long after when you have
forgottenthe namesof the text books and even the namesof the
teachers.Therefore,theinformal part of your education,will in the
long run prove to be more enduring and valuablethan the formal
content.
Elements of Total Education: Physicalfitnesscomesfirst.
Your body is madeof tissuescomposedof billions of cells and is
subject tp the physical laws of growth and decay. Keeping a
hundredpercent fit, fighting fit, should be your first concern. To
stay in a condition of top fitness and continue growing until
 24
controls your physical growth as well as the reproductiveglands.
If you stimulateyour emotionsand passionstoo much, the growth
processwill be sloweddown and the reproductiveglandsactivated
prematurely. consequently you will not be able to concentrate
rules of mental hygiene too. Go through a book on physiology to
find out how your body is built and how it functions. The study of
an elementary book on Biology and one on human behaviour
(Applied Psychology)will also do you immensegood at this stage
of your life.
Mental Development: The raw material of mental
developmentis knowledge.Both the quantityof knowledgeas well
as the quality of knowledge matter. The portion of basic
knowledge covered by the curriculum is the minimum required.
You cannot afford to rest content with it. Knowledge provided by
text books is the base for your life. If you are interestedin an
enlightenedintellectuallife, you will have to broadenthis baseto
a great extent.
The collection of knowledge is the first step towards its
use, its interpretationand applicationto concretelife situations.If
you are not able to apply your knowledge to everyday thoughtsand
25
actions, your acquisition of it will be of little use to you or to
societv.
This is only possible when you actively participate in the
processof learning. Do not dependsolely on the teacher,but also
intensify your efforts to learn. Seek his help by all means in
removing doubts, in clarifying difficult points and receive guidance
from him, but do not accept his clarifications blindly without
examining them yourself. In other words discover the facts for
yourself.
From 'learning to learn' you will be but one step from
'learning to think' which is the hallmark of a civilized, educated
mind.
Life is getting more and more complex. Knowledge gets
outdatedvery soon. New knowledge, new experiencesand new
insights are demandedto tackle the increasingly complex problems
of life, so yoti have to learn not only now but all through your
active career at least.
In addition to learning to learn and learning to think, you
have to learn some basic skill too. The skill to communicate
properly both in speechand in writing though not easy to acquire,
is an indispensablerequirement. As responsibleadults, much of
your successin your career and social life, will dependon your
ability to speakpersuasivelyand impressivelyand to write good
and correct English and Urdu. Writing is also an instrument of
thought. You can not write clearly unless you think clearly' So
learn to write precisely and logically. This particular skill also has
an immediate advantage.Most of yot'"rexaminationsnow and in
 26 27
theyearsto comewill involvev Finally, be alwaysgrateful to God for all that He, in His infinite
not acquirepioficiency in this r mercy,hasblessedyou with.
is doneby readingbooks.So tl
mustalsobe developed.Most c
lloylr and badly. They shouldmakeconcertedefforts to improve
their readinghabits in respecrof borh speed
urJ.;;;;hension.
Listeningis anothersourceof learning.In this
sptrere,deliberate
practiceis requiredso thatyou draw miximum
uouantage from the
lectures.Moreover,it is a mark of a good
man too.
Social and Moral Development:This is the ****{<*
third areaof
-ruy
in the p,rsuit of total educationand in u
::1.:.T
lmportant one. your worth and varue as tt. _ort
a humanbeing will
eventuallybe determine!by whatyou do with your
healthybody
and developedmind ro humanityit lurg.. To
;; sJaily and
morally has not been very easy for mankind.
Man has most
spectacularachievements to his creditin thephysical*orrd, but in
dealingwith sociarand moral probremshe has
floppedbadry.
Our self-imageis of utmost importancebecausewe can not
so your task.inthis sphereis goingto be both be any more effective, more successful,better coordinated,more
a demanding
affair and a rewardingvenrure.In tf,e la-stanalysi; creative or more anything other than what our self-imagesayswe
;t a good
man is a happyman and only a good man is a-respectatle are. Self-imageis the ceiling on the effectivesswith which we can
Honourgoeswith Taqwa lunOerstood man.
in the euranic sense). use our future potential.

For the time being,you can set yourselfsome Self-image controls our entire potential, such as
socialand
moral goalsthat are quite attainabre.
Developprop.r-u,iitudesto intelligence,capability, attitudes,performance,will-power, effort,
wgrk and disciprine.Acqr/ire proper values.' ingenuity, aptitude.
rn' int.rlpersonar
relationships
be kind, considerateund.o.pussionate.Enjoydoing
goodto othersratherthan receivingfavours
from others.Above
all, you have to developa deep s-ense of commitmentto your
family, your college, youn communityand
to your counrry.

I
 28 29

THE FOUR DIMENSIONSOF KNOWLEDGE knowledge. The tree of knowledge bears the
knowledge of good and evil alike' A great
'O, Creator! give me more and more knowledge,, mathematician or physicist or chemist may use his
so
prayedthe Holy prophetto God asrevealedin the knowledge to benefit his fellow men but he can also
Holy euran and
the first word of the first revelationto the prophet use his power to harm other human beings.
tuirra-*ao
(peacebe upon him) was: "Readin the nameof
the creator who
createdyou." So knowredge cannot but be our chiefconcern.And d. Knowleclge in all its branches is of the greatest
knowingor learning.isa life-longprocess.we wantyou importance for the developmentof man, but only if
to learn
and to keep on learningfor the *nbr. of your life. he recognizes a unifying principle for his creative
But what will
you learn?what branchesof knowledgemust a ingenuity. This is the fourth dimension of human
man masterif he
is to be truly knowledgeable? Those*ho u.. knowredgeable knowledge. Its main concern is with the moral and
and
learnedhavepropoundedthe idea of four studiesfor spiritual purposesof life which alone can give true
man:
meaning to human knowledge without conflicting
with the three branches of knowledge. On the
contrary it integrates the knowledge rflztn r h&s
'through
accumulated centuries of living and
thinking. It provides an ideal for all the inventions
and discoveriesof human mind.

only after we succeedin integrating the four'dimensions of

knowledge,can we hope to builcl a creative societyfull of creative
individuals.

* * x * t< * { < * *

Life is a whole
Luck is a whole
Churchill
 -q

30 31

YOUR MIND significantlyimprovementalperformance.

8. Work howeverlong and intensedoesnot wear you out. In

fact it givgsyour mind strength,if you are interestedin it.
if it givesyou satisfaction.

1' Mind hasa physicalbasis.Its seatis human 9. Each period of stress, especiallyif it results from
brain. unsuccessful struggles,leavessomeirreversiblechemical
2. It is made of about 10 b'lion neurons(celrs) scars, which accumulateto cons{itutethe signs of tissue
set at birth. decay.Successfully activity,no matterhow intense.leaves
a
J. stimurating environment can crearly virtually no scars.
affect the growth of
brain cells.
10. Work wearsyou, not play. If you like your taskhowever
4. The brain's capacitycan be modified intense,it is play for you, it will not causechemicalscars
unfavourabryas welr
-)
as favourably by how we live, by our which resultin wear andtear of tissues.
life style.
5. Mind grows by exercise (use) and SOME OBSERVATIONS ON MIND
decays by disuse, a
processcalled atrophy (if you do
not use th; whote of you.
mental powers fully, intenselyand regularly, William James, the father of modern psychology, has
the .trn ., observed, "we make use but of a small part of our mental
are that they will become gradually
and- progressivety resources.". Alexander Hamilton wrote:-
weak).

6. Brain cells deprived of sufficient oxygen "All my genius lies in this when I have a subjectin hand,
do not perform I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. what people
their work efficiently and the inteil#
and the dr"".g are pleased to call the fruit of genius is the fruit of labour and
poWer fade as a result. Conversely
mental alertness thought. " Also recall to mind the famous definition of genius by
improves when larger amounts
of pure oxygen are
delivered to the brain-cells. Edison i.e. 'It is nine tenth perspirationand one tenth inspiration.'

7. A programme of regular exercise which

increasesoxygen
transport to the brain through natural
p.o..rr.r'frn
 IT
32
CONCLUSIONS
1. Our mental resourcesare immense.
l inherent mental capacity.
2. But man's characteristicfeature is not his brain power. It
is his will to work.
a
J.
4. Mind grows slowly. Mental development follows its
course. It takestime. It has its own laws. you can not stuff
it. You can not develop it overnight. you can not
overstretchit either. You can not learn in two weeks what
was to be learnt over a period of two years.
5. Mind grows from inside. You can not super-imposegrowth
on it. It has to blossom on its own. Hence mental
developmentlies in its activity. In a stateof passivity the
mind does not grow. If you want to learn better. let ihere
be more mental activity.
*t<******
We live in deeds, not years, in thoughts,not breaths;
I In feeling, not in figures on a dial
l We should count time by heart throbs.
He lives most
Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.
-\
a^
JJ
THE QUESTTON
OF r.Q.
I.Q. means intelligence quotient; an index of a person's
What is I.Q.?
A child's mental capacitiesimprove each year as he goes
through infancy, childhood and adolescence.Just as a child's
physicalbody grows and developsfrom year to year, so does his
intellect which means his mental capacity, his ability to use his
brain, to solve problems, to reach decisions and to discern
mcanings. It is this mental capacity that increasesfiom year to
year until the approximateage of twenty. By this age, normally a
person'sbrain arrives at full developmentand thereafterhis mental
capacitydoes not increase.He can still keep on learning; he can
store away more tacts; he can learn to profit by experienceand
thus to exercisebbtter judgement; but his actual mental capacity
does not improve beyond this age.(Somepsychologistssay it
does).
The intelligence quotient is determined by dividing the
mental age (determined by means of standardizedtests) by the
chronologicalage, theJirthday age and againmultiplying it by 100
for example:
I.Q. is an expressiveway of evaluatinga child's progress
towards mental maturity by comparing his mental age with his
physical age. I.Q. only indicatesone's inherent capacity f('r
learning not the actual level of one's learning. A personmay use,
11
34
35
,: fu]t advantage, his capacityfor learningor he may useonly a
fractionof it, but in no casecanhe exceedthe limit of WANTING TO LEARN
hi, personar
capacity.within reasonable limits,we do not needto beconcerned
'over the differencesin I.e. between The Questionof Motivation
onepersonandanother,for
neitheris usinghis mentarpowersto his fuil capacity.
Two pupils,
ol. with a higher I.e. than the other can, Nobody can make a football player play football if he is nor
under most
crrcumstances, accomplishthe samethings.The personwith the motivatedto do so. similarly the learner will not do the learning
lower I.Q' may have to work a rittle harderthan effectively if he is not motivatedto do it. what is motivation?To
the other, but
their total accomplishment may be equivalent. be motivated is simply to want something strongly. Motivation
meansan urge to move in somedirection to satisfythat want. It is
Is LQ. the Key to Success?Other factorsbeingequal,a a goal directedactivity. You won't learn better if you do not have
personwith higher LQ. has an edge over the a strong desire to learn. And where will this desire or urge come
one with rower
score' The former, having a greateicapacityfor from'l "From you, from your mind, of course." Once you are
learning,can
learn.moreeasilyandcan..u"h higherinteilettuar convinced that you need better learning to securebetter life for
attainments,
if
he wills, thanthe personwith a lower mentalcapacity. you in future, you would feel a strong urge to start learning
actively and seriously.It is a questionof adjustingyour short-term
But simplypossessinghigh I.e. doesnot itself, guarantee and long-term goals in life. Most peoplechildishly want to get the
higheraccomplishments. In thehumanpersonarity best out of life without giving their best to it. Wishing so is
residetwo other
factorseven more importantto successin life childish becauseit amountsto unrealisticthinking which can not
than high I.e.
determination to succeed
andwillingnessto put i;".;r;;i bear fruit in the world of causeand effect.
effort.
without these,eventheperson,witi nign mental
capacity*itt ruit
in life's adventure.Bui with determiirationand You will be motivated to start learning earnestly if you
*itiingn.r, to
expandhimselfevena personof mediocreI.e, can make up your mind on following points:-
makeirs mark
ln me world.
a. Your long-term goal in life is to live a life whose quality
does matter. But the other two factors are should be very high. In terms of career, it should be a
more
rmportant. successful and respectable life securing high social,
economic and moral statusfor you.

b Such a life can be had the hard way, for which you will
(Adapfedfrom Trends in Modern prychotogy) have to develop your mind and character to the highest
possibledegree.
 w- -l1

36
37
c. To ensurethat development,you have to lay the foundation
THE PROCESSOF LEARNING
of motivated learning assiduously.
What is the processof learning?How do we learn, what
d. Rememberthat all learning is an active process.It is only
happensto your mind and in your mind engagedin solving a very
you who can do it and do it only by actively participating
complexproblem. At this stageyou need not go into the technical
in the processof education.Receivingknowledgepassively
intricaciesof the processof learning as a motor driver need not
won't do. Cramming won't help. Short-cutto knowledge
know all about the details of motor-mechanics.But he should
won't avail. You can scrapethrough the examinationsand
know its mechanismin general terms i.e. how it works, what
get promoted to the next class with the minimum pass
makesit go and go better and when it doesnot why it doesnot do
marks i.e. 33 out of 100 but having one third of knowledge
so.'Similarlyyou had betterrememberthe following points about
may cost you a battle tomorrow as a commander.So do not
the processof learning:-
take your formal educationlightly. Aim high and put your
heart and soul togetherinto this channel.By all meanskeep
a. Learning is a mental activity-a goal directed
your short-termgoals in view, but do not losesight of the
activity. It has a purpose.It aims at satisfyinga
long-term goals either. Make a habit of thinking ahead,
need. Hence you cannot learn if you are not
looking far into rhe future as far as possibleand adjustyour
motivatedi.e. if you do not want to learn.
speedand quality of work accordingly.
b. Learning is not a singleaction.It is a chain'of tiny
**x*> k*****
actionsin the brain. It is a process.

Learning has a basis. New learninggrows out of

In many ways we send singnalsto people, which in effect,
ask them to treat us the way are see ourselves.If we changethis
picture of ourselvesevery one will start treating us accordingly.
the previous learning, the past experience. Nerv
ideascan come from the old ideasof the samekind
in the mind.
d. The more. you know, the more experiencesyou
have, the more you have learnt already,the easier
it is to learn new thingson that basis.

e. Learning is conical or pyramidal in structure. The

more complex and, broader the base of previous

j
 38
experiencesthe better the new learning.
karning starts from dim impressionsof a new
thing. These impressions later change into clear
mental pictures in the light of .past learning. The
more difficult a piece of study, the longer it takes
to be understood.
g. Understandingcomesat the end of a long chain of
mental actions. You start with the collection of
information or ideas about a thing. Ideas change
into knowledgeand knowledgeas a result of mental
activity finally takes the shapeof understandingof
some thing new, which is the completion of the
processof learning.
t< t< ****
Behaviour is entirely dependenton self_image.
The data in the sub-consciousmind governsthe self-image
and the self-imagecontrols our effectiveness.
Self-imageis one of the greatestdiscoveriesof this cenmry.
we carry with us the blue print or the picture of ourselves.
39
HOW TO LEARN BETTER
The capacity to learn is not found in the same measure in
all human beings. Somepeople learn more quickly, and are better
in quality too i.e. they can think of new things etc. But most of us
are mediocrein this respect.We have an averagecapacityto learn.
However difference in the actual results of learning of different
people is mostly ascribable to factors other than their inborn
capacityto learn:-
1. The will to studv comes first.
2. You have to build up a broad basefor advancedlearning.
Exert your mind to the utmost. Go to the sources of
knowledgedirect. Collect relevantknowledgedrop by drop
like a honey bee.
J. If you are learning a language, make extensive use of
dictionaries,referencebooks and sourcebooks. Build up an
extensivevocabulary. If it is a secondlanguage,masterits
structural patterns (grammar) too. In studying literature,
attend to its appreciation.
4. While studying science subjects, you have to adopt a
pyramidal approach. You can not make any head-way, if
you have not fully understood the fundamentalsof that
subject.
5. Someotherwisequite sharpboys, do not do well at science
subjects.They say they have no aptitudefor science.Who
has? This is a fallacy (false thinking) in most cases.
 40 4L
Courses up to the Intermediate level do not call for any THE NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT
special aptitude for any subject. All boys and girls of
LEARNING
averageintelligencecan do it only if they so will. It is not
a questionof aptitudeeither. It is a problem of attitude or
Have you ever participated in a sports competition? How
of motivation. Boys who have characterand personality
is a winning team in football prepared?Those who are capable of
problems usually suffer from poor motivation, from poor
playing the rnatch and winning it, are organized into a team under
application to work and it is quite possiblethat they may
a captain, and a coach starts coaching them intensively. The
not have built a proper baseearlier for the new learnins at
players are subjected to severe regimen. From food to living
the Intermediatelevel.
habits,.everythingis controlled. Socialengagements are sacrificed.
Physical strain mounts, the practice goes on unabated.Nobody
6. It has b-eenproved experimentallythat you learn better if
minds austerity and hardwork. Nobody objects to rules. None
you split up a task- a learning unit, a chapter into
grumbles. In fact the harder the practice, the more it is relished.
manageablesections, each with its own clearly defined
The objectivei.e. winning the match, is clearly set. Every member
goal.
of the team, eagerly wants to play the gameto the best of his skill.
Each one of them wants its, values it and enjoys doing so.
7. If you have criteria for self-assessment
of achievement.it
will immenselyhelp you.
This football-learning is an ideal example of effective
learning situation. What are its ingredients?
8. There is also a need for continual periodic assessment
of
ydur work by your director of studies (subject teacher). I

a. Every player in the first place keenly wantsto play.

You should make a note of your mistakesof variouskinds.
b. Every one valuesplaying.
9. Spacedpractice is immenselyuseful.
c. Every one enjoys playing. It's a very, very
10. Concentratedattention to the task in hand and the requisite for him.
satisfyingexperience
mental staminaare a must in all learning.
In the languageof EducationalPsychology,each player is
11. You learn better if you go over the learnedmaterial again
keenly motivated from within by drives that lead him to intensive
on an increasinglylonger time scale. If you do not levise
applicationto the task he has assignedto himself-football-learning.
at regular intervals, the past learning will fade out.
Learning in this caseexemplifies self-drive towards competencein
a self-chosen activity with self-satisfying as well as socially
 42
approved results. The player chooses to play and willingly
undergoes a most exacting regimen becausehe likes it, values it.
Human beings like to do what they value, what satisfies
them. Learning is connected with a senseof value. If the student
feels that no value or benefit will accrue, his efforts to adsimilate
a particular piece of learning will lose zest. It is impossibleto
separatethe two. karning and valuing are in reality two facets of
the learning process.
So the problems of learning are really the problems of
valuing. valuing sports is much easier. A direct satisfactionof
some basic emotions is involved in it. Valuing the learning of
natural or social sciencesis possible only when this sort of mental
activity-learning, is as deeply satisfying to the individual as
football playing is to the ardent player. A college studentis mature
enough to scrutinize his values and readjust them into a new
pattern of priorities. It is the duty of the community, of the parents
and of the teachers to see that the young people come to value
what is really valuable.
On accountof this emotionalaspectof learning,the teacher
has to concern himself with how the student feels about what is
offered to be learnt. If the feeling is negative, the learning will be
'negligible
43
So the student'sown interest,his own feeling is the real
movingforce behindwhateveracademiclearninghe carriesout in
the college. It should thereforebe the responsibilityof college
studentsto consciouslyplan their learningeffortsand increasingly
reducetheir dependence on detaileddirection.A systemin which
enhancedresponsibilityis thrown on the individualstudentshould
beencouraged. Besides,moreindividualexplorationof intellectual
interestsand lessrelianceon detailedsupervisionfrom instructors
andexamining-bodies shouldbe thereandmoreeffort oughtto be
made to appreciatethe growth resulting from a student'sown
initiative and the credit for it is to be given.
The Contentof karning: What is to be learnt?What else
is requiredin additionto formal curriculumin which the students
are examined?
A wit once observed:"The real educationis that which
remainsafter we have forgottenwhat we have learned." What is
forgottenis in,fact formal curriculumand what remainsis the
patternof alteredattitudes,values,habits and loyaltieswhich
becomebuilt-in the student.This may be called generalisedor
residuallearning.If the qualityof what remains,is poor,it means
significantleaninghasnot takenplace.
Residual learning should be the nucleus of some life
outlook or philosophywhich helps to integratematerial and
spiritualsubstancein life. It shouldincludea capacityfor affection
that yields consideration and compassion to humanrelations,a
senseof sharingin socialrelationsto the extentthat one assumes
someproductivedegreeof civic and economicresponsibility and
of an exemplaryrectitudeor nobility of characterthat
awareness
I Y
i
44
stirs one to emulation. Moreover, this significantresiduallearning
should also include aesthetic,appreciativepower without which
life will be dull and drab.
a* * * * *
The key to human personalityand behaviour is the serf-image.If
our self-image is altered, our behaviour and personality are
effectedby the change.
It we chooseto make changesin our self-image,we can use
positive imagination to create a new subconsciouspicture of
ourselves.
I
45
LEARNING TO LEARN I
"Practicemakesmanperfect." (Bacon)
Perfectioncan not be attainedin any complex human
activitywithoutpractice.But merepracticehoweverintenseis not
enough.Therearecircumstances whenmuchpracticewill produce
eitherverv little learninsor noneat all.
There are two types of learning:
(a) Incidental learning
(b) Intentional learning
Mere reading with no intent to learn would produce
learning after eleven times as many trials as would be required if
the intent to learn was consciouslypresent.
The presenceof the intent to learn is a prime requisitefor
effective learning. Any kind of motivation that keepsus conscious
that we are seeking to increase our efficiency is likely to be
helpful. Competition which encouragesus to compare our own
performancewith that of others is an especiallygood device for
establishingand maintaining a strong intention to learn.
Another important supplement to sheer practice is an
understandingof the task before us. Studentsfrequentlyunderline
what they consider important in the text. But too often they
underlinealmost every line.This indicatesthat they have not made
clear to themselvesthe exact nature of the task. They hope that
they will learn enough,but they do not think over the natureof the
lesson. If they did, they would not give equal importanceto so
many items. They would seethe relation of the parts to the whole
 46
and see the logical structure. A studentreads books in ,rder
to
acquire irlformation. But he is likely to learn little, unless
he
constantly raises in his own mind the question as to what
is
important and therefore worthy of speciai attention and what
is
unimportant and therefore a proper subject for neglect. Rarely,
indeed, does one have reasonto learn all that is in a book.
But unlessone decideson rational groundswhat one wants
to learn, one will acquire only a few scattered fragments
of
information which, becauseof their lack of logical coheience,
will
soon be forgotten.
Learning a lesson by going over it again and again while
looking at the printed page is not an efficient Garning me-thod.
one
will learn more quickly if one is forced to go through the process
on one's own. If the performance of a certain tisk, in actual
practice, involves the temptationto make some errors, then it
is a
desirablething at leastas part of the practice,to exposethe person
to some of the errors. In complex skills, learningconsistsquite as
much in weakening the wrong acts as it does in strengtheningthe
right ones.
How to Approach a New Book: Begin by readingthe entire
_
book as rapidly as is comfortable.This will give one a-reasonably
accurateidea of the general framework, which in most casesis
fairly simple. Then one can go back to the text and pick out and
emphasizeto oneselfthe essentialideas.An initial peripective can
often be gained by reading the first and the tast ctrapteis and then
proceedingto the rniddle ones.
Especiallyin the caseof informationallearning, a principal
47
sauseof inefficiencylies in the fact that the first impressionis not
adequatelysupplemented.Forgetting proceedsvery rapidly for
materialthat has beenjust barely learnt. Immediatelyfollowing
reading,thereis swift evaporation of a considerable part of what
hasbeenlearnt. The applicationof this principleis simple.The
first time to reinforceimpressionandto cut off the normalprocess
of rapid disintegrationls, as soon as possible,after the first
' Method of Reinforcement: There are two important
methodsof reinforcement.In the caseof materialthat has been
read,we may simply turn backto the printedpagesand readthem
over againor we may attempt,by our own efforts,to recallwhat
we haveread.
In most instances,the latter is by far the more effective
procedure.It may be well to check the correctnessof one's recall
by referring to the printed page, but this should be done only after
the effort to recall has been made. orie reason for the difference
between these two methods of reinforcement is to be found in the
fact that the second involves the kind of use that one will
ultimately want to make of one's knowledge in the examination
hall to start with. Therefore, the sooner the knowledge is put to
such active use, the better adaptedit will be to that purpose.
Another important feature of reinforcentent through active
recall is that one is forced to put his whole attention upon the facts
involved. If one simply reads and re-reads, one's rehearsalsare
likely to become half- hearted. Skills which involve adjustments
amongmuscularmovementsare not so easily forgottenas is newly
acquiredinformation. It is neverthelessimportant that each lesson
 48
be followed by a reinforcing practice and that the practice be of
the best kind.
Conditionsof Most Efficient karning: How long is one to
practice at one time and how frequently is one to repeat the
practicesessions'/
The best distribution of practice varies for the act or
material being learned. Unless we are dealing with a very
complicatedact or a very large body of material, it is better to go
through the'taskas a whole. If, for example,one is trying to learn
a speechwhich is to take an hour for delivery, it would surely be
better not to curtail the single learning period to less than a half
hour. The same principle would probably hold for considerably
longer units of material. In other words, if the task to be learnthas
any real unity, it is bestto preservethat unity by going through the
task as a whole rather than through part of it at one sessionand
anotherpart at another session.There are of course limits to this
rule.
Later in the learning the interval may be increasedwithout
harm and sometimeswith actual advantage.In the main, muscular
habitsdo well with considerableperiodsbetweenrehearsals,while
ideational habits such as poems and language lessons require
earlier repetitionsfor the best results.
X**' F *X
49
LEARNING TO LEARN 11
The unifying objective of college educationis learning to
learn. In the school, more attentionwas given to the productsof
learningnamely, knowledge.In collegethe focus shouldbe on the
processby vihich you learn to think critically and the emphasison
your own involvement in the educative task. Therefore, the
tendency to place too great reliance on knowledge alone to the
neglectof values should be resisted.
To learn to keep on learningis the most significantoutcome
of education. What evidence can you find that you and your
classmatesare achieving this goal? What behavior do you think
characterizespersons who seem to have developedan insatiable
curiosity towards greater learning'/
PersonalLibrary:A good studentborrows books when he
has to; he buys them when he can (althoughit is not easyto do so
these days). Nothing is more natural than the desire to own a
useful or delightful book, to keep it on a private shelf, to mark it
up if need be. The habit of buying and reading books in the
clearestcharacterisationof an educatedperson, whether in or out
of the college. It is a habit a genuinestudentwill cherish as long
as he has life.
Thinking and Communication: Thinking and
communication, both in speech and writing, are intimately
connected.Only when you haveexpressedyourself, only when you
have communicatedyour thoughts, can you be sure that you are
thinking clearly. If you have not thought out clearly you cannot
expressyourself clearly, especiallyin writing.
 50
Writing is more than an instrument of communication; it is
an instrument of thought. You should have acquired some
competencein it by now. If you have not, acquire this skill now,
otherwise you would not be able to profit much from college
education.one of the basic objectivesis to learn to communicate
clearly and effectively. Ask new questions,look for new answers
and communicatethem to the world.
***' F*
Low Performance
Somethingis alwaysbotheringthem, they are hesitatingand
withdrawing mosr of the time. They feel that they are lacking in
somethingand not worthy of respect.
They do not trust themselvesnor do they trust others.
They are pessimisticpeople, they always see difficulty in
every opportunity.
51
IMPEDIMENTS TO LEARNING
Learning is by you and for you. When etfective learning
does not take place, there must be a block or blocks in the
process; an emotional difficulty or certain attitudeswhich work
against the full achievementof the intellectual goal of coilege.
Some of the common blocks are listed below:
Could-not-care-less Learner: Somecollegeentrantsdevelop
negativeattitude for a variety of complex psychologicalreasons.
They enter the lecture-hall saying to themselves:let us see who
can teachus. There is a good percentageof such studentseven in
prestigiouscolleges. Eventually they fade out but before they do
so they are a constantnuisanceto everyoneexcepttheir cronies'
Utilitarian l,earning: Some students have an extremely
narrow conceptof education,They are willing to invest their time
and energy orily on those aspectswhich promise fairly immediate
practicaldividendse.g.marks,promotionsetc. Suchstudentswould
not let the teacher do good teaching and the quality of their
learning suffers too.
Self-complacent Learner: Someenteringcollegestudents
have a false notion of their ability. Becausethey had got away
with very little real hard work and concentrationin their high
school years, they grow self-complacent;so they flaunt a casual
attitudd inside and outside the class-roomand do not cooperate
with the teachers.
 52
PassiveLearner: Another type of bad learner is actually a
keen type unequippedfor the college level. He sits in the class
with rapt attention and tries to note down indiscriminately
whateverthe teacherutters. He assumesa totally passiverole. He
seldomraiseshis voice and never raisesan issue.
*:F***
Low Perfbrmers
They havenegativeoutlookon life. They are alwaystalking
more about problems and seem to be less concernedwith their
solutions.
They are looking for others to be blamed for their own
Iirilures.
They are looking ro the past for guidance and suppopt.
They rely on past solutionsto the problemsof the future.
53
SOME BASIC SKILLS
* Readingeffectively
x Listeningattentively
* Thinkingcritically
Rapid, Eff'ectiveReading:The relationshipof good reading
skills to successin college is primary. Unfortunately in high
schools pupils are generally not taught to read effectively and
rapidly. Due to the great bulk of reading required of the average
collegestudent,speedis of vital importance;but he is normally
not used to it. The studentwho plods through all sorts of reading
material at a very slow pace (about 100 words a minute) will
undoubtedlylag behind another who can averagetwice as many
words and boost his speed to cover even rnore sometimes,
dependingon the material read.
Contrary to common belief, a rapid readeris likely to be
a better readertoo fbr the simple reasonthat he can more closely
follow the evolving patternof the thoughtand evaluateit better.
The reader who splits a simple idea covering three or four
sentences into 40 or 50 words or worse still 150 to 200 syllables,
erects barriers for himself inhibiting speed as well as
comprehension.
Training-evenintelligentself-training,can go a long way
to retrievethe situation.Here is an exercrse:
To loosen up the rigid patterns of reading developed
earlier, torce yourself for 15 minutesa day to read somepieceof
relatively easy non-fiction much more rapidly than is comfortable
for you and checkup comprehensionby recallingto your mind the
 <.1
poillts rnadein it. Ilo this exerciselilr a month v;ill flncl
'tnr-l 111111
tire clilt-crence"
You will achieveflexibilitv.
T he value of cleep or intensive reaclin,gcannor bc:
questioned"But tlie habit of broad reaclinghas its orvn cbvious
advantages.Readingfiction or a newspaperrmagazine of popular"
interestwith the same rapt attentionthat 1re11 give to a physics
book, amounrsto wastingvaluablereadingtime and energy.There
arg inany occasionseven during the rearJingof a seriousbook.
when ','s1-i
shouldskip certain portioru of it arid go ol].
'I.heCiinceptof Pre-reading:T'o
studya texf book chafiter.
the techniqueof pre-readingcan be usetully empkrycrl.
Attack a text book chapterin three successive
steps,each
built on the precedinsone. knowinghow the chapterends.
Instead o1'plodding laboriouslyfor two hours li-orn thc
at the next reading.
l'he secondreading. of say half a' hour, involves some
effbrt to isolate key ideas. scan zrll the paragraphsrapirJlyand
form more sharpand deep questionsfbr the third reading.
Finally takeyour own notesand try to answeror discussall
))
the questionsnormally given at the end of the chapter.If you are
reading it as preparation for the next day's lecture, make a
separatenote of the points you want to concentrateon and the
questionsyou would like to ask of the teacher.
Ability to Listen Attentively: In good educationalinstitution
some effort is made for the development of three skills of
communicationviz, reading,writing and speakingthroughoral and
as a skill
'uvrittenexpression;but listening is hopelesslyneglected
requiring systematicand controlled practice. Active listening in
fact calls for more concentrationand interestthan reading' It also
involvesan outgoing, sympatheticregard for othersand a genuine
tlesiretclhearwhat othershaveto Say.In a lecture-room,effective
listening requires not only keen eagernessto follow the therneof
the lecturebut also pfoper perspective.You can only listen well
when you have done some background study earlier. Hence the
urgent necessityof preparing the topic of the lecture before it is
deliveredby the teacher.
Thinking Critically: Purposefulthinking, like purposetul
reading" demanclsmaking a sharp distinction between what is
important and what is not. College work prompts the student,
through the essay-typequestionsto relateconcretedetail to general
principle.Sucha relationshipprovidesa strueturenecessary to the
assimilationof tacts and ideas.Without the power aneltrainingto
thinli clearly, no such patternis possible.
 !

56 57
SOME FACTORS OF SUCCESSFULSTUDY in life to your presentacademic
karn to link your futuresuccesses
pursuits.
1. will to work comes first. without intenseinterestin your
study, you can not make much headway.you have to take a long 4. I can I will. You mustalsohavefaith in your own ability
range view of your exerting for the present.As has beenpointed to achieveyour goals and you must have confidencethat you
out by an eminent writer, "Man's characteristicfeatureis not his would actuallydo it. As William Jamespointedout, "We are
brain power. It is his will to work. " makinguseof only a smallpart of our mentalresources".

2' Life style is another important factor. your mind is

influencedfavourably or unfavourablyby your life style - by how
you live, by your character and conduct, by your interestsand
inclinations.If you want to be a good student.you will have to
take to a life-style which best suits a student.And there is nothing
peculiar about this condition. A championathletehas a life-styli t* * * *
which is quite different from the rife-styleof, say, a painter. self-
discipline is a must for a sfudent. For example, to win a
tournamentmatch a hockey player concentrates his whole attention
on the game, he can not think of even lisieningto a sweet song
while he is playing.Similarlystudydemandsyour full attentionand We are here not to play, to dream, to drift
full interest. Half-heartedefforts only produce indifferent results. We have hard work to do and loads to lift
So as a sfudent you have to take to a way of life which is Shun not the struggleit's God's gift.
conducive to successfulstudy. Adjust your priorities likewise;
friendships,loves,hobbies,recreations,haveto be pushedback to
the secondaryplace in the schemeof things.

3. Due ambition is your due. you must cultivatea desireto

excel; a desire to achieve something great in some field of
life.Each individual is unique. He can definitely do some thing
betterthan others, which will bring him honour and recognition.
whatever your ambition, the way to its fulfillment goes ihrough
your education.So you must havea clear ideaof your aspirations.
 58 59
I
CURIOSITY- THE WATCH-WORD his
ieve in it in the true sense.The teacheris not there to foist
n ideas on you or help you imbibe the ideas of others' but t0
lp y o u h a ve y o u r o w n i d e a s a n d a t t h e s a m e t i m e d e v e l o p t h e
in
pu"iry of examining the ideas of others including those found

Curiosity is the mainspring of knowledge and college

experiencetells you how to utilize and capitalize this instinct
of
curiosity. Curiosity is in fact at the heart of all scientific
discoveriesand inventions. *****

The accumulationof information is, of course,a necessary

part of scholarship,and unfornrnatelythe part most likely
to be
testedin the examination.But genuinecuriosity cannotbe satisfied
by mere passing of examinationso. mernorizing other people,s
answersto other people's questions.That is not true education.
Learning to think and following your thinking while making
difficult decisionsis the main thing which yo., ur" here for.
Low Perfbrmers

Moreover, if you learn anything, it ought to changeyour

mind, .therwise you would have wastedyour time in coilege. positive
They have no clear goals nor do they have
ambitions.
curiosity expectedof you in colrege will be more than a
passinginterest. Your teacherwill not be satisfiedby your ability
to ask an occasionalbright questionthen relapsing into i prolonged
spell of passivity. He would be far happier as a genuineteacherif
you develop a never-changingquestioning posture, taking nothing
for granted and challenging fixed ideas and conceptions ano pei
theories.If you discoverthe truth beforebelievingin it, you would

J/
 60 61,
REPRODUCTIVELEARNING VS thoughtful and thought-provoking. It stimulates the depth
CREATIVE LEARNING study of the subject. It is comprehensionorientated. The
real test of creative teaching lies in initiating creative
(From a question- answersessionat a study circle
meeting) learning.

Teacher: Oneof themainreasons for lackof creativity
and creative thinking, barring exceptions,even among
our
educatedelite, is that the teachingand learningdone even
at
collegelevel, is mostlyreproductive,not creative.Moreover,
the
conventionalexaminationsystemencourages, rathercompelsthe
teachersandthe students to do reproductive
teachingandlearning.
a' Sir, what do you mean by reproductiveand creative
teachingand rearning?what is the differencebetweenthe
two processes'?
A. Reproductiveteachingconcentrates
on merepassingon the
information contained in the narrow confines of the
syllabus.
a. Isn't it the requirement?
A. It may be urerequirement of the exambut the requirement
of educationis much more than passivedissemination or
assimilationof information.what is really required is
knowledge,understanding, andultimately,iniight. Nothing
short of that. And to achievethat end, t.urting must go
'into the depthof the subject,mustprovoke
thinklngon tf,.
part of the studentsso that they understandthe ioncept
involvedor the sociar,curtural,andpoliticaraspectsof the
piece of literature under study. creative ieachins is
What is creative learning and in what respect is it different
from reproductive learning?
The difference is real. It is qualitative. In reproductive
learning the learner rests satisfiedwith passiveacquisition
of minimum possible information and skills with the sole
intention of mere passingthe examinationlargely by rote.
He is not intellectually involved in the processof learning'
Hence he does not understandthe conceptsinvolved' His
information never develops into knowledge' He never
learns to learn, to think, and consequentlyhe is not able to
utilize knowledge in solving new problems, which is the
primary purpose of education.
How to do creative learning?
You have to be intellectually and emotionally involved in
the processof learning. Learn actively; learn to learn. Go
straightto the sourcesof knowledgeyourself. Use as much
source material and reference material as possible. In
humanitiesgroup of subjects,do as much extensiveback-
ground study as possible.Use divergentthinking approach.
Ask questions, pose question, analyse, reason, go into
details. Ever-growing awarenessof the subjectsand the
life. is the final test of creative learning. Of course,
creative learning very much dependson creative teaching.
 62
But even if the teachingis stereo_typed,
conventional,ur
repro9uctive. the student can make up some of thr
deficiencyby his own eflbrrs.
a As you ohserved earlier, there is conspicuouslack ol
creativity and critical thinking even among our educaterr
eiite. Are there any specialcausesfor this stateof af-fail.s
other than the oneswithin the educationalsystem,
A. Yes, the socio-economicsituatiop does not encouragr:
thinking. particularly the divergent thinking. In facr the*re
afe verv potent forces that militate against inteilectuar
fieedom. Actually there is no climate of 'thinkins' and the:
level awarenesshas not yet been reacheclthai sustains
'f
creativity and creative thinking. so in education too
convergence is the orcler of the day and it is
understandable.Bertrand Russell in iEducationand Social
Order', poinLs out that every social order has
its
correspondingeducationalsystem.our educationalsysteni
is no exceptionto that.
Yet there is definitely some r'om fbr initiative fbr the
enterprising teacher and keen st,dent to fbllow the
creative
apprtiachin teachingand learning.
*****
If you think you are beaten,you are
If you think you dare not, you don,t
If you like ro win, but think you can,r
It is ahnostcertain,you won,t
For out of the world we find
Succcssiregiuswith a fellow,s will
It' s a l l i n rh e s ra teo f mi nd.
63
THE COLLEGE CLASS-ROOft{
The college class-roomis the chief device for bringing the
teacher and the student together in close cornmunication. The
college teacheris not the text book that speaks.He is a critic and
interpreterof text books or syllabi which serve only as the basis
fbr take-off. He brings out all his scholarshipto bear upon the
topic under discussion. The student must sharpen his listening
skills in order to derive full benefit from lectures.it is only then
that "mind can speak to mind within a climate of personal
dialoEue".
Communication or dialogue is not possit"rleunless tire
studentactiveiy.joinsthe quest for understandingand prepareshis
mind to do so betbrehand.
Tlie studentis an associateof the teacherin the adventure
of learning. The degreeto which you engageyourself in the class-
room activity will determineto a large extent, the value yr:u will
receive fiorn instruction. Moreover this opportunity to enter into
a seriousdiscoursewith your instructorsand fellow-shtdentsunder
controlled conditions is one of the chief values of the ciass-roont
situation"If a studentengageshirnselfmore directly in the learning
process,he indirectlyencourages creativeteachingby his teachers"
Hence the studenfnot the teacheris the key figure in the teactring-
learningsituation.
Creative 'Ieaching:flow Can a Student Help'/ If the
studert holds high expectationsof'the teacherbotir as a.man and
as a teacher,and also of himself as a man and a student,he helps
trr 6*'t<.ta climate of expectations.It is not easy to lecture to an
 I
64
65
unexpectantaudience.A class of studentswith low hopesfor the
ON READING BOOKS
course, for the instructor, for themselvesas students,makeslittle
demandfor the instructor'smaximum response.A student.canhelp
one of the experiencesthat makesthe deepestimpression
by hard work and by the kind of concerted effort which engenderi
on any youth is the experienceof going to college. It is there that
new interests, arouses new enthusiasmand begets intellectual
the civilized man is fashionedand it is rhere rhai thinking begins.
curiosity. unless mind can speak to mind within a climate of
In a civilized society there is no more noticeabledifference than
personaldialogue,creativeteaching-learningsituationnot possible.
that betweena thoughtful and an unthoughtfulperson. In fact the
Thus a student is very much an indispensable,though a junior distinguishing quality of any human being is rhe quality of his
partner, in the adventureof teaching. mind.

Nothing brings aboutthis changebetterthan readingbooks.

The ability ro read a book is rike rhe abiliry ro lisren; it implies
a
mind that is disciplined to receive and entertain ideas. The good
listener not only knows how to use his mind; he knows how
x{ < t< ** to
changeit, which is more significant.

College is the time when we are not merely expectedto

change,but required to changeand it is the book that changes
us
the most. The qtudentswill listen to their teachers,but they
have
had their other teacherstoo, the books, by which their intellects
were formed- Books are in the line .f ever rastingteachers
Low Performers from
which the human race has got its education.

They are selfish, insecure, inconsiderateand unhappy Books stretch trre mind, the most erasticthing a human
people. being possesses. The studentwho forms the habit of letting this
experiencehappen to him wilr never lose it, though
he may
exerciseit less in later years. you will have to attencl
the classes
and listen to the lecruresand participatein debatesand discussions.
Theseare essentialto collegeeducition and no substitute
fbr them
has ever been founcl,yet readingbooks, whetherthe
stuclentbuys
borrows them, is just as essential.Its pecuriarfeature
'r is that it
 !t

67
66

is done alone, at his own chosentime when the studentis his own
master, bent upon cultivating a mind that is uniquely his. This
mind is of course, all the time engagedin a rivalry with other
minds which their owners are cultivating at the same time and
place, for a college has many good minds in it,

Studentsare competitorsas well as peers. It is a race for

creative happiness,not mere triumph. From the habit of reading,
a very important by-product emerges:the studentwho readswell,
learns to write well. There is a close correlation betweenthese
two.

PART II
*x{ < ***

Somebooks are to be tasted,someto be swallowed

and some f'ew to be chewedand disested.
 68
I
69
THE BOOK IS NOT EVERYTHING
SENSEOF PRIORITIES
Emersonsaid, "only so much, I know as I have lived,,
carlyle observed:compared to rife itself, books are
triviarity (Froma question-answer at a StudyCirclemeeting)
session
John Lock regarded experience as the foundation
and
repositoryof all knowledge.socratesneverallowed his
knowredge There is a thought-provokingpiece of verses:
or his reading to have priority over the unfailing touchstone
of
experience.
Life's battlesdon't alwaysgo,

To the stronger or faster man;

But soon or late the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

No doubt thinking, the will to win, makes a lot of

difference.But I have to make anotherobservationwhich is no less
valid. My life long experienceof teachingspreadover forty years,
tells me it is not always bright boys that do well in the
ExaminationHall or outside.

t.t<>F*{< a Then which ones do better?

A. More often than not I have seenthat the target of academic

excellenceis better achievedby a categoryof studentsof average
l-he data in the sub-conscious I.Q. or mentalcalibre. They also scorebetteron the testof social
mind governsthe serf:image
and the sell-imagecontrolsour etfectiveness. responsibility.

a, What are the characteristics of this categoryof students'?

What is the secretof their doine better'/
 7L
70

A. The secretlies in their senseof priorities. The studentsthat

have better and stronger senseof prlorities do better at all tests,
exanls,and interviews and other things being equal, it is they who
mostly reach the top in their qhosencareer,or profession.

a. What do you mean by a senseof priorities?

A: A student in his teens, particularly in late teens, is pulled

in different directionsby his passions,psychologicalpressures,and
educationalobligations. At that stage,he is a live wire, an over-
flowing reservoir of energy. ln this stateof his body and mind, if
he can draw the line betweenhis wants and needsand consequent
upon that awareness,is able to place hip long term needsin order
of their relative value or importance before his immediate and
more pressingwants and desires;this processin called settingthe
priorities right. Mind you, in setting the priorities right, the
awarenessof ends and meansis a vital factor. Once the priorities
are set right, a new life style emerges;a new senseof purposeand
direction takes control of one's living habits and study habits;
discipline ceasesto be any problem. ln fact, in the life of a
purpose-orientedstudent or G.C., there is no room left for any
form of indiscipline, irregularity, casualnessor indifference to
educationaland social obligations.Hard work automaticallyflows,
and concentrationcomes on its own as there are no tensions,or
conflicts inside. As a result of all this, efficiency increasesand
, majority, need not feel constrainedor handicappedby being
, mediocre.What mattersis the senseof prioritieswhich canoff-set
any shortfall.
a. Does temperamentplay any part in the attainmentof
or socialresponsibility?
aiademicexcellence
A. Yes, it doesto someextent.lt hasbeenobservedthat the
students of balanced disposition and stable temperament
concentratebetter on studies, can work harder and longer'
Conseq uentl y ,they pr oduc ebetter r es ul ts andpr ov etobem or e
,.,pon,ibl. anddependable.of course,geniusesareal-exception.
To sum up, one could say: awarenessis all which sets the
prioritiesright.
***i<8

out-put of work, both quantitatively, and qualitatively improves.

Hence it is no wonder that his academicand social performanceis
exceptionallygood.

a. Do you mean to say that only the mediocrecan develop a

senseof prorities? Is being bright a handicap?
 72 73
SENSEOF COMMITMENT
he is paid for it, who doesnot go out of his way to benefit
commitmentriterarymeansengagement, pupils and who has no sense of commitment to you and
involvement.you you to the college and to the community? Would you
are committedto.your own development and betterment.your a mercenary officer who joins the Army only becausethis
parentsare committedto you. They are
activeryconcernedwith the shortest route to wealth and power and who displays no
your welfareandweil-being.Theirconcern
is shownin waysmore of commitmentto his country in peaceand war?
thanone.Theywon't sparethemselves anysacrificewhenit comes
to safeguarding
your interests.
It is not that only teachers,doctors and officers have to be
Theseare exampresof a senseof commitment itted, and the rest of the people-workers,traders, bankers,
which is landlords,capitalistsand industrialists-canafford to go without it.
instinctiveor buirt-in in ail riving beings.
one doesnot have to Nobodv can. All of us must care for others and for the country.
learnit or develop.it.It i. a pai ot'hu'n.n
nature,it is not an
educational ainr.It is not a value.
How muchcommitteddo you think you are?Is your sense
one of the cardinaraims of higher education commitmentprogressivelygrowing with the increasein your
development is the ? What evidence is there that your seniors have a
of thesenseof commitmentin fuil. you feer
concernfor others as you do for yourself as much reater senseof commitment than you have? What is the general
in a progressively of commitmentin the country?Do you think our journalists,
wideningcircre. Startingfrom home,you
.ur. for your parents, writers, politicians or film-producers have a real sense of
brothers' sisters and rerations.Gradualry
the ciicie goes on commitment?I{ not, what socio-politicoeconomic structuresare
enlarging encompassingfriends, community,
country and responsible for this state of affairs ? Are our students, by and
eventuallyhumanityas a whole.
large, committed to their studies,if to nothing else?If not, who is
You may be a bright student,an amhitiousyoung the loser?
or a highrytarenred' officer,
cap.abre, exceptionalry wet qualifiedperson,
you may welr be a genius.Ail thesequarities
and achievements
will give you power ancrpriviregesfbr yourserf,
but they wourd * * * * t*
not make any real diff-erence tcl the rest of the worrd as rike a
highlycomperent doctor,the bestof his kin., who *untr'onty
makemoneyout clfhis skill andexperience to
doesnot commandthe A low self-image makes it impossiblefor you to think in
respectand love of his patientsan<ltheir
reratives.wouro you positiveterms.
respecta teacherwho grudgingly, teaches you in the class_room
 74 '75
THE STUDENT AND HIS VALUES
uPs?Whatarethe generaltrends
that tendto
rat are the Pressures
A value is what a human being holds important. There are
ing in examinationthreaten a
t a senseof the imPortanceof
:gritY seemsto be declining?
whv?
process is the acquiring of values through judicious choice from
aboutthe conceptof'hoirour and
among established values by weighing up one value against ' clear 'idual himself' nothing is more
You must be very
another, by rejecting one and accepting the other.
tior senseof right andwrong and
rather than be guided bY what

to imagine
It is imPossibtP
processinvolves a degreeof mental maturity, which shouldbe the withouthonour.Whrt Presentda;
conscious focus of attention on the part of both studentsand the what is real and ultlmate securll
college. anythingoutsidehimself,whether
is. or .i", .un feel, secure'OnlY
A good definition of college is an institution where teachers contentwitH himselfis really secure'
and srudents are engaged cooperatively in a common quest for
ability to standalone'
values in the context of teaching and learning, for the gentral Cooperationis lessimportantthanthe
the sacrificeof one'Sown
purpose of education is to develop a meaningful and consistent whenthe choicem.,,t ue madi betweel
in qrolP activity of
system of values. values are mainly acquired through the integrity ,nO uO:u,i*t* to or participation bad the world may
how
intellectualprocessof comparativeassessment dubiousand dishonestkind' No matter
of values.cin you
*uny people may losetheir virnres'one
identify experiencesin your class work and outside that indicate become,no with the rest'
that your instructors are engaging you in this process?only that .u.n ii;;t p"ttot t"futtt to go along
fact remainrt-u*-ho*
believesin andis loyal to
college which involves studentssilently and intimately in value- assertshis individurii v .;o innerlight,
laden experiencesis effective in shapingagd imparting values. what his fellow to have givenup' that one-personwill
'Lt"' the most importantpart of humanity'
-"nperhaps
constitutewhat is
Can you draw up a list of your own values and that of
 77
76
emotional energy through certain glands, the upper layer-the cortex
DISCIPLINE AND FREEDOM servesas the guard. Cortex is the control centre to ensure that the
nervous energy is properly used in the service of the whole
Disciplineis a much misunderstood word. ch'dren think personality.Animals do not have to carry out this sort of control,
that disciplinemeans_ not being alowed to do alr that gives hencetheir brain is without a developedcortex. A child at the age
them
f^lr^1yt" vouns.peopre
thinktrr-at
oiscipii;;;.^ i,riolr, anthat of two is unable to control his impulsesbecausehis cortex at that
rs attracrive
andbeauritulin life andsome il;; age is underdeveloped.
think
discipline means the crushing "il desires, that
of at naturar
according to them, are ev'. which
In point of fact, at these Discipline helps us organizeour personalityso that we can
interpretations of discipline ur. in
orr"ct, real disciprine standsfor then go forth to rneet the demandsof life.
none of them.
By discipline we also give qreater freedom not only to the
personalitybut also to the native impulses,for in directing them
we are not repressingthem but giving them fieedom of exertion
without conflict.

raw material of human nature, the

real sourcesof its energy. We Next comesthe questionof freedom?But what do we mean
afford ro destroythe very springfrom by fieedom, freedom from what and freedom for what'/ The
;XT:., whict,it. po*.,
answeris:
I
childhoodand boyhoodis the time when a. Freedomfiom our native instincts
we shouldlearn
or be made to rearnhow to makeproper b. F'reedomfor our personalityas a whole
use of our emotionar
tendencies,as we learn to ur. oui limbs,
musclesand mental
powers. Apparentlytieedornfbr impulsesmeansto do what we like.
But is it possibleor even advisable'/Can we really do so'l Apart
In the ultimateanalysis,discipline.means from social and moral considerations,completefreedom of action
regulatinganddirectingour impurses a systemof
to ensureproperdeveropment does not work. Afier all, as pointed out earlier, nature has
of our personarities.
This is arsothe nature,sway of doingthings. clevelopeda cortex of the brain, whose main function is that of
For example, sympatheticnerves judiciousinhibition.Yet thereis anotherconsideration,if primitive
ensure the heartbeat,but
parasympathetic nervesreguratethe beat.Another.*;;;1. impulsesare given unbridled fieedom, they will clash with one
cortex-theuppergrey rayerof human is rhe
brain. If the lower robesof anotherand with the good of the personalityas a whole. If the
the brain are the seatof impulsesand
rerease powerfurwavesof
 78
impulsesare strong enough, they will nullify the will power.
So being free meansnot freedom of the impulsesto do as
one likes but freedom for the personalityas a whole. This means
that the personality should be free to pursue its ends unhampered,
both from uncontrollableimpulsesand complexes.This is the real
meaning of freedom of will.'
It is only by disciplinethat we can obtain the freedomto
achieveour ends. Therefore, discipline is necessaryto true
freedom.
If a child wants to be free to play with other children, he
must be socially disciplined. If he has his own way and does not
observethe rules of the game, they would not let him play with
them. He will be isolated,unpopular and unhappy.
Social life demandsdiscipline and if we are free to take
advantageof communal life, we must recognize the rights of
others and our obligations to the community. If we do not want
others to snatchfrom us, we must not snatchfrom them. It is the
law abiding community whosemembershavethe greatestfreedom.
There is no antithesisbetweendisciplineand freedom.They
are not oppositesbut complementary.Both sustaineachother. You
can not enjoy freedom without discipline and vice versa, you
cannot have discipline without freedom.
Just as discipline is necessaryto freedomof personality,so
freedom is necessaryto discipline. An act is not truly moral unless
wc are free to choose, to do the wrong as well as the right. This
79
is no lesstrue with YoungPeoPle.
The worthwhile discipline is self-disciplineand fo1 self-
disciplinea personmust have freedomto choose.If a boy is
alwaysmadeto do this or that,he cannotlearnself-disbipline, and
whenhe goesout into the world he would be hopelesslyat sea,the
victim of every waveof temptationor wind of adversity.
,r There is. therefore, true and false discipline. The false
discipline crushesand represses,while true disciplinecontrols and
,;directs.The former leadsto rebellion or depressionthe latter gives
freedom, both to the personality which uses the native impulses
and to the potentialities thus used, and makes for both efficiency
;and happiness.
To put it in a nutshell, freedom and discipline go together'
You cannoi t*ty have one without the other. Virhre, mental health
and efficiency all depend on the way we use the capacities with
which nature Ihas endowed us. Irarning to do this is real
discipline.
*****
I
morethe cloudYsummitof our time.
 80
FROM DEPENDENCE TO INDEPENDENCE
One basic objective of college is to help you move
smoothly from dependence to independence, frorn imitation to
creation and from following to leading.
that would havebeenthe end of it and tragicallyalsothe end of all
value attached to just being a young man of lg or 20. Society
values your economic productivity and social efficiency much
more than biologicalproductivity.unluckily the two rival claims
are made on the young people at the same time in their utmost
intensity. From 16 to 20 is the period when your emotionsare the
81
strongest,the desireto indulge in your passionsis the keenestand
yet that is the time when you have to build and work for your
:career too, which involves suppressionof emotions, control of,
passions, and conservation of energy in order to be able to
concentrateon intellectualpursuitsto gain distinctionin academics.
To be a good sportsman or an athlete is comparatively easier
,becauseyou are still closer to your natural, physicalurges; but to
engageyourself hour after dreary hour in intellectual or moral
exercise is a different matter. It is apparently difficult but
fortunately not impossible, provided you discover the secret of
reconciling the rival claims of your wild natural emotionsand the
demandsof intellect.
Human emotions can be expressed at various levels.
Pleasure has many forms. It is physical as well as mental.
,Productivitycan find multiple channels.Do not be a toy in the
hands of your wild emotions, but strive to tame theseelemental
urges so as to put them to constructiveuse. This is real freedom,
from the tyran4y of primitive passionsand emotions. Do rrot
repressthem as they are the fountainsof energy, but'do harness
them as a wild river is dammed up to generatehydro-electric
energyand irrigate lands.
Dependenceis not only economic; it is also emotional.
llege educationaims at releasingyou from the chainsof wild
emotionsand helping you harnesstheir energy for cultural, social
nd mentaldevelopment.This is calledsublimationin the language
of Psychology.
Dependenceis of yet another sort-psychological. Young
rpeopleare, by and large, highly suggestible.They unconsciously
 82
tend to imitate. Their tendencyto do as othersor as their heroes
aredoing,is almostcompulsive.Hencethecrazefor fashions,for
83
order to conceal their own ulterior motives, they would invoke
'House spirit' or the prestige of the Entry or the merits of
cooperationto promote or defend cheatingin sports, in academics
or in other fields.

Lastly, dependenceor independenceis a matter of mental

to gain confiilencein themselves. habit too. For a variety of reasons,our educationfails in this area
the most. Both at home and at school, the atmosphere is
PressureGroups:In a residentialcollegethis vulnerable
psychologicalstate has some peculiar implications.college
educationis extremelydemanding.
The whoreclimateis stressful,

a very wrong approachindeed.

All this is negationof collegeeducation.

fearsand anxietyof one kind or another.A f'ew of them might
happento be potentialleaders.To asserttheir independence and
superiority,they form pressuregroupsin the Houseor in the
college.Someof thoseboys who havefailed to makethe grade,
also fall in line and sheepishlyjoin the pressuregroups ro
overcometheir inf'erioritycomplex.Theydo so to feel secureand
to ward off their inwardlack of confidence. *****

While in a college,be very particularaboutthe groupyou

join. Avoidall pressuregroups.Theywill stifleyourpsychorogicaf
independence, your right to think and act on your own. Learnto
think independently and assertyour indepiendence in thought,in our self-imagecausesus to act out the personwe berieve
action.When it comesto makinga hard decision,make it and ourselvesto be.
stickto it whetherotherslike it or not. Also bewareof the tactics
of the pressuregroups.They will nevercall a spadea spade.In The imagewe have,causesothersto treatus the sameway
 84
PROBLEM OF INSECURITY AND ANXIETY
More often than not, a beginner in college feels
unconsciouslyinsecure.His insecurity,producedby manydifferent
factors, manifestsitself in various ways. one of the most common
of these, is anxiety.
Anxiety of one kind or another is as common ro mosr
human beings especially to adolescents,asthe appearanceof
secondary sex characteristics at the onset of puberty. So the
phenomenonof anxiety is not alarming by itself; it often plays a
constructive role. Normal anxiety usually reveals itself
constructively in adolescents'thoughts and actions. It may spur
them to solve some problem, to work harder and longer in order
to competebetter. It may aggravatea mild discontentwith some
human situation into a profound commitment to a missionary
cause. Anxiety for the physical health or social well-being of
others, if properly directed, may motivate a young man towards
medicineor a social servicecareer.Anxiety may be a potentfactor
in the learning processitself.
But an anxiety that turns itself into morbidity, that prompts
the studentto dwell dangerouslyon his failuresand shortcomings,
is of no real value to him. Becauseevery body at home and on the
campusentertainsvery high expectations of a collegestudent,his
failings are played up and he feels exposed to ridicule and
disregardto which he is extraordinarilysensitive,especiallyin his
late teens.Added to the f'rusrrationis his senseof guilt that he has
failed to do what was so eagerly expectedof him by his teacher,
Another source of anxiety is fear. The newly admitted
85
collegestudentis hauntedby naggingfears, mostly imaginary, for
example, fear of ill- health, of failure, of being unreliable or
lonely. Fears may be unreal, but they affect one's health and
happiness all the sarne. These fears may assume alarming
proportionsin casethe studentfinds himself neglectedignored or
passedover. Acceptanceand recognition are basic human needs
and a college student needs them in abundance,whereas the
general climate in college is of necessity impersonal. The
beginner, fiesh from a loving and affectionatehome, by contrast
finds it cold and unfeeling and experiencesmuch anxiety.
This thirst for acceptanceand recognitionmay lead some
beginnersastray. Undesirablesocial groups in college are always
on the look out to recruit such fiustrated hands into their ranks.
They shower acceptanceand recognitionon them in full measurg,
though later on they exact a high price for this favour.
4,*'it
*'
* * t< * *
Self-image is not confined to individuals. Orgainzation,
teams,arimes,nation. all have self-image.
 86
MAKING AND UNMAKING OF HABITS
influence not only one's health and happinessbut also his
efficiencyand effectivity.
There is an age old saying:a habit is secondnature.Duke
of wellington, the hero of waterloo, is reportedto have once
always a soldier. The whole personaritypattern undergoesa
change,eventhe modesof thinkingand feelingare modifiedif not
completelytransformed.such is the impact of a training system
which gives a new lif-estyle basedon new set of habits.There is
glassturnblersto a far off table, the frienclhidden behinda corner
shouted,'Halt' and the veteran,the waiter,just cameto attention
position.The fate of the champagnebottlesand glasstumblerscan
87
be well imagined.Suchis the force of a habit. Henceit will be
worth-whileto find out what is the natureof a habitandhow it is
madeandunmade.
Wiliam James,the father of modernpsychalogyin his
work, Psychologywrites:
monumental
An acquiredhabit from the physiologicalpoint of view is
but a new pathwayof discharge, formed in the brain, by which
certainincomingcurrentseveraftertendto escape.Hencea habit
hasa physicalbasis.All habitsare due to path-waysthroughthe
nervecenters.
A habit simplifiesour movements, makesthem accurate
anddiminishesfatigue. Moreover a habitdiminishes theconscious
attentionwith which our acts are performed(otherwisehow
tediousandtime-consuming doinga buttonwouldbe if everytime
it took as muchtime and consciousattentionas it took whenyou
clid your buttonfbr the first time). Habit is thus enormousfly-
wheelof both an individualas well as society,its mostprecious
agentof rnakingour living f'easibleandof preserving culturesand
traditions.
The great thing therefbrein all educationis to makeour
nervoussystemour ally insteadof our enemy.For this we must
makeautomatic andhabitualas earlyas possible as manyactions
as we can anclltanclover to tltc etlbrtlesscustodyof automatic
agencyso thatthe higherpowersof mind will be setfree for their
own properwork.
In the acquisition of a new habit, or the leaving off of an
 I

88 89
old one. we must take care to launchourselveswith as strong ancl
A third maxim is: seizethe very first possibleopportunity
decided an initiative as possible. Accumulate all the possible
to act on every resolutionyou make, and on every emotional'
prompting you may experiencein the direction of the habipsyou
aspir. to guin. It is not in the moment of their forming, but in the
mo me n t o r . t n " i ' p r o d u c i n g m o t o r e f f e c t s t h a t r e s o l v e s a n d
- aspirationscommunicate the new "set" to the brain. No matter
how full a reservoir of maxims one may possess,and no matter
h o wg o o d o n e ' s s e n t i m e n t s m a y b e , i f o n e h a s n o t t a k e n t h e
otherwise it might, and any day during which a break-down is
advantageof every concrete opportunity to act, one's character
good
may remain entir;ly unaffected for the better. With mere
intentions,hell is pioverbially paved. "A character",as J.S. Mill
says, "is a compleielyfashionedwill," and a will, in the sensein
which he means it, is an aggregateof tendenciesto act.in a firm
anclclefiniteway upon all principal emergenciesof life.

S o th e c r u x o f t h e p r o b | e m i s : h o w t o m a k e y o u r . w i l l '
strong. Power of will or will-power will make all the difference,
keeplne faculty of effort (will) alive in you by a little exercise
.u.iy clay. That is, be systematicallyasceticor heroic in little
unn...rriry points. Do every day or two somethingfor no other
reasonthan that you would rather not do it. This sort of asceticism
woulcl ensureever increasingresistanceagainstrecurrenceof old
habits.

At the end, it may be pointedout that all odd habits,even

the seeminglyharmlessmannerismsand idiosyncrasies,have a
psychologicalorientationand abnormalhabits involving any sort
not
of acldiction- fiom drinking, smokingto all typesof narcotic"s,
only directly alfect the nervous system but also bring about
.hcmicat changesin the blood stream. Hence dealing with this
L,nct trf' habits becomesexceedingly{ifficult. Beware of them.
 .90 9l
Theycall for expertclinicaltreatment.

PART III
HOW TO READ BETTERAND FASTER

a. Read Faster and Better - Introduction

b. Six Rules for Faster Comprehension
c. Efficient ReaderVersus
Inefficient Reader
d. Reasonsfor Inefficient Reading
e. Readingas a Visual Process
f. Respondingto Total Meaning
g. Summing-up

92
READBETTERAND FASTER
Lack of speedresultschiefly from three factors:
a' Reading habits that you have buirt up rhrough years of
wrong kind of practice.
b' unaggressivetechniquesof comprehensionthat interfere
with total concentrationand standin the way of your responding
to a page of print as rapidly and as actively as your potential
ability makespossible,and
c' Poor techniquesof perceptionthat causeunnecessary time-
lag betweenthe act of seeingand the act of mental interpretation
of what you see.
You read slowly not becauseyou are poor reader but
becauseyou are inefricient reader. systematic and intensive
training can materially increasethe efficiencyanclspeedof your
reading,providing of course,that you are willing to clevotetime
and effort requiredfor this practice.
FASTER AND I}ETTER READING
Six Rules for FasterComprehension:
93
READ MORE. Reada lot more. You will haveto
read much more than you are now in the habit of reading. You
must make time for reading. Speed can be developed into a
permanenthabit only if you do what naturally fast and skillful
ieaders have always done, from childhood onward; read a lot.
Unlessyou develop the habit of reading for two hours or more at
a stretch and several Stretchesevery week, do not expect ever to
becomean efficient or a rapid reader.
2. LEARN TO READ FOR MAIN IDEAS. Do not waste
time and effort on details. While reading an article, or book of
general interest, even a text book in the second reading, push
through efficiently for quick recognitionof the main ideasthat the
details support and illustrate.Be more interestedin the writer's
basicthinking than in his minor points'
When you read a volume of non-fiction' be intent on
getting the theme, the broad ideas, the fiame-work on which the
author has built his book. Don't let an occasionalperplexing
paragraph,p&ge,'or chapterslow you up. Keep speedingthrough'
As the completepicture is filled in by rapid over all reading,the
few puzzling details will either turn out to have been
inconsequential or will be clearedup as you move along'
When you reacla short story or novel, fbllow the threadof
the plot, consciously look fbr and find the 'conflict,' skim
wheneveryou feel impelled to, don't move fiom word to word and
sentenceto sentence.
 94 95

3. CH^A,LLENGEYOUR COMPREHENSION.
Fast readersare good readers.They are fast becausethey
have learned to understandprint quickly and they understand
quickly becausethey give themselvesconstant'p.u.ti..
in
understanding.To this end they READ cHeimrrlGING
MATERIAL andyou mustdo the same.Doesa novelsound
deep,
does a book of non-fictionseemdifficurt,doesan articre in
a automatic, if you wish to become efficient in quicker
magazinelook as if it wirr requiremore thinkingthan you
feel
preparedto do? Thenthat'sthe type of readingthat wilr give
you
the most valuabletraining.
4. BUDGET YOUR TIME.
Fix a definitetime by whichyou wantto finishthereading.
If you know that you must finish harf the book tonightand
the
otherhalf by tomorrow,you wilr speedup, because y; wilr have
to.Youwill develop_tricks of gettingahead,of skimmingpartsthat
arelessessential, of lookingfor mainideas,of readingir^you,,op
potentialrate.The goodreaderalwayshasa feelingoTgolng
fast,
but he is neveruncomfortable, for he hasdevelopJdfalt habits.
If you makeup your mind to finishan articrein two hours,
you can finish it in two hours.such is the adaptability
of human
mind underpressure.
5. PACE YOURSELF.
when you starta new book, readfor quickunderstanding
-
for fifteen minutes.count the numberof pagei you havefinished
in thattime, multiply it by four andyou traveyour potentiarspeed
f'or that book in pagesper hour. Somebooks are slower reading
than others.The more solidly packedthe ideasare on a pagethe
moretime it will taketo coverthat page.
Devise personal tricks to speed up. Sharpen your
comprehension skill. But you must practiceevery day or nearly
every day, if you wish to make high speedcomfortableand
understanding.
Every personof normalintelligencecanconcentrate when
he reads,but slow readersput themselvesat a disadvantage.If,
throughlaziness,you readat a slowerrate thanthe rate at which
you are able to comprehend,there is greattemptationfor your
mind to wander.
The brightestchild in a classis not alwaysthebeststudent.
If the work is too easy for him, he becomesbored and stops
(Slow readinginducesattentionto wander).
payin-qattention,.
By readingalwaysat your top comprehension speed,you
constantlychallengeyour understanding,you stimulateyour mind,
you get involvedin author'sthoughtswithouthalf trying. From
speedyreadingyou get increasedconcentrationwhich in turn
sharpens your understanding andenjoyment.But readingaboutthe
principlesof efficientand rapidreadingis not goingto makeyou
a faster or better reader. Only putting those principles into
practice,over a periodof time, cando that for you.
By doing muchmorereading,you alsogetmuchmoreout
of reading. Eliminate faulty and inefficient habits that interfere
 96
with total concentration,that slow up your comprehension,that
keep your rate of readingdown to a much lower level than you are
potentially capableof achieving.
EFFICIENT READER VERSUS INEFFICIENT READER
The efficient reader has a cruising rate of at least 300 to
400 words a minute.
1. Varies his rate accordingto the type of the material.Suits
his speedto what he wants to get out of the material.
2- Rea$sfbr ideas, is rarely consciousof individual words,
skims, or skips unimportantwords, paragraphs,sectionsor even
whole chapters.
3. Has few, if any regressions- his perceptionis accurare,
fast, dependableand so nearly unconsciousthat he can concentrate
on meaningratherthan on separatewords.
4. Covers the average line of print in three to five eye_
movements
5' Readssilently in the riterarsenseof the word - his rips,
tongueand vocal cordsare motionlessancrhe is lar more awareof
meaninethan of sound.
6. A poor reader often gets bogged down in details and
suboldinateelementsat the sacriflceof a clearawareness
of salient
conceptsand importantoverall ideaswhereasthe efricientreader
pushes briskly throu-ehdetails to grasp main ideas. Is more
97
interestedin the basicthinkingthat shapesan author'swriting than
in minor points or backgroundinformation.
TIIE INEFFICIENT READER
1. Reads passively, sentenceafter sentence,without any
;understanding of either the material as a whole or of the
relationshipof the parts. On the other hand, the efficient reader
reads with aggressivecomprehension,thinking along with the
author,interpretingthe purposeand functionof broadsectionsof
material,and searchingalwaysfor the final and total meaningof
any pieceof writing.
2. Concentrates imperfectly. Because he is not deeply and
actively involved in what he is reading, he is easily distractedby
irrelevant thoughts, by external noisesor by the happeningsaround
him. As a result, his retention and recall are poor whereas the
efficient reader concentratesimmediately and perfectly - [ecomes
so involved with the ideas on a page that he temporarily loses
contactwith thd outsideworld. He has, in consequence, excellent
retention and recall.
3. Fatigues easily, because reading is for him a slow,
unrewarding,even tediousprocess.Spendsonly as much time with
books as is absolutelynecessary.The efficient readsfor hours at
a time without becomingtired. Hp can and usually does,complete
an entire novel or magazinein a single sitting.
a. Readsslowly, 200 words a minute or less.
b. Reads all material of whatever type of difficulty at arr
 l
98 99

unvarymg rate. FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR INEFFICIENT READING

c. Reads wof, by word, or in extreme cases, syllable by PERCEPTION SPEED

syllable.
The inefficient reader reads every word in a selection,
d. Makes many "regressions", that is, rereads syllables, giving equal weight and time to all words, to every single word no
words, or phrasesto assurehimself that he has seen and matter ltow relatively unimportant, instead of using words as a
understood them correctly. meansof graspingthe author's ideas.

e. Moves his eyeseight or a dozentimes or more to cover the
averageline of print.
f. May 'vocalize'r.e. sound words out with his lips, tongue,
or vocal cords, thus keepinghis speeddown to his rate of
oral reading and seriously interfering with smooth
comprehension,or he may be excessivelydependenton
"inner speech"i.e. on hearing the soundsof the words he
is readins.
He does not quite trust the adequacyof his comprehension.
He readsmeticulously, digestingand re-digestingevery sentence,
every paragraph.Paradoxically enough,not only his speedsuffers
as a reiult of such extreme care, but his comprehensionalso, for
he gets so involved in details and relatively unimportant minor
points that he often misses the main theme of the writing'
He strives too hard to be perfect in his grasp of every
detail. Therefore, he often regresses.Having no confidencein his
comprehensionhe goes back to check on figures, minor points,
statiitics, and bits of description and thus cuts his train of thought,
makes him over-consciousof words, ruins his concentration,
breaks the smoothnessof his absorptionof ideas, and of course,
wrecks his speed.

The efficient reader has so large a vocabulary that the

words he meets are quick conveyorsof thought. The vocabulary
of the inefficient reader on the other hand is so limited that many
of the words he encountersrepresenta mystery to be puzzled out
before ideascan be fully graspedand appreciated.

The efficient reader has already read so much that he can

 100
constantlycompare and contrast his present reading with his
previous literary experience;he has a back-groundon which to
build. The inefficientreadertoo often hasto approachevery little
bit of knowledgeas a new and unrelatedexperience.
The efficient reader has developeda strong intellectual
curiosity, and all the readinghe doeshelps in somemeasureto
satisfythat curiosity. The inefficientreader'sintellectualcuriosity
has gradually grown weaker becausereadinghas never been a
sufficientlycomfortableor rapid processto makethe satisfaction
of his curiosityworth the effort.
The goodhabitsneededfor fastand skillful readingcanbe
developedin a comparatively shorttime. You cantrain the speed
and accuracyof your visualperception.You can learnto attack
materialwith the kind of aggressiveness that will sharpenyour
concentrationand increaseyour rate of comprehension, you can
learnto eliminateregressions,to by-passyour vocalapparatus, to
decreaseyour dependance on inner speech,and to avoid under
attentionto minor details. You can with proper practiceand
guidance,learnto ploughaheadspeedilyabsorbing themainideas,
gettingtheover-allpicture.You canstartbuildingyour vocabulary
and stimulatingyour intellectualcuriosity.
You can do all this if you activelywill it insteadof merely
wishing for it.
The wish to learn is diffuseand general.It meansthat we
repeata thing again and again hoping for something to happen.
The will to learn meansthat we dig down and analyse,that we try
to find out exactly how to put it righr.
We do not read with our eyesat all, but with our minds.
eyesare only a vehicleof transmission. They flashthe visual
lses that the brain interpretsand the mind reactsto. Such
retationreactionmay be instantaneous or halting,accurateor
, easy or full of effort dependingnot on the sharpnessof
reader's vision but on the clearness and richness of his
nding and on the reflexiveperceptionhabitsunderwhich
operates.
HOW TO GET THE GIST QUICKLY
Rushthroughmateriallookingfor total meaning.
?. Eliminatefrom your readinghabitsany excessiveregard
for minor details.
The averageuntrainedreaderreadsat a speedmuch lower
n his innate ability to understandshould make possible. His
slownessmay be caused, in part, by unnecessarilyshort
iecognitionspan,so thathe habituallyinterpretsprint almostword
word rather than by phrasesor by thought units of several
words.No only is his speedcurtailed,it obviouslytakesmoretime
to read three or four words in separatefixations than to read them
'all in one fixation but his comprehension
is also likely to read
them all in one fixation but his comprehensionis also likely to
'suffer, for his attentionis fbcussetlon individual words insteadof
on ideas and total utcauing. He might have a psychological
I compulsion to read every word. In tact reading is not directly
connectedwith words but only with ideas.
 I

103
t02
.
SUMMING - UP
RESPONDINGTO TOTAL MEANING
EFFICIENT READING
Get into the habit of viewing materialas a whole, instead
of passivelyabsorbingit thoughtby thought,sentence by sentence Thereare differenttypesof reading.You readfor pleasure
or word by word. Purposefully seek out the answer to one i.e. fiction; you readfor informationi.e. Gk. books,newspapers,
dominatingquestion: magazinesetc. and you readfor ideasartdreflection'
"What, in total, is the author trying to say?What is the
main idea of the piece?What is the final meaningthat all the
wordsand sentences add up to"?

You mustlearnto extractthat answerquickly andskillfully

from the massof wordsanddetails.Keepclearlyin mind that your
dominatingaim as you read, is to grasptotal meaning.To do this
rapidly and accuratelytry to sensethe 'broad structureof the
writing, try to get a feeling for the patternthe authoris using in
presentinghis materialto you, try to realizehow the detailsserve
to high-lightthe main ideas,but don't let thesedetailsslow you
up.
One of the over-ridingvaluesof detectingthe patternof a
pieceis that you don't haveto readevery singleword, or every
singlesentence,or every singleparagraph.You know, by thinking
alongwith the authorin the patternhe hassetup, what is likely to
come next, and whether it is important, less important or
completelyunimportantto the final meaningof the selection.
too'
taken, and checkcomprehension
W henr eadi ngs tr i c tl y for i nfor m ati on,w hatr atei s
appropriate?Does slow readingtend to over-accentdetails and
oUr"ui. the main ideas?And how rapid shotild you read for
enjoyment?
For readingtext books, a different approachis required.
Here detailstoo rnatter.How will you readfor details?How will
you interpret,evaluateand draw inferencesor get centralideas?

q
 r04
105
paragraph structure and your ability to organize material
effectively.

Getting full value from the printed page with aiminimum

of time and effort is an ability well worth cutiiviting for immediate
academic successnow and for profitable use in future too. No
matter how poorly or how welr you now read, the chancesare.
you are reading below your maximum potential.

PART IV

more effectively.

(Adaptedfrom How to Read Better and Fasterby Norman

Lewis)
 106 r07
THINKING Importanceof Thinking

The importanceof thinking The reasonswhy reflectiveor critical thinking must be an

1. Kinds of thinking educationalaim are as under:
a. Fancying consciousaim. Ability to
Imagining
1. .It makesaction possiblewith a
think il highly important.It is regardedasthedistinguishingpower
b.
c. Believing that marks off man from lower animals'
d. Reflecting or critical thinking
2,Item anc i pates us fr om m er el y i m pul s i v eandr outi ne
2. Processof thinking
activity.
a. What is creative thinking It enablesus to know what we are aboutwhen we act. It
3.
b. How to developa critical mind
convertsactionthat is merely repetitive,blind and impulsiveinto
c. Physiologicalaspectof thinking intelligentaction.
d. Thinking with blood
4. The being that cannotthink is very likely be stimulatedto
3. What is intuition actby somephysiologicalstate,by somepresentexternalstimulus'
The teing that can ttrint is movedby remoteconsiderations, by
4. Pit falls in thinking resultsthat can be attainedperhapsonly after a lapseof years' A
thinkingbeingis movednot only by remoteconsiderations but also
a. Generalization Uy moiat coisiderations.He is more likely to be more tolerant,
b. Prejudices
rnor.ry*pathetic,morehum4nemoreconsiderate,morejust'even
c. Rationalization
morehonestbecausehe is far - sighted,he is muchlessa creature
of impulsethan the one who hasnot learnthow to think well'
5. Questionsto test thinking
of betterthinking.
The socialand economicconsequences
6. The Wonderof Wonders-TheHumanBrain
a, Structure
l.Better thi nk i ngandbetter educ ati ongotogether .Better
b. Function will
educationwill make-peoplementally more mature. They
7. The Miracle of Memorv
understandthe whole spectrumof socio - economicproblems
 109
108
5. Instead,bestassurancefor correctthinkinglies in a general
better and would be able to make betterresponsesto them. For freedomfrom
instance,they would appreciatethe value of greaterand better attitudeof enquiryandtesting,an open-mindedness,
prejudicesand an activedesireto listen to more sidesthan one.
productionof goodsand servicesin the country.
6. Anotheringredientof that attitudeis singlenessof interest.
2. Thinking makes systematic innovations and
Divided interest is the arch enemy of effective thinking. Some
inventionspossible.It givesincreased powerof control.To draw times a studentgives only externaland perfunctaryattentionto the
inferencesis the greatbusinessof life. Eachoneof us hasto judge
teacherand to his bookswhile his inmostthoughtsare concerned
of evidenceand act accordingly.
with mattersmore attractiveto him. He paysattentionwith ear or
eye, but his brain is occupiedwith affairs that make immediate
Reasonsfor systematictraining of thoughtor correctthinking.
appeal.Distractedattentionis unfavourableto good thinking. A
genuineenthusiasmis an attirudethat operatesas an intellectual
l. If the power to think is not trained properly, its
force.
development may takethe wrongcourse.Thinkingmay developin
positively wrong way and lead to false and harmful beliefs and in facing
7. A third elementis responsibility.Responsibility
the logical consequences of a course of thinking. To carry
somethingthrough to completion is the real meaning of
thoroughness andpowerto carry a thing throughto its endor con-
clusion is dependentupon the existenceof the attitude of
not sink.
intellectualrdsponsibility.
2. It may be notedthat thereis no specificfacultyof thinking.
Kinds of Thinking.
Thereforeany set exercisesin correctthinking are but of limited
value.
The word 'thinking' ts looselyusedto coverfour different
waysof mentalactivitY:
3. will practicein correctthinkingresultin the creationof a
generalhabit of thinking - on€ applicableover a wide rangeof
a. Fancying
subjects?
b. Imagining
4. The answer is, 'No'as correct thinking is specific not
generalized.Logical attainmentin one direction is no bar to
c. Believing, holding an opinion or recalling a piece of
extravagant
conclusions in another.
 110
information
d. Reflectiveor critical thinking
Fancying
Mind never remainsinactiveor vacant.While we are not
deliberatelyconcentratingour attentionon something, a streamof
unconnectedor loosely connectedvagueideas(fancies)goes on
gliding through our mind. This processis often describedas
thinking. If you suddenlyask the inattentiveboy a question,he
wakesup with a slight jerk from his reverie, gives you puzzled
look and keeps mum. When pressedfor an explanation,he
concedes,'Sorry, Sir, I was thinking about somethingelse.
Thinking in this sensein most cases,refersto wanderingthoughts
in which purposefulmentalactivity is not involved.
Imagining
Sometimesthe word 'thinking' is usedto meanimagining.
Example: Somebodyis describingan accident in greai
detail. You are fascinated.You askhim, 'But did you seeall that
yourself'. 'No, I only thoughtso', is the reply.
Anotherexample.
Once a child and her mother both chancedto see high
spirals of smokerising from a distantfield. "What is that'? her
mother unwittingly spokeout, 'That snioke'! the child seriously
said,' they are burning a man over there'. 'Did you see?how do
111
you know'? asked her mother. 'I think so', was the confident
reply.
Thinking and imagining are sometimes mixed up'
children's thinking mostly constitutesof flights of imagination.
Thinking as believing. ExamPles:
1. 'I think so and so (people)cannot fight, they are not a
martialrace'.
2. In 1960, F.M Auckinleck while addressingthe cadetsof
Military Collegesaid: 'I think there is no suchthing as a
martial race. It's a myth. It is the will to fight that counts.
3. I think thosewho continuouslydrink buffaloes'milk cease
to be sharpwitted.
4. I think the wheat-eatingpeopleare more intelligent,more
vigorotlsthan rice-eatingpeople.
5. I think fish-eatingpeopletend to be born rebels.
In theseexamplesbelievinghasbeentakenasthinking, less
in examplenumbertwo.
Anotherexampleof a different sort:
'Which woman was first to go into space'?
'Valentina,I think.'
The answeris correct. But reproducingor recallingis not
 l t2
the samething as thinking. Rememberingis not thinking, though
memoryplays a part in the processof thinking.
In the above cited examples,the examplenumber two
quotingF.M Auckenleckhowevercan he countedas thinking as
it was not mere expressionof a belief it might have involved a
more complexmentalactivily.
lrt us take anotherinstance.
As an experiment,the samequestion(on a woman'sfirst
flight in the space)wasput to anotherstudent,with a slighttwist,
It ran like this:
'Which femalewas first to fly in the space'?The snldent
said." Sir, do you meanjust a femalebeingor a femalehuman
being'lIf you meanjust a femalebeing,the an'sweris: Laika - the
Russianbitch that flrst wentinto spacein 1956.And if you mean
a femalehumanbeing,it was Valentina,againa Russianwoman
who went into spaceon 14thJune1963and latermarriedanother
RussianastronautAndrianon 3rd Nov 1963.
Obviously the secondstudentknew much more than the
first one. It's true that knowingmoredoesnot alwaysmeanmore
thinking. But in this casehis reply in fact involvedmuch more
than mere recalling of scatteredpieces of information. Before
answering,he examinedthe question,thoughtover it, he turned
overtheproblemin his mind, recalledpastknowledge,andpieced
it togetherall in a flash. He concentratedhis attentionon the
word 'female'and immediatelygraspedits implications.He used
his mind more intenselyandmore actively.Thereforehe wasable
113
to makeout his point more strikingly andintelligently.In short,he
did what is calledthinking, thoughreflectionof a very elementary
sort. The deeperthinking, of an inventiveor creativemind like
that of Einsteinor Iqbal, is an extremelycomplexprocess.
So 'thinking' is not fancying.It is not mere imagining.
It is not the samething asbelievingor holdingan opiniorr.It is not
rememberingpiecesof knowledgeor recalling past experiences
either. What is thinking then?
'Thinking is an active mental process. It utilizes past
experiencesbut only as references.It weighsthe evidence.It asks
searchingquestions.It involves reasoning.It impels inquiry,
scrutiny and persistentand careful examinationof a piece of
information,an opinion or a belief.
Thinking thrives on a questioning attitude. It needs
no doubt.
knowledge,a lot of it. It requiresrelevantexperiences,
But above all a bent of mind which is never tired of asking
questions,whtch is preparedto disbelievewhathasbeentakenfor
grantedearlier.
Processof thinking
A connectedchain of clear thinking can be seento havea
very simple structure.It beginswith the askingof questionand
finisheswith partial answer.That answeris itself the startingpoint
for the next questionto be askedand thereforebeginsthe next
phaseof the process.Accordinglythinkinghas to be seenas a
process.thatproceedsin stages,.where eachleadsto a higherlevel
of understanding than that of its predecessor.
 11,4
ri amassingof information is not enough.It is not to be left in a
Even when a child (or a grown-up)has a problem, it is
wholly futile to urge him to think when he hur no prior
experiencesthat involve someof the sameconditions.
Reflectivethinking is possibleonly when one is willing to
enduresuspenseand undergothe trouble of searching.
over-positive and dogrnatichabit of mind is inimical to
critical thinking, one has to suspeidone's belief until justifying
reasonshavebeenfound.
Onehasto be sufficiently critical aboutthe ideasthat occur
to him or he comesagross.
The crux of the matteris, of course,the askingof question.
I{ow is the initial questionto be askedand what
lun ir to be
followed in seekingthe answer.The questionand answercannot
be separatedfromeachother. Any fool can ask a questionbut he
only who knows the answer can point the way to the correct
answer.
How to think better ?
Thipking can not be done in a vacuum.It must have a
broad baseof actively acquiredknowledge.Moreovprthe ra4ge
a What is the key to CreativeThinking?
115
and variety of personalexperiences shourdbe as wide as possible.
The habit of close and minute observationhelps. Hlowever,
heap. It is classified and sub-dividedso as to be availableas
needed.So merereadingis not required.creativereadingis called
for.
Creative reading and thinking
One means towards developmentof the critical and
constructivemind is reading,not merelyroutinereadingbut close,
critical andcreativereadingwhich enablesthe studentto challenge
the statementor main thesisof practicallyeverythinghe reads.He
doesnOtacceptanythingon its facevalue.He questions.Isn,t this
processtime consuming?It is. But so are all things which are
worth while. Life itself is not simple - susceptibleof immediate
apprehension.Most worth-while things are preffy difficult to
obtain. Let us hot be guilty of hasty readingind bewareof the
book which yiolds itself to casualreading.Theremay not be much
kernel in it.
What is CrcativeThinking?
An educatednian enlargeshis intellect.He doesnot merely
accumulate fapts but learns to put things together
inductivelyto seeknew knowledgeand insighis.The one
who aspiresto be a creativethinker risesabovethe usual
intellectual plane, gradually forms free and creative
imaginationthat will enablehim to think independently.

tt6
A. The urge to be original, the courageto think independently
even in the face of over-whelmingoddsto the contraryis
the key to creativethinking.
a. How muchdoesa creative/ inventivemind owe to others?
A. Much more than is generallyassumed.Before seeingthe
applefall on to the groundanddiscerningthe famousLaw,
Newton had spent years together on studying Physical
Sciencesand beforeinventingthe electricbulb Edisonhad
filled 200 note - books covering 40,000 pages while
studyingand readingevery possiblething on earth about
light down to a candleand oil lamp. The sameis true of
Darwin, Einsteinand Iqbal. The great achievementof a
geniusis that he is ableto createsomethingnew out of the
old snrff or startsfrom the point"wherehis predecessors
had left. He is original.He creates.
Planesof thinking
We distinguishbetweenpeoplenot only upon the basisof
but also
the quicknessand'varietyof their intellectualresponses,
with respectto the plane upon which theseoccur - thp intrinsic
quality of their responses.One's thought is profound, while
another's superficial; one goes to the roots of the matter and
anothertoucheslightly on its most externalaspects.
tt7
a. Is good thinking quick or slow?
A. It dependson the nature of the problem. Sometimes
slownessanddepthof responses are intimatelyconnected.Time is
required in order to digest impressions,and translatethem into
substantialideas.The slow but sureperson,whetherman or child
is one in whom impressionssink and accumulateso that thinking
is doneat a deeperlevel of value.
a. What aboutthe valueof quick - thinking?
A. Habits of speedy, but superficial judgemeht are not
conduciveto good thinking. In fact they are inimical to it.
a. Are somesubjectsof studymore intellectualthan others?
A. Not at all. Thinking is specific and any subjecrmay be
intellectual.It's a questionof how you tackleit.
a. How is it that a goodthinkerin onefield of mentalactivity
(gubject)is a very bad thinker out-sidehis specializedfield
of study? Yes. Sometimesit is so. Becausethinking is
specific the chancesare ,if thinking has not becomea
matter of attitude,that scientistmay fall a victim to fads
and fanciesor to prejudices.
a. How to developa criticalr4ind,
A. A studentshouldbe introducetlto a methodof thinkingand
readingwhich turn the processof his mind awayfrom the
merely receptiveto the more active.
 T I
I
118
a. What is good thinking?
A. To be genuinelythoughtful,we must be willing.to zustain
and protract that state df doubt which is the stimulus to
thorough inquiry so as not to accept an idea or make
positive assertionof a belief until justifying reasonshave
beenfound.
a. What is bad thinking?
A Bad thinking meansjumping at a conclusionwithout
weighing the grounds on which it rests. It involves
foregoingor undulyshorteningtheactof hunting,inquiring.
and taking the first answeror solutionthat comesbecause
of mentalsloth.
a. What role doescuriosity play in thinking?
A. The instinct to be curious - the urge to know, to find, to
explore, to discover, is the fountain-headof creativeand
inventive thinking. But curiosity in its raw form can not
takeus far.Thereare threestagesor levelsof curiosity.In
the first place, curiosity is:
1. An expressionof an abundantorganicenergy- just
organic curiosity of physical exploration and
linguistic interrogation.
2. In the second stage children are often'more
.interestedin the mereprocessof askinga question
than they are in giving heedto the answer.
3. Intellectualcuriosity.Curiositytrecomesintellectual
119
in the degree in which it is transfornied into an
interestin finding out for oneselfthe answersto the
questionsthat are arousedby contactwith persons
and things. There should be a nafural transition
from organiccuriosityto socialcuriosify and from
socialto intellectualcuriosity enablinga studentto
ask right questionsaboutright things. Curiosity is
some thing which easify degeneratesinto social
nuisance.
a. What is the physiologicalaspectof thinking?
When you are thinking, tiny electriccurrentspass
over the brain. As thinking is an activeprocess,brain uses
more energy when it is doing thinking than when it is not
doing so what is the implicationof this fact for a student?
A. You have to be physicallyfit and energeticto do
effectivethinking.
a. Is rememberingthinking?
A. Yes, it is. Rememberingis thinking about past
events. It involves recalling the past experiences.It is
thinkingof a passivekind. Thinking is alwaysconductedin
the presentbut the centreof the thoughtmy be an imageof
the past, a thing of the presentor a constnlctedimageof
the future..
 120
a. What is thinking with blood.
A. Many peoplethink with their blood, Both thinking
and feeling are associatedwith brain. Both are aspectsof
mental activity. No thinking is entirely free from feeling
and no feeling is pure feeling. It is the questionwhich
elementpredominatesat the moment.
Thinking with blood is anotherway of sayingthat
one is very emotional,that is, his actionsarebeingdecided
principally by his feelings rather than by his thoughts.
Conversely, we sometimeshear; 'He is very cold and
calculating'.It amountsto sayingthat so and so is less
emotionalandmorethoughtfulin his way of life. Theseare
examplesof usingwordsloosely.
a. What is intuition?
Pre- knowledgeis called intuition. Intuition comes
from knowledge and interest. It is the result of being
steepedin a subjectof great interest.Intuition happensof
its own accordwhen a.personthinkshard and long on any
subject.
a. What are the pitfalls in thinking?
A. 1. There is a built-in dispositionto passjudgementon
the basisof merecustom,traditionandprejudices.We tend
to shirk the task of thinking.
2. There is a primitive credulity-anaturaltendencyto
12t
believe any thing that is suggestedunlessthere is over-
poweringevidenceto the cofltrary.
3. There is a tendencyto believewhat is in harmony
with desire. We jump to conclusions.We all fail to
examine and test our ideas becauseof our personal
attitudes.
a. What is generalization?
A. When we generalize,we tend to make sweeping
assertionsi. c, from one or only a few facts we make a
generaluationcovering a wide field.
a. What is a prejudice?
A. .A prejudiceis literally a pre-judgement'It refersto
a .blind faith, a pre-judgement,an irrational emotional
attitgdebelievedwithout subjectingit to correctthinking.
a. What is rationalization?
A. It is a mental processby which a persontries to
find rational justification in a false manner for his
prejudices,or for his wrong, illegal or immoral actions'
This can"bea consci6usprocess.In most caqesit is un-
consciousone. The questionof rationalizationdeservesan
elaborate discussion. Only man is capable of
are more
rationalization.Animals do not. Their responses
or less wholly govefiFr[ by their built-in motives -
instincts. only man can think. But he can think well as
 t22
well a'badly arid he is also able to give a twist to his
thinking, to his prejudices and to inlent sound looking
reasonsfor his most atrociousand foirl actions.Man is
thereforecapableto sink lower thantheanimalscan.Hence
there is an urgent need for the training in thinking so that
at least ignoranceand poor thinking doesnot contributeto
bad and poor.responses.
123
Questionnaireto stimulateirrtellectualthinking'
1. 'Who seldomreason,qct andthink accordingto example'
Is it true? Do You agree?
) 'Putting passionin placeof reason''

Whatdoesit imPlY?

3. So and so is sincerein following reasonbut tendsto infer

from limited data.

Can he cometo correctconclusions?

4. Do you prefer keepingcontactlimited to onebrandof ideas

and people?

5. D oy oui nv i tec r i ti c i s m or ac c eptc r i ti c i s m or donei ther .

This'nor that?

6. Have you an over-positiveand dogmaticattitude?

7. Do you believeon prestige/authority?

8. What is meantbY 'generalization'?

Give an exampleof generalization'?

For instance:
You visit a new place,a few peopleyou meetthereare not
 t24 t25

very friendly. You may say 'Peoplein suchandsuchplace '?.0 What is a prejudice?
are not very good'.
2l Is it true that somepeopleneverhaveany opinion of their
Give anotherexampleof generalization. own?

9. What is rationalization? Give two examples of 22. Is it true that somepeoplefeel shy of makinga decisionof
rationalization. their own?

10. 'Sinceall cheat' Is it a generalization?

Is it factuallytnie? 23. What is meant by taking a premise to its logical
What sort of thinking doeq,it exemplify? conclusions?

11. What is organiccuriosity? 24. Do you think food habits have somethingto do with the
"
character traits of a people i.e, fish, rice,
12. What is socialcuriosity? wheat,buffalo/cowmilk, beef or mutton taken as staple
food, will affect their consumers?
13. What is intellectualcuriosity?Give examples.
anybody'scharacter?
Do youbelievein 'blood' in assessing
14. What is the psychologyof gossip,of maligningothers?
Whic\ is more important,natureor nurture?Give reasons
15. Who is a rumour-mongerand why? and examples.

16, Do you tend to believe in rumours?Why doesa rumour

spreadso fast?

t7. Which sexbelievesin rumoursmore: menor women?and

why.

18. What is suggestibility?

t9. What is hypnotism? Are all human equally

susceptibleto suggestion?

126
THE HUMAN BRAIN
The wonderof wonders
use tools and that gives its geneticsuccessors
the ability to build
the spacecrafts,exploretheuniverseandanalysetheir discoveries.
It is the brain that makesman, man.
we are hungry. Brain governsour urges,our moods-everything
(when we go to sleepour brain does not standstill, it goes on
functioning,hencedreamsand un-conscious problem-solving).
Structure of the Brain.
The brain is encased'ina skull which is a quarterof an inch
thick at the top, even thicker at the base.It remainsbathedin a
watery fluid that cushionsit from shocks. It weighs about 3
"l
127
pounds.lt's 2% of body's weightbut requires 20%of the oxygen
we inhaleand a fifth of the blood our heartpumps.In the eventof
temporary shortage,we faint; if the supply is cut off for a few
minutes,we may suffer a grave damage-paralysis or deathmay
occur. It also demandsa steadysupply of nourishment-glucose.
Even in situationsof acutestarvation,brain appropriatesits share
first from whateveris available.
Its shapeis mushroom-like.It is madeof grey and white
tissues.(Hence 'grey matter' refers to quality of the brain and
calibremeanscapacityor quality of mind).
Its componentparts are 3o billion nertronsor nerve cells
eachof which is connectedwith others,some.asmairy as 60,000
times.
Somecharacteristicsof brain cells
Skin, liver tissues,evenblood cells can be replacedafter
damageor loss. But brain cells do not reproducethemselves.If
brain cells are lost, they are lost for ever. With age, after about
35, cells start dying and losing weight, but this loss is generally
not felt as their jobs are takenover by others.If for any reason
enough cells are lost, sensesmay suffer, attention span may
diminish,forgetfulnessmay occur. However,reallyimportantjobs
are, generally,takencare of till the end of one'slife.
Brain Mapping
Brain-mappinghas beenattempted.An outline of primary
 r28
functioningareashasbeendrawn - vision in the rear, 129
learningon
the sides.A pleasurecentrehasalsobeendiscovered neu work, aalr tlnderstandhow the brain itself functions
which canbe
artificially stimulated.(Electric-shocks
therapyfor depressionand and how the br, rerrcivesAnd s'toresinformation. Irarnins and
other abnormal conditions of mind is now a are myster.ies. It is difficult to explainthe processof
well-known
technique). lea and . Thereis no kriownbasisof learnine.
Ily/there is n0 specificlearningcentrein the brain. But
Brain has distinct right and reft hemisphere.Its left half lea oceur"
controlsmuch of the activity on the right sideof the
body while
the right half controlsthe left side. with right-handedpeopte, the protein contentof the neuronshas something
ttre
Ieft hemisphereis dominant,with the left-handed,the^ witl,{ learning.Intensivementalactivity - learning-increases
reverseis
true. studies have shown that the reft hemispherecontrols brain ins and protein synthesis - the creation of complex
our
ability to talk, write and do mathematics,spiectr, mlmory moleculr . The more complex the molecules, the better the brain-.
ano
reasoning,while the righr is concernedwith ipatiailuotlments. Conver y better learning develops the brain's capacity to learn.
But ov r-learningis of no use as it doesnot produceany higher
Neuro-science level , f substances. Proteincontentis very likely to be helpful to
bette' and quicker learningand remembering.So literally brain
Human brain is said to be the wonderof wonders. deve as a result of mentalactivitv which in turn makesbetter
has been discovered yet unimaginably more Much
t *ui* to be ng and better memory possible.
explored.As a neuro-scientist hasput it, "In manyrespecis,brain
is a unexploredcontinent-withlittle more known
-vast than the Ottier Characteristics of brain's functioning
rough outlinesof its shores".The interior of this continent
w.ithinitself the mysterieswhich perhapsfuture holds
oi L. The amountof information flooding in on the brain is
advancedcivilizationswould attemptto unfold. "po.h"
-or. staggering;to cope with it. the brain selects the relevant and
ignores the rest.

2. Attention is specific. If we put radio on and attempt to read

The functions of the Brain
at the same time, we can concentrateon the song or the book, but
not on both. On the other hand, in casewe becomeabsorbedin a
A new sciencehasemerged- Neuroscience particularly good rtovel, we shouldn't be surprised if we don't
exploring the brain functiois in thought, which aims at
memory and remember hearing our favorite musical passage.
consciousness.
It is assumedthat by understariding
rro* i.roividual
3. 'Most researchersaqree that the limbic or feeling brain
 131

one place may make us see or hear a long forgotten\u"e o, pn..

5. Althoughall pain is f-eltin the brain, the brain lf hasno

pain sensation.Brain surgery is performed while the lent ls
wide awake.

6. Memory is an outstanding feafure of brain.

Remembering or recallis only one aspectof memory- the' bility
of the brain to preserve and retain the experiencesor
perceptions. Memory
7. Brain is the seatof mind which hasthreelevels._
suh-conscious and unconscious.

8. Brain's functioning can be temperedwith by

certainchernicalpreparations.

\

132
What is Memorv?
Memory is the ability not only to storebut also to
recall informationand experiences. Memory appearsto be
' delocalized'- spreadthrough-outthe cortexand perhaps
through-outthe higherbrain. Experimentsandobservations
supporta three-leveltheoryof memory:-
a. The lowest level is short- term memory lasting nomore
than a few seconds;every momentof life, hundredsof
sensoryimpressionsflow into the human brain and are
promptly forgotten.
b. At the next level is the medium-termmemory whichlasts
from a few minutesto a few hours and enablesman to
remembersomethinglike a telephonenumberor somedata
for an examination.
c. At the highest level, is long - term memory, which means
sifting out of all the sundry impressions and information
entering the brain and processingand preservingonly the
things possessingimportance,usefulnessor vividness.
Long-term memory takes time to strike roots in the brain.
If rats are given an electric shock immediately after learning a new
skill, memory of the skill is lost. if the shock is delayedfor half
an hour, the memory is impaired but if 24 hours lapsebetweenthe
learning and the shock, most of the memory remains. (Hence to
reinforce new learning a better approach seemsto be to revise it
after some time, not immediately after the process).
133
Most researchersagree that the limbic or feeling brain
plays a key role in long-term memory. Interest in learning-
notivation,intensedesireto learn - greatly improvesthe long-term
nemory, the ability to recall pastlearningexperiences.The limbic
systemis concernedwith affects.Strongemotionalexperienceswe
remember almost with out any effort. How to remember better
Memory plays an importantpart in the processof learning
as new learning is built up on what you have learnt before.
Moreover for purposesof examinationtoo, the ability to recall and
reproduceis of immensepractical value. So as a learnerand as an
examine rememberingis a matter of immediateconcern to you.
Before we give you somehints on how to rememberwell, you had
better keep the following findings bbout memory in mind:-
a. Memory means the power of retentivity - the capacity to
retain the learning experiencesin the mind.
b. There is a specific centre of memory in the brain which
serves as a vast systemically laid out store-houseof all
experiencessince your birth.
Some of these experiencesyou can easily recall in vivid
detail: this is called rememberingor recall.
d. Someexperiencesmay fail to recall fully when you want to
do so; all the sameyou are dimly aware that it is in your
mind all right. As soon as the thing is presentedor you
come across it, you at once recognize it. This is called
recognition. Recognitionhelps in new learning and makes
the re-learningof the oldlessonsmucheasier. Some people
 135
134

naturally have very vivid reproductive memory, this is The Processof Mernory
How memory functions
called graphic memory.

Trere are three well-marked stages. (i) Iearning or

e. For examinationpurposes,the full recall memory
experiencng or acquisition of knowledge is stage one. This
Memory is selective. It remembers the important and learning ixperienceleaves some impressionson the brain paths.
f.
(ii) The inpressionsare storedin the mind. (iii) The third stageis
relevant experiences.The rest are consignedto oblivion.
that of recrll - commonly called remembering.
g
D' Pleasantexperiencestend to be retainedand remembered
How to mber well
and unpleasantones forgotten.

t is learnt well makesdeeperimpressionson the brain

h. All intenselyfelt experiencesare rememberedmuch longer.
pathsand iikely to be rememberedlonger and tretter. The mind
j retalnsa vivid picture or image of such experienceand will
An experiencewhich is shocking,terrible or most fearsome
project it ily and clearly before the mind's eye in future' Hence
is called a "trauma" in psychology. All traumatic
motivatedl{rning, learning done with keen interestand purpose,
experiencesespecially those of childhood are forgotten
consciously, but they are kept alive in the unconscious is easy to
rnemory and go on influencing the attitudes and behaviour
retentionof material which has been learnt can
of a person. Grossly irrational attitudesin grown ups can
be aided afier progressively
be traced back to traumatic experiencesin childhood.
increasing

Memory has a physiologicalbasis. Some people'sbrains

have far greater retentivity and the power of recall than others.
This variation in the capacityto rememberis natural. It can-notbe
improved. But what is good for brain is good for memory too.
Good health and energy pep up all mental functions including
memory. On the otherhanddisease,ill-health and drugscan impair
is the secret of diverse and
mernory as they have a damagingeffect on the mind as a whole.
we care to retain.
 136
The onewho thinksoverhis experiences mostand weaves
theminto systematic
relationswith eachother,will be theone with
the best memory. constantlygoing over the learnedmaterial,
comparingandmakingit a series,helpmemoryto retainit better.
why is it necessaryto weavenew learninginto ,existing
thought-chains'/
because,in a systemeveryfact is connecrrcd
with
every other by some thought relation. The consequence: is that
every fact is retained by the combined suggestivepowt.ir of all
other facts in the system.
Better remembering is the result of better thi or of
betterunderstandinga problem, a fact or an tdea. So tr./ secure
knowledgefirst hand, make a mental effort in solving iu equatlon
and you will remember it better.
No impressionwithoutexpression is a well_kno maxlm.
The habit of note-takingandjudiciously-spacedrevis of the
learnedmaterial, making it easierfor you to recall it a the time of
examination.
If you know the correct methodsof readins thiswill
help you in rememberingthe desiredmaterial better
1,37
The reason'why cramming is such a bad mode of study:
The tratherof modernpsychology,William James,hasthis
to sayon the subject:-
"By cramming is meant that way of preparing for
examination by committing points to memory during a few hours
or days of intense application immediately preceding the final
ordeal, little or no work having been performed during the
previous course of term. Things learned thus in a few hours on
one occasion, for one purpose, cannot possibly have formed many
associationswith other things in the mind. The brain prosessesare
'' led into by few paths and are relatively little ables able to be
awakenedagain. Speedyoblivion is the almostinevitablefate of all
that is committed to memory in this simple way, whereas on the
contrary the same material taken gradually day after day recurring
in different context, considered in various relations, associated
with other external incidents which are reflected on, grow into a
system, form such connectionswith the rest of the mind's fabric,
lie open to so many paths of approach that remain permanent
possessions'.

Some-times you have to learn certain fj - poems, x****

formulae etc. by heart, and you want to recall verbatim in
the class room and in the examination. In that nt, you had
better use the 'whole-method' rather than the , 11 method' of
committing things to memory and befbre doing SO try to fully The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strons.
understandthe meaning of the content. It is far e and better
to cram intelligently than otherwise.
Old'Testament
 fI
t

llt'l

PART V
t'

{
 I
139
THE COLLEGE TEACHER
"The teacher if he is indeed wise, does not bid you enter
the houseof his wisdom, but rather leadsyou to its threshold."
(Khalil Jibran)
while in the college, you will remain in constantconracr
with the teachers.You should ask yourself: "what are they about?
What are their purposes?How best to benefit from them,?"
much an end in itself as a meansto an end which is wisdom and
individual fulfilment. wisdom has to go with the way you use
knowledge to illuminate experiencesand to decide on relevant
issues and courses of action. This is essentially what you are
required to do in whatever responsibleposition you may be in
future.
The task of a college teacher is not to hand down pre_
digestedknowledge to you. Teaching is a meansto learning; the
end is self-learning. The teacheris there to create conditions for
140
Rarely in later life, will you find yourself in a situation like
the one in the college, where competing ideas are sifted so that
you are free to choose what seemsmeaningful and significant to
you alone, to retain the kernel and throw away the chaff.
It is essentialthat you should be aware of the real function
and value of your college teachersbecauseto the degree that you
understand and appreciate what the teacher is attempting to do,
you can respond more efficiently and gain more from the teaching-
learning situation. By the way, this process will be immensely
facilitated if teachersand studentsknow each other intimatelv.
One of the characteristicsof a good teacheris his ability to
lead the studentto make his own discovery of principles, concepts
and values. What attitudesand values are required on the part of
the students'?Have you any clear idea? Are you prepared to
discover yourself and make your own discoveriesof principles,
conceptsand values?
 14I
THE COLLEGE TEACHER AS A LEADER
We dxpect a lot,of you. You should do the same.We have
a check-list,as discussedearlier, to measure':your progressin areas
of developmentother than academics.Yourcan also have one to
test our mettle. We can afford an indifferent or dull sort of student
becausehe may. be the only one while othets might be bright. But
the students cannot afford an indifferent teacherbecausethey have
none else. A bad pupil only harms himself but a bad teacherharms
the whole lot. Surely you should demandmuch more from,your
college teacher than mere possessionof a master's degree in a
subject. What is that much more' and what are the qualities of a
good college teacher?
Perhapsyou can draw up a long list of qualities yourself.
But here is a synopsisof a most illuminating talk given to the fresh
teAchersby a veteran teacher.This may also give you the idea of
the heights we ourselvesare expectedto touch.
"To succeed.a teachermust be a leader.A teacherwill not
succeedin arousingthe studentto think aboutthe subjectunlesshe
thinks about it himself. Imitation remains by far the most basic
transaction in the learning process. The most obvious qualities
which the teacher ought to acquire are those which the teacher
wants his pupils to pbssess.The learners will tend to imitate
mostly unconsciouslyany good qualitieshe himself manifests.The
teachershould be pretty good indeed in the art of communication,
both verbal and written. Skill of creativewriting is an adiled asset
but the ability of critical thinking is a must, No student likes a
teacherwho dependstoo much on text books and notes, and lacks
originality of approach. You are a leader in the field of your
t42
choice. So q complete mastery of yogr chosen branch of
knowledge can not be exchangedfor any other quplity.
' "Any teacherworth the name must have a strong senseof
moral values. A teacherwho does not at the same time educate,
fails to teach as well. karning to teach successfullyis learning to
'lead towardsthe stimulusof distant future.,Go on learningas long
as there is life. in you. If you do not want your teaching to
degenerateinto a make believe, do not make the mistake of turning
your own learning into a 4ake-believe.A zestfor learning is most
contagious and is bound to envelope your students, sooner or
later.
"Moreover, some planned objective must be there before
you. As a teacher,have a five year study plan, a summervacation
study plan, in fact a life study-and-creative-work-plan. You may
not quite come up to it in the end, but you would certainly have
made much more contribution, had you been without one,
Remember the story of a genius who started as a young boy to
read all the books in the world. He did not. But he ended up as
a great scholar all the same. The will to scholarship is a student's
most valuable asset.
"A truly educatedman respectslearning in all fields of
knowledge.Any scholarwho confineshis studiesto his own field
alone hinders his progressin the field of his choice and becomes
$ remote from his students.
t
Student'stend to be idealists.They demandperfectionfrom
their parentsand teachers.They will never accepta teacherwho
is anything but the best and will never forgive a teacher or a
 143
parent who betrays the same weaknesswhich tlaey themselves
have.A teacher'sbattle(for survival)is won or losi mainly, but
not necessarily
in the class-room.

Studentsrnaymakew;ongjudgements,but they nevermiss

genuine scholarship;being extraordinarily canny, they at once
detectthe phoney."

So much aboutteachersby a teacher.Now you can make

your own check-listto arrive at a balancedassessment
of your
teacherswho certainlydo not claim to be angels.