Learning is hard.

The ancients had cantilever thorn strands, sac fireflies reflecting snow, and today's people have Hengshui and Maotan factory. Either keep working hard in a difficult environment, or walk with a trot, and every second counts.

Tell the child that if you really want to become a top student, you must learn to eat "advanced hardships" in order to make a breakthrough and break out of the cocoon into a butterfly.

01

"Ordinary Bitterness"

Ordinary suffering is to follow the teacher's requirements. Strive for 120% to do, or even 0% to do.

Although I define it as "ordinary suffering", the effect is not ordinary at all.

Not long ago, I happened to hear a story from a friend. The protagonist is a very outstanding young mathematician, graduated from the School of Mathematics of Peking University, and is the winner of the Ramanujan Prize (an award for outstanding young mathematicians under the age of 35).

He said that during the summer vacation after graduating from junior high school, he asked his high school teacher, who was about to go to school, how I should prepare for high school math. The teacher said, "You have done all the "Mathematics Compendium".

So he honestly studied on his own in the summer vacation of his third year of junior high school, and at the same time brushed up on all the topics in the three books. High school math is over.

According to his own statement, he was not outstanding in the top math class at that time, but he was good at "stumbling".

Insist on doing what the teacher asks you to do, do it if you understand the reason, and do it first if you don't understand.

(Movie: Stills from the Knower, documenting the legendary life of Ramanujan)

The reason I call it "ordinary suffering" is because it seems that everyone can do it.

But on a deeper look, it's really not ordinary. It is very human to have such concentration and endure such boredom.

02

"Intermediate Suffering"

High-intensity use of the brain is the foundation of all learning methods, and it is also the guarantee of excellent learning efficiency.

For example, learning emphasizes the need to look for "flow", that is, the state of being fully absorbed and shielded from all external interference. At this time, the brain is functioning efficiently, and 100% of the brain power is focused on learning activities.

For example, an article in the top academic journal Science proves that "Using the extraction method to memorize is much more efficient than reading 4 times repeatedly。 Because the "extraction method" requires more brain power.

Some children take a lot of notes when they study, but the effect is often not good, because they only make superficial efforts, but their thinking is not profound.

So why is "high-intensity use of the brain" a kind of suffering?

Wang Xing, the founder of Meituan, once said:Most people are willing to do anything to escape from real thinking.

People, especially children, have a natural biological mechanism to think less.

My guess is that in ancient times, in order to reduce energy consumption and maintain alertness to the outside world, humans relied more on "direct reaction" than "deliberate" before acting.

The so-called intermediate suffering is to fight against this nature, to think actively and deeply, although it is very tiring, but only in this way can there be real gains.

03

"High Bitterness"

I told my daughter that the most important thing in learning is to be honest with yourself.

"Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, and knowing is knowing."

If you can't acknowledge your current situation, you can't determine the starting point of your progress.

The high-level suffering is against oneself.

That is, constantly examine yourself, constantly reflect and correct, and dare to deny yourself to achieve transformation.

Yang Zhenning won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992. But when I first started to engage in physics research, the experiment was done once and again. So his mentor Alison once said:

“Where is a pang,there is Yang.”

In other words, the "crackling" sound in the laboratory was made by Yang Zhenning.

(Yang Zhenning and Lee Tsung-dao)

Another example is that there is an accelerator in the laboratory, and this old accelerator often has problems, but every time it fails, it takes Yang Zhenning several hours to find the problem, while other students only need a few minutes to easily find the problem. According to most people's opinions, it can be described as clumsy.

Yang Zhenning reflected and solicited opinions from his teachers, and finally adjusted his research direction, changing from experimental research to theoretical research, and then there was a theoretical breakthrough of "cosmic symmetry is not conserved".

All good learners are good at reflection. Constantly adjust your strategy in pursuit of better results.

However, most people are reluctant to admit that they are not doing well, that they are going in the wrong direction, that they are not trying hard enough, and so on. When you have to reflect on yourself, you can make excuses or turn a blind eye to obvious problems.

04

Exercise your child to be able to endure hardships

The French thinker Voltaire said, "It is not the distant mountains that make you tired, but the sand in your shoes." ”

The suffering in front of us is more daunting than the distant goal.

Feng Ji, the producer of "Black Myth: Wukong", said: "But if you want to go to that mountain, you have to endure such a process. ”

Being able to endure ordinary suffering is the foundation of all achievements.Some children are naturally more patient, while others are easily irritable.

Those who are naturally more patient are able to endure "ordinary suffering." It is more to observe whether he is learning mechanically, or whether he is able to think deeply. As you get older, you need to gradually develop the ability to reflect.

As for a child who dares to reflect on himself, the usual reason is that there is trust and tolerance from his parents. Without the pressure of external blame, one is more daring to look directly at one's weaknesses and dare to dissect oneself without feeling insecure.

As for those who are naturally impetuous and unwilling to work hard, they should be "lured by profit". In fact, it is through external incentives to slowly help him find a reason to persevere.

People's good habits and bad habits are all habitual.

If there is any sign of showing a little effort, you will praise him to death. makes him feel that hard work is the most fragrant gluttony in the world.

If the results are good, then it's time to celebrate. In the beginning, only compare yourself with your child, and remember not to compare yourself with other children.

"Suffering" - "sweetness" - "then try again", as soon as this cycle comes, the habit comes out.

If he gradually adapts to "eating ordinary suffering", then use the same way to stimulate his habit of deep thinking and self-reflection.

Every child waiting to break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly must learn how to go through the process of enduring hardships, and their guide is us.