Our world has existed for millions of years. During this time, much has changed in it, but there is something eternal that always remains. New people will be born who will go through a difficult life path. They have to solve problems, overcome obstacles, strive for excellence. Without self-development, a person cannot become a truly intelligent living being. Spiritual development should be practiced throughout life, starting from the youngest school age and heroes will come to the rescue
Importance of self-education
People have always been looking for ways to improve their own souls. Throughout the centuries, this problem has been given special importance.
per century computer technology When it is difficult to deal with values, the problem of self-development is especially relevant. It is important for a person to find his place in life, to resist negative influences, to reveal his own moral values.
According to folk wisdom, “live a century - learn a century”, you can work on yourself throughout your life. Thanks to self-education, one can develop such personal qualities as courage, patience, self-confidence, perseverance.
Works on self-education
Consider more examples from literature. Self-education is mentioned in the book by A. I. Kochetov "Educate yourself." It talks about how you can find your own ideal, analyze your abilities, eliminate shortcomings, learn how to work on yourself. The author for twenty-five years studied this problem, designed own theory. As a result, he determined the goal, methods, techniques, tasks of self-education, gave recommendations for the development of speech, memory, mind, and thinking.
Professor A. G. Kovalev also paid great attention to self-education. His work "The Personality Educates Himself" tells readers about the methods of self-education. For teachers, the book "Organization of self-education of schoolchildren" was created, recognized as a full-fledged manual for working in educational institutions. A great example of self-education from literature is Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. Here you can find practical advice, real help in winning the respect and love of friends and loved ones. Currently, many psychologists, writers, teachers are dealing with the problem of self-education.
"War and Peace" in Cultivation
Self-education in classical literature- a common occurrence. For example, in the work of L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" it is shown how the system of own values is formed in main character- Natasha Rostova. The author seems to demonstrate by her example that you can always find a way to change, to become sincere, kinder, smarter. Natasha, getting to know different people, trying to find his own, to borrow some qualities from others, to challenge something, to refuse something. Her literary image becomes a model value system which readers can accept or reject.
Folk epics and fairy tales in self-development
An excellent example of self-education from fiction- Russians folk tales and epics. Their main characters strive for self-development, try to change themselves in better side. In fairy tales, good always triumphs over evil, which demonstrates the importance of developing the following qualities in oneself: kindness, compassion, decency, honesty. The patriotism of the heroes of epics is an excellent example for educating the younger generation.
role models
Various examples of self-education are presented in the school curriculum. the child chooses for himself, having read the work, making it qualitative analysis. Despite the fact that modern children pay less and less attention to reading, literature lessons involve the analysis of classical Russian works. It is in this process that students develop own attitude to the main characters, their personal qualities, the desire to imitate their behavior. In pedagogy, there is such a term as “education by example”. One of its authors was Polish teacher Jan Kamensky. He claimed that it classical works are a real treasure trove that can be used for self-improvement.
Dostoevsky and self-development
Let's bring concrete examples from literature. Self-education is a theme that can be seen in the works of Dostoevsky. Main character“Crimes and Punishments” Raskolnikov feels real remorse for having committed such a terrible crime. Throughout the novel, he is looking for the strength in himself in order to change, to improve himself. That Raskolnikov, who appears before readers in the epilogue, is a completely different person, with new system values. There are other examples from the literature in which self-education is seen as a necessity. As such an example, we can mention the work of A. S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter".
Modern literature
Consider such a question as self-education. In literature, examples of heroes who were looking for their life path, are presented not only among the classics. Contemporary authors do not bypass the problem of development human values, in their own way, they try to explain to the reader how to defeat evil. In her adventure books, for example, A. Marinina pays attention to the self-improvement of her heroes.
Examples from literature, in which the self-education of heroes can be traced in the storyline, are included in school curriculum: "Defeat", "War and Peace", "Crime and Punishment", "A golden cloud spent the night." These works were written in different time, but at the same time, the relevance of the problems considered in these works is not lost. In all ages, self-education in literary works was a common occurrence. Even the ancient philosophers paid attention to this problem. They noted the importance of a wise mentor, who should, by his example, by his own, be a model for the younger generation. Currently, unfortunately, respect for elders has been lost, teenagers trust the World Wide Web more than their parents. They try to imitate the main characters of the virtual computer games, and not to the characters of the classical Russian works of Tolstoy, Pushkin, Lermontov.
Features of primary school age
IN given age children are not capable of independent choice, they tend to become addicted, so you need to choose the right one literary sources. K. D. Ushinsky noted that "he who imitates does not obey, but does what he wants." It is imitation that comes to the fore at this time. If the teacher and parents can find the “right” character, self-education will begin. Examples from the literature will help explain to the child the rules of behavior in society, show the importance of working on oneself. Jean-Paul Sartre ( French philosopher) said that "a person is what he does". Moral self-improvement was topical issue in all historical epochs.
S. Lvov developed his own formula of self-education, which is still working today. If we consider such a topic as self-education, examples in the literature can be found in in large numbers. Demosthenes, who became an orphan, was disinherited, had a quiet voice, burr, was clumsy, awkward in actions. But he managed to overcome all his shortcomings, to turn into a brilliant political orator. This example shows that a person is able to influence his destiny, to resist life circumstances, working on himself.
The mechanism of self-education from Leo Tolstoy
After birth, a person acquires certain qualities: habits, manners, behavioral skills, that is, personality is formed. At this time, such a process as self-education is important. In the literature, examples of self-improvement of heroes can be found all the time. The Russian commander Alexander Suvorov had poor health, a modest family estate, and could only consider the title of State Councilor as a prospect. But, working on himself, sick Sashenka turned into the greatest commander who was responsible for the fate of great Russia. In his diary, Leo Tolstoy himself noted the importance of self-education in literature. The examples he mentioned primarily concern the writer himself. In his youth, Lev Nikolayevich kept notes in his diary, noting his shortcomings, thinking about ways to work on himself. He managed to overcome such shortcomings as vanity, laziness, passion for playing cards. Tolstoy's whole life is a perfect example moral development and improvement. He became a true humanist writer, believing in man, his inner strength, possibilities.
Personality can be judged by certain characteristics, such as:
- The formation of certain social qualities (this includes dignity, responsibility, firmness of convictions, social activity, individuality).
- Level mental development that allows you to control your activities and behavior.
Material for self-development
For this period, enough information has been accumulated in order to carry out self-education. It is easy to find examples in literature, you just need to open the books of Russian classics. Psychologists are convinced that it is in the early childhood Children need to be taught self-development. New federal educational standards implemented in Russian schools, suggest self-education. In the literature, examples suitable for the school are easy to find. Opening any book, carefully studying storyline, you can see how the formation of the character, its development, change life priorities depending on the situation in which he finds himself. Understanding the seriousness of the problem, teachers and psychologists are trying to find the best version of the program so that self-education is present in works of literature. Examples of characters should become guidelines for children to work on themselves, awaken in them the desire to become better, more interesting, more tolerant of other people.
Conclusion
Self-improvement has a certain mechanism. First, a person must choose the goals of life, pick up ideals, taking into account the norms social behavior. The next step is to prepare for life in modern society, the ability of collective coexistence is formed. Psychologists are convinced that contradictions are important for self-development. Apart from goodies, the teacher should consider in the classroom and negative characters, together with the guys to study their negative qualities. In the book "Organization of self-education of schoolchildren" A. I. Kochetov mentions that any personality is contradictory, in its inner world there are constant periods of recession, conflicts, clashes. But without these processes, the child has no chance for self-development, improvement of his personal qualities. There are five "must" to help the child begin self-education. Examples of helping elders, conscientiously fulfill the orders of teachers, put collective interests above personal ones, be honest, conscientious.
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Leo Tolstoy far from always corresponded to the prevailing stereotype of a stern old man and writer - the author of voluminous books, a count and a landowner who led a lifestyle that was by no means a count. He was brought up vain and windy, having inherited from his parents a passion for gambling together with with a living mind which was difficult for him to focus on. He never received higher education, being twice expelled from Kazan University. Thanks to what did he go all the way to a thinker with a huge capacity for work, who wrote as much as not everyone has read in his life? Among the many books of Tolstoy, his notes in his diary were almost lost - in them the author by himself defines the rules for developing and strengthening willpower and mental abilities. |
1. First step
In fact, the will of the body is developed to a certain extent in almost everyone. Thanks to her, man, in fact, separated from the animal world. She is necessary condition the existence of the individual.Although there are exceptions: infancy, decrepitude and illness - both bodily and spiritual (apathy, anemia). A person still performs many actions instinctively and without thinking, and by following them, we sometimes deprive ourselves of the freedom of choice.
So, what does Tolstoy advise for the development of the bodily will?
Every morning assign yourself everything that you must do during the whole day., and fulfill all that is appointed, even if the fulfillment of the appointed entails some harm.
In addition to the development of the will, this rule will also develop the mind, which will more deliberately determine the deeds of the will. That is, relatively speaking, debriefing in the evenings will allow a short time make daily plans productive.
Control your sleep. Each person has an optimal sleep duration, and it must be calculated in advance and sleep no more and no less than necessary. An extra half an hour with a pillow can be pleasant, but they deprive not only control over their actions, but also a charge of vivacity for several hours. According to Tolstoy, during sleep there is no will at all, so he considered it necessary to reduce sleep mercilessly, and get up before the sun.
Endure all bodily troubles without expressing them outwardly. And to develop and strengthen your health, try to "make the movement as regular as possible." For example, make a commitment to perform a daily and weekly mandatory set of physical exercises. Lev Nikolaevich himself advised "to make movement in the air every day." He never shunned hard work, showed himself to be a hardy officer during hardships. Crimean War, and besides - just at the time when he was compiling these rules for himself - he visited ballroom dancing, although he did not want to, and did not like to dance. Including thanks to physical exercises, Tolstoy almost until the end of his days had neither decrepitude nor decline. He, even at a very respectable age (over 80 years old), could ride many miles without any fatigue on horseback at a large trot.
Be true to your word. First of all - the word given to yourself.
If you have started any business, do not leave it without finishing. This will help develop awareness of actions - before you do something, you will already imagine the expected result. As a result, you will act holistically and completely, getting rid of the fussiness. Tolstoy himself tried many things and activities in his youth, and he formulated this rule from his own personal experience.
Always have a table in which all the smallest circumstances of your life would be determined. even how many pipes to smoke a day. And also how much to eat, drink, engage in certain types of mental and physical activities. With such a table, it is easier to plan time, affairs and expenses. In addition, you can often hear about the benefits of following a daily routine - eating, sleeping at certain hours, etc. Having clear habits, the body acts as if by inertia, and with sudden changes it becomes “disoriented”, does not have time to adapt to frequent changes.
Here we can recall as an example of another thinker, no less than Tolstoy preoccupied with the development of the will. Kant's life was calculated and likened to the most accurate chronometer. For decades he never got up at the wrong time. It is widely known that the inhabitants of Koenigsberg even checked their watches on it. Everything in his life was thought out to the smallest detail - to the daily painting of what is, and the color of the clothes to wear. Having established the correct functioning of his body, Kant created inertia and, like a machine, continued to live, trying not to break any previously established habits.
Of course, this can be said to be an example of a certain extreme. But one cannot but agree that this advice of Tolstoy is of considerable use.
If you are doing something, then strain all your bodily abilities on the subject that you are doing. Regularly ask yourself the question: what exactly am I doing now? And if there are more than one of these cases, choose the most important or urgent, postponing the rest.
2. Will of emotions
Tolstoy said that with a developed sensual (emotional) will, you can control your emotions, causing them in accordance with your goals. Very similar to one of the postulates of modern approaches to development emotional intelligence, is not it?The source of all feelings is love, the writer believed. At the same time, he divided it into love for oneself, or self-love, and love for everything around us - however, they are so closely interconnected that they are essentially two sides of one feeling. And if one of these sides is not sufficiently developed, it does not allow the other to fully express itself. Tolstoy himself, at the time when he created these rules, was in spiritual quest, which either led him to complete self-denial, or allowed him to calmly revel and walk. But, as can be seen from his later life, the self-denying side reflected in these rules prevailed in Tolstoy.
So, general rule: all sensual deeds should not be an unconscious fulfillment of the needs of the senses, but a determination of the will. All feelings that spring from love for the whole world are good; all feelings that have their source exclusively in self-love are bad.
Don't worry about the approval of people you either don't know or despise. This is one of the most complicated rules, since a huge proportion of our efforts and costs are those aimed at gaining approval and respect from others - often not familiar to us at all. Being hypertrophied, pride in this case leads to inability to love and loss of contact with people.
To overcome this need, first of all get used to the idea that most people around you think first of all about what others think of them. They think very little about you and your motives, busy thinking about themselves. It is also helpful to do the two exercises regularly, asking yourself the questions: “What would I stop doing if everyone around me already treated me the way I would like?” and “What would I do now if the opinions of people around me who are indifferent to me did not interest me?” Based on your own answers, you should remove superfluous and superficial things from life.
Be more concerned with yourself than with the opinions of others. If a person has a craving for self-improvement and a plan for such - well. However, in drawing up and implementing this plan, Tolstoy considered it necessary to rely primarily on himself. Being, like most great people, unsuccessful in receiving a standard education, he achieved everything by self-study, "... tried to improve himself mentally ... studied everything that he could and that life led to." Tolstoy did a lot for public education, but at the same time he did not respect education for the sake of grades and recognition. In the Yasnaya Polyana school he created, there was neither compulsory attendance nor any disciplinary requirements, but education was going well.
Be good and try not to let anyone know you're good. Be a master at something or do a lot useful to people- this is amazing! But everything is easily depreciated if you shout about it at every corner.
Always look in other people good side, not stupid. Attuning to the good will allow both you and those with whom you communicate to bring out the best in yourself. Always speak the truth, and even when your actions may seem strange surrounding don't make excuses to anyone. Analyze where and when, for any purpose, you have to distort the truth in conversations, and find a way to achieve the same results without resorting to lies.
To submit to the will of the feeling of greed, always live worse than you could live. Don't change lifestyle even if you were ten times richer. The richest and most powerful Roman Empire collapsed not so much under the onslaught of the barbarians, but corrupted by the wealth and luxury conquered. And a person, in order to destroy his character, needs much less effort and time. Divide things into those that you need, and those that serve only excessive comfort and help to kill time. Figure out exactly how such things harm you (physically, character), what they deprive you of (most often - time), and remove at least the most harmful ones from your life.
Sacrifice a tenth of all that you can have for the good of others. Use every addition to your property not for yourself, but for society. At the same time, always spend on specific useful things - without distributing money for abstract charity or in the form of alms.
Don't let desire please opposite sex guide your actions- this is not only harmful, but also unproductive.
Loving everyone equally, do not exclude yourself from this love. Love each neighbor as well as yourself, but love two neighbors more than yourself.
3. Mind
The highest degree of will dominance is its dominance over reason. What happens to us is a consequence of what we think. Reasonable will allows us to combine the qualities of the bodily and emotional will, determine the direction of our entire development and achieve consistent fulfillment of the self-improvement program set for ourselves. For example: in addition to the system of development of the will, Tolstoy in his diary has a rich set of rules for the development of memory, mental abilities, etc.Determine from the beginning of the day all your mental activities. This includes reading books, learning something useful, and most importantly - time to think about your actions. Include it in your daily routine too, allocating separate time for making plans, analyzing what happened (Tolstoy had a rule - on Saturdays to review everything done during the week) and setting new goals. Many people do not achieve what they want, primarily because all sorts of activities and unproductive thoughts do not leave them time for analysis and planning.
Get yourself a notebook in which you will determine your goals not only for the day, but for ever longer periods of life. Tolstoy, in addition to setting goals and drawing up rules, was also engaged in rather deep written introspection.
When you study, try to keep all your mental faculties focused on this subject. No matter how hard you try to find a quiet and comfortable environment for mental activities, there will always be something that can distract you - therefore, rejoice at every opportunity to resist temptations and learn to concentrate - even at first and through force.
Do not even think about it. Don't make castles in the air. dream away goals differs in that while the goal serves as a map for you to go to what you want, the dream takes you there instantly - and just as quickly returns you back, relaxing your will and not even allowing you to see anything along the way. Therefore, do not mix dreams and thoughtful comprehensive planning.
So that nothing external, bodily or sensual, has an influence on the direction of your thought, but that thought determines itself. When feelings overwhelm and push to inappropriate actions, a second glance at oneself from the side may be enough to realize this and act reasonably. The task is simplified by the fact that each person loses his head in certain situations for him, they can be taken into account and considered in a calm atmosphere.
Whatever mental activity you start, don't quit until you finish it. This rule can lead to great abuse - fantasies and endless sophistry. So it needs to be limited. next rule: have a purpose for all life, a purpose for famous era your life, the goal for a certain time, the goal for the year, for the month, for the week, for the day and for the hour and for the minute, sacrificing lower goals for higher ones.
Willpower is in many ways similar to muscle strength - it also grows and strengthens through regular exercise, in which you have to overpower yourself. And it comes to naught if you let its development take its course.
When starting to work on willpower, it’s not worth taking on all the rules at once - this is not only not easy, but it can also early stage cause disappointment. Therefore, it is better to gradually introduce new rules for yourself. And remember that one of Tolstoy's rules says: do not unconditionally follow a rule without experiencing it.
Based on the article "Recipes for willpower from Leo Tolstoy"
published in the journal "Company Management", No. 4, 2008,
www.management.web-standard.net
Published: 13.07.2008
Last update: 21.12.2008
The family plays an important role in shaping the personality. environment, school. However, self-education is also of great importance. This is practically the only way to make adjustments to a person’s character in a certain life period. If before the age of four a child adopts a demeanor, learns social skills from adults, then junior school student and, moreover, a teenager becomes much more resistant to any outside influences. For young people, self-education is an exclusive means of personal development. How is it carried out and how to direct the young soul in the "right direction"?
You should not think that self-education is some special special occupation that takes a lot of time and effort. No, most often it happens gradually, as if imperceptibly. This is not only targeted by a person who wants, for example, to develop attention, memory, become more hardened or acquire physical strength. Of course, playing sports, training, self-study are ways to work on yourself.
However, self-education is also reading books, and (often in the form of diaries or blogs), and communicating with smart people who can teach something good. People are not born with values. Self-education of a person is imperceptibly carried out both when watching high-quality meaningful films, and when formulating and expressing, and then defending one's point of view - for example, within the framework of discussions and disputes. For each of us, "getting better" means completely different things. For one it is to develop muscles, endurance, physical strength, speed. For another - to learn and be more tolerant. For the third most great importance have historical and heroic examples self-education. First of all - strong-willed hardening. Alexey Meresyev or Nikolay Ostrovsky can serve as examples. For many, the model of great will is Napoleon Bonaparte. For others - Mikhail Lomonosov, like other outstanding self-taught. But for Leo Tolstoy or Anton Chekhov, self-education consisted in developing genuine humanism in oneself - sympathy, tact, participation. It is no coincidence that in their works so much attention is paid to moral issues. Diaries and letters clearly show inner work writers above themselves. F. M. Dostoevsky also described the fight against vice - gambling addiction or passion for gambling, and the author himself was the prototype of the hero.
It is believed that in addition to introspection and self-hypnosis, auto-training and the empathy method are excellent ways of educating a personality, which consists in putting yourself in the place of another person, imagining what you would feel or think in such a situation. Rewards are also an important element. For example, if you managed to fulfill what was planned, achieve your goal (which must be formulated, spoken aloud), then you can make yourself little present. Self-criticism does not bring the desired results for everyone, although without it it is difficult to identify the shortcomings that a person considers it necessary to work on. At the same time, she should not turn into self-flagellation, which is a deviation from normal behavior.
But after three years of study, Tolstoy decided to switch to self-education - to study independently according to his own plan. He studied history and music, drawing and medicine, law and Agriculture. And all his life Tolstoy replenished his knowledge. (In his later years Tolstoy was fluent in English, French and German; read in Italian, Polish, Czech and Serbian; knew Greek, Latin, Ukrainian, Tatar, Church Slavonic; studied Hebrew, Turkish, Dutch, Bulgarian and other languages). Leaving the university, Tolstoy left Kazan for Yasnaya Polyana, which he received under the division of his father's inheritance. Then he went to Moscow, where at the end of 1850 he began his writing activity, then the story "Childhood" was started. L. N. Tolstoy. 1849
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"Leo Tolstoy" - The Bolkonsky Family - "the mind of the mind." Life high society devoid of human content, life; Images of soulless people flicker, Masks pulled together by decency. A run to the door was heard from the next room ... The principles of the old prince Bolkonsky. I sincerely ask you on behalf of the whole family ... The count met and saw off the guests, inviting everyone to dinner.
"Yasnaya Polyana Tolstoy" - The history of the estate. Tolstoy on a walk. L.N. Tolstoy - letter to S.A. Tolstoy, May 3, 1897 Library. Swimming pool on the Upper Pond. Upper pond. Leo Tolstoy and Yasnaya Polyana Art world L.N. Tolstoy. The big house had an outbuilding. Hall interior. Tolstoy listened to everyone equally, gave them money. House-Museum of Leo Tolstoy.
"Writer Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy" - Maria Nikolaevna Volkonskaya in childhood, mother of Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy became especially close to the writers grouped around Sovremennik. A trip to St. Petersburg University to hold exams for the degree of candidate. 1849. Nikolai Ilyich, father of Leo Tolstoy. The house bought by Tolstoy was in a working-class area.
"Writer Leo Tolstoy" - L. N. Tolstoy with his grandchildren Sonya and Ilyusha. V.Ya.Bryusov. A distant relative, T.A. Ergolskaya, was involved in the upbringing of children. Kazan University. Tolstoy's funeral in Yasnaya Polyana. L. N. Tolstoy at the fourth bastion. People's School. I. A. Goncharov, I. S. Turgenev, L. N. Tolstoy, D. V. Grigorovich, A. V. Druzhinin and A. N. Ostrovsky (1856).
"Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy" - Died February 23, 1945, in Moscow. During Patriotic War. Graf, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1939). Alexey Nikolaevich Tolstoy. I tried painting. historical prose. He published poetry from 1905 and prose from 1908. Oprichniki (Malyuta Skuratov, Vasily Gryaznoy, and others) are nobility incarnate. New and old themes.
"Literature Tolstoy" - Bloody Sunday. 1861. 1871. The abolition of serfdom. Test. 1853-1856. life credo L. Tolstoy. 1877-1878. Military service. Russian-Turkish war. Slide 7. Yasnaya Polyana: experience independent living. 1851-1855 Rules of L. Tolstoy. Childhood, adolescence, youth: the origins of personality. 1849-1851 Witness what historical events was Tolstoy?
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The diaries of Leo Tolstoy were found, in which he wrote down for himself the rules for developing the will and improving mental abilities. How to open up huge opportunities and choose any path in life according to the writer?
Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest Russian writers, can hardly be called a typical example of a serious and old landowner and count who writes voluminous, moralizing and complex books. Tolstoy was famous for the fact that he did not at all correspond to his count status - he was a simple, hard-working and friendly person, he loved nature and had no inclination to luxurious life.
He also had his shortcomings - a windy and conceited character, a passion for gambling, even frivolity were inherent in the still young Leo, who was expelled from Kazan University twice.
But his lively mind, together with amazing willpower, made him a talented writer and thinker, whose books are known and loved all over the world today. Apparently, it was not easy for a person with such a character to force himself to work productively and constantly, but we know the methods of developing the will of Leo Tolstoy.
Among the writer's numerous books, his diaries were found, in which he wrote down for himself the rules for developing the will and improving mental abilities. Since then, these rules have not lost their relevance, although they were written down a century and a half ago. Perhaps at the beginning of his creative way Tolstoy lacked willpower, but with the help of these guidelines, which he set for himself, he achieved great success.
The writer shared three types of will: bodily, sensual and rational. The latter was considered the most important type, but, according to Tolstoy, it is necessary to develop them simultaneously. When a person perfects all three types of will, he opens up great opportunities and can choose any path in life he wants.
Stage 1 - development of bodily will
Tolstoy mentioned that it is this species - bodily will - that is best developed in humans, because thanks to this, humans separated from the rest of the animal species. Therefore, everyone has the rudiments of bodily will, because it is an essential part of our life - it needs to be developed only a little. The only exceptions to this rule are people in their infancy or decrepitude, when a person is not yet or no longer in control of his body.
1 rule. For the development of the bodily will, Tolstoy advises to write down tasks for the day in advance - in the morning or the day before. Just make a list of tasks that need to be completed during the day, and for that day, be sure to complete everything assigned. Moreover, Leo Tolstoy points out that even if the performance of a deed causes harm, it is still desirable to perform it.
This rule not only perfectly trains the will, but also develops the mind, which will help you to make a smarter approach to compiling a list of tasks. After a day, a person usually analyzes his actions, and based on the results, he can make a more productive plan for the next day.
2 rule. You need to learn how to control your sleep. The recommended duration of sleep is about 7-9 hours, but each person is individual, seven hours is enough for one, the other feels good only after a long sleep. Therefore, you need to figure out how much sleep is optimal for you, and from that moment on, sleep exactly that many hours a day, no more and no less.
Remember that “another half hour” in the morning is, of course, pleasant, but, firstly, it weakens the bodily will, and secondly, it deprives you of energy in the morning. Tolstoy believed that in a dream the bodily will of a person does not work at all, therefore he himself reduced sleep time to a minimum and always got up before sunrise.
3 rule. It is very important to experience physical troubles and difficulties often, and at the same time not to show outwardly how difficult they are. Tolstoy wrote that it is necessary to “make regular movements”, that is, move more, do exercises, exercise every day.
You can take up running or other sports - the main thing is not to allow yourself to spend the whole day in relative peace. The writer recommended to engage in movement in the air. He not only exercised regularly, but also did hard work - for example, during the Crimean War he was considered a hardy and strong officer.
In addition, in peacetime, Tolstoy attended ballroom dancing and forced himself to dance, although he did not really like this activity. But the result of this approach is simply magnificent - Leo Tolstoy lived for more than eighty years, and even at the end of his life he could not be called decrepit, weak and infirm. It was said that when the writer was over eighty, he trotted a horse for several miles every day.
4 rule. This rule sounds short - be true to your word, including if you gave it to yourself. It would seem nothing complicated, but it is precisely this that often fails a person who decides to engage in the development of willpower.
5 rule. Don't quit what you started. This trains not only willpower, but also awareness of actions. When a person develops the habit of bringing everything to the end, he begins to imagine the result before any action. This helps to do everything calmly, holistically and in order, without fuss and fuss. Leo Tolstoy derived this rule from own experience– In his youth, he tried to devote himself to many different things.
6 rule. Make a spreadsheet that includes all the little things Everyday life. Tolstoy entered into this table all aspects of life: how many pipes to smoke per day, how much to eat, what to eat, when to practice exercise what exercises to do on what day and so on. Such a table will help you plan time, keep track of expenses, and manage to complete all the tasks.
Scientists have long proven the benefits of the established daily routine: it is important to get up at the same time, eat at certain hours - with such habits, the body exists without sudden changes and stresses, and with changes it becomes as if “disoriented”. Such advice can be found not only in Leo Tolstoy, for example, Kant also believed that life should be carefully calculated by days and hours.
This German philosopher he lived according to a chronometer: for decades he got up on time, did everything at the same time, so that even the inhabitants of Koenigsberg often checked their watches by him. He had everything planned down to such trifles, such as, for example, on what day what to eat, what color to wear clothes. Of course, this is an extreme, and hardly anyone wants to repeat this experience. But it is still worth introducing a routine into your life.
1908, Yasnaya Polyana. Leo Tolstoy with his beloved horse Delir
Stage 2 - development of emotional will
Emotional will, as the name implies, controls the emotions of a person, subordinates them to his goals. The writer believed that all feelings are caused by love, which can take various forms: there is pride, love for the world around, passionate love. It is important to develop all aspects of love without giving preference to any one.
When Tolstoy came up with this rule for himself, he was in an indefinite state: either he tried to renounce his desires and devote himself to the love of the world, or he launched into spiritual quest and allowed himself any entertainment. But after a while he found a balance in his emotions. Although his later life shows that self-denial manifested itself more often than pride.
Thus, the general rule for the development of the will of emotions is: all sensual affairs should not be driven by feelings, but be the result of will. In addition, a person's feelings should not come solely from self-love.
1 rule. Don't try to please people you don't know or don't like. It will be difficult to follow this rule in life, because almost every person cares about being respected, loved and accepted by others. And often it comes to the point that we begin to worry about the opinion of a completely strangers- we forget what we ourselves need and begin to adapt to social standards. Going the other way is also not worth it - hypertrophied pride and withdrawal from others leads to a loss of contact with other people and causes an inability to love.
You just need to constantly remember that, like you, other people are primarily concerned about other people's thoughts. They also worry about how they are perceived from the outside, how they are treated, whether they are respected, and your own motives and motivations are not visible to them. Therefore, do not bother yourself with such thoughts. Tolstoy advised to perform such an exercise: regularly ask yourself “What would I do now if I didn’t care what people think and say?” and “What would I stop doing if I didn’t care about other people’s opinions?” In accordance with the answers to these questions, you need to adjust your life.
2 rule. Practice self-improvement for yourself, not for others. It's good when a person strives to become better and has a plan to achieve the goal. But the main thing at the same time is that the motives should come from oneself, and not from other people. As practice shows, this brings the best results.
For example, Tolstoy, who, along with many other great people, had difficulties in obtaining a standard education, but managed to achieve a lot by self-study and self-development. When he opened in Yasnaya Polyana public school, then did not introduce any compulsory subjects, assessments, attendance records - nevertheless, the matter progressed successfully, and many students received an education.
3 rule. Try to be nice, but don't show it to others. Of course, you should not hide from everyone that you are well versed - but even if this is so, all your skill can depreciate if you shout about it at every corner.
4 rule. Finding the good in other people and not looking for the flaws. Attuning to the positive is good not only in assessing other people, but also all life. Tolstoy urged everyone to tell the truth, and not to make excuses yourself.
5 rule. Live worse than you can afford. This rule is the best way to train willpower: even if you are rich and can afford much more, do not change your lifestyle. As history and practice show, extra comfort and luxury in the bud kill the desire for self-improvement.
Even the great Roman Empire collapsed more because of too pampered, luxurious life, and not because of the barbarians. You need to know exactly what things are really necessary in life, and which ones simply bring unnecessary comfort, kill time, harm the body or character.
6 rule. Donate a tenth of your property to other people. Tolstoy throughout his life was engaged in charity work and urged those around him to spend part of his wealth on things useful to society. The main thing, he said, is not to give money for abstract goods and not to give alms, it is important to do really useful, concrete deeds.
Russian writers of the circle of the Sovremennik magazine. I. A. Goncharov, I. S. Turgenev, L. N. Tolstoy, D. V. Grigorovich, A. V. Druzhinin and A. N. Ostrovsky. February 15, 1856 Photo by S. L. Levitsky
Stage 3 - the development of reasonable will
A person reaches the highest degree of perfection when his will becomes able to control the mind. Tolstoy wrote that our thoughts influence our actions, what happens to us. If you master the rational will, combining it with the emotional and bodily, then you can achieve high results development of various abilities of a person, including memory, mind, deliberation and others.
1 rule. Assign mental activities for each day. In the morning or in the evening, when making a list of tasks for the day, you should not bypass mental affairs: for example, reading books, studying science, mental activity, and the like. For such cases, it is necessary to allocate special time, also, about once a week, you need to take time to draw up plans and analyze what happened.
Tolstoy, for example, did this on Saturdays. Subordination mental activity strict routine disciplines the mind and makes it work more productively, as a result of which great results can be achieved. Gradually, you can begin to plan your life not only by days, but also by long periods of time. Tolstoy also advised to conduct a written introspection and he himself followed this advice.
2 rule. In the study of any matter or in any activity, all mental forces should be directed to this subject. This means that in any business it is very important to be able to fully concentrate, concentrate your attention, and not let your mind be distracted. A difficult task, especially in a hostile or noisy environment, but that is what will control is all about. At first it will be difficult not to get distracted and devote your whole mind to one problem, but this quickly becomes a habit.
3 rule. Don't dream. This rule may seem strange and not even useful. Tolstoy warned about the dangers of daydreaming. But it is important to distinguish between two concepts - dreams and goals. Goals are an important and useful part of a person's life, they allow you to focus your strength on a certain path and quickly make your way forward. Dreams, on the contrary, bring a person back, relax the will, reduce attention and concentration. Pipe dreams, useless desires will not lead to anything good, so it is important to plan your life thoughtfully and concentratedly without dreaming.
4 rule. Feelings and emotions should not be allowed to take over the mind. Dealing with your feelings is sometimes hard powerful emotions push people to unreasonable acts, cause inadequate behavior. Later, we begin to regret this, because in a calm environment we have the opportunity to think about the situation and find the best way out. Therefore, you need to learn even in such emotional moments to seize control of the mind and not let feelings control it.
5 rule. Do not give up any mental activities you have begun. The development of willpower can be compared to strengthening muscle mass- if you practice regularly, it grows, and if you abandon it, it disappears.
LN Tolstoy with his wife and children. 1887
You should not radically change your life and try to introduce all the rules into it at once, otherwise you won’t developed strength will not allow to live in such a regime, which will only bring disappointment. It is better to follow these rules gradually, and most importantly, do not forget the main advice of Leo Tolstoy: before you thoughtlessly follow the rule, you need to test it.
