the human tendencies

The Human Tendencies February 21, 2013

JAYALAKSHMIDHARMENDAR 1

Human Tendencies are universal characteristics of all people across all cultures.

They are characteristic of every child born and allow us to meet our physical needs

(food, shelter, clothing, and defense) and spiritual needs (love, beauty, intellectual

needs, and religion).It is essential to understand that the Human Tendencies are not

abilities we are born with, but potentials to be developed. To the degree that we

support the unfolding of these human tendencies will determine how that human can

make full use of these tendencies for the rest of his life. The more we as adults

understand about the Human Tendencies the more we can help our children succeed

- not only today, but also in their adult lives. Two unique gifts are given to the human

being

1. The intellect – reasoning mind

2. The will – love

These two gifts allow the tendencies to construct the human uniqueness. The

tendencies are factors that operate the vehicles of the intellect, enabling the

human to learn about and understand his environment. All humans have some typical

characteristics in the human tendencies. While individual outcomes can vary

greatly, human tendencies are ordered to the goal of fulfilling human needs.

Characteristics of Tendencies Tendencies can be and are latent at varying periods of life, particularly from

conception to shortly after birth. They can strengthen slowly or quickly for varying

lengths of times, but are hereditary and in their essence unchanging. Human



tendencies have functioned from the creation of man and still operate today.

Tendencies develop from the human’s need to survive and adapt to his environment.

They operate in mature individuals but are clearly present and recognized in the

child, particularly during the period up to age six. Tendencies are a driving force

behind work towards betterment of the individual person, his family and society and

humankind as a whole. Every tendency supports the others as they are all inter-

related.

Tendencies

exploration

orientation

order

communication

to know/no reason

abstraction

imagination

the mathematical mind

work

repetition

exactness

activity

manipulation

self-perfection



Each human need and tendency has historical implications, as well as cultural,

modern, practical, educational, spiritual and physical implications.

Dr. Maria Montessori determined that there are human tendencies that exist in

each individual which stimulate her/him within the society. Human tendencies are

unchanging and individual. They help humans to survive and adapt in a particular time

and environment. Maria Montessori distilled 10 Human Tendencies which you can read

about below.

Order Any activity we engage in needs to have a sense of beginning and steps towards

accomplishing a goal. If we don't have order to our thought patterns and actions, we

cannot accomplish anything. Without order there is chaos and confusion.

Communication Is an essential social bond - there are approximately 7,000 languages being

spoken in the world today. Without communication we are unable to function in a

social group. The child is born without speech but learns through an arduous effort

of babbling how to speak. The child learns the language(s) she hears. She learns

spoken language as well as body language. Even before the child can speak, she has a

tendency for communication.

Work It can also be defined as an activity with purpose or constructive activity. The

tendency for work must be developed in a child. If the child is always fed, waited on,



and carried she will not become independent because she will be accustomed to doing

nothing.

Exploration Humans start life by exploring and curiosity drives us as adults to continue

exploring new ways to understand life including travel, education, and a relationship

with a higher being. The tendency for exploration can be seen in the way a baby looks

around, a 9 month old crawls away, and a preschooler goes to school. How can we

nurture and encourage this drive? If the child is constantly restrained and kept

quiet, he will not develop the gift of exploration. It is our task as adults to find

productive, satisfying ways for the child to explore.

Orientation

It is necessary for exploration. To find your way in a new situation you must

orient yourself - think of yourself in a foreign city for the first time. Basic

orientation is necessary to accomplish anything. In addition to physical orientation

to the land, you must orient yourself to the customs of the city - do you shake hands

or bow? What do you eat?

The infant first orients herself to the mother, then the family. A child needs

consistency, order, and stability for orientation. Orientation is also a way to use the

mathematical mind. Through orientation we observe patterns like similarities and

differences. This discernment sharpens the intellect and mathematical mind.

The power of abstraction



Means to conceptualize something that is not concretely present - to grasp

the essence of a thing. The power of abstraction gives us the ability to create

inventions. This tendency will only develop if the child has very clear, concrete

experiences she can put her hands on. The child must have concrete life experiences

to lay the foundation for the mind to take off into the world of abstraction.

Exactness

Every object we use is an achievement of exactness. The great inventors

pursued and pursued until they reached a point of exactness - just think of Thomas

Edison's over 10,000 attempts to invent the light bulb! As Montessori teachers, we

can develop this exactness through our exact actions in presentations of lessons.

From a precise action develops a precise mind.

Repetition In order to achieve exactness there must be repetition. Acquiring a new skill

required repetition to reach the point of exactness. Another word for repetition is

practice and practice makes perfect. A young child with little experience and poor

motor control doesn't have the coordination or movement required for many exact

motions such as getting dressed. The adult tends to say 'let me do that for you.'

Then the child is used to having everything done for them because they couldn't do

it well in the beginning. We must give our children the opportunity to practice so

they will become proficient in the daily tasks of life.

Perfection



Striving towards perfection is a human tendency. That why we repeat, why we

strive for exactness. We strive for perfection to transcend ourselves and connect

with a perfect creator, but we must remember we can't be perfect, only God is

perfect. This tendency of perfection is not always seen in adults and is not part of

American culture. We live in a consumer society with the mindset that things are to

be replaced with something newer and better.

Self-Control The human tendency that allows us to restrain an impulse. Not buying junk

food, driving the speed limit, or continuing to read are all examples of self-control.

When we delay gratification, or practice self-control, we are making a sacrifice for

the greater good.

Humans are constantly confronted with choices. We love and believe in

freedom, and freedom means being able to make choices. Everything we do in a

Montessori classroom leads the child to make choices. But freedom can't exist

without structure. We protect freedom through a structure of limits which helps

the child make the right choices, thus the child gradually develops self-control.

Role of the Adult and the Environment The child depends on the adult to provide the environment and the opportunity

to use these tendencies to their fullest in order to fulfill their needs. The adult

should provide for each tendency as listed above, with the understanding that while

each one is important throughout life, there are sensitive periods for each one in



which needs and other tendencies are most fully strengthened and matured. The

physical environment should be simple, beautiful and orderly, with plenty of room to

move around, as well as an arrangement which requires both gross and fine motor

movement; minimal changes only as needed and with the participation of all affected

persons.

A regular routine should be established with the children, again with the

children participating in any necessary changes, i.e. with forewarning or other

preparation. The child thrives on hearing real language, enunciated clearly, not baby

talk or watered down sentences; he needs guidance and advice for specific social

situations as they present themselves.

The child needs to see excellent role models, who perhaps make mistakes but

are quick to recognize them, ask forgiveness and improve themselves.

The child needs opportunities for rest and reflection after moment of intense

work, therefore simpler activities should always be present in the environment to

which the child can return at any time.

The adult should allow the child to participate in the world around him, opening

and closing doors and drawers, helping to prepare or cleanup for various family and

social activities.

The adult should move at the child’s pace; there should be substantial enough

time to allow for plenty of repetition without unnecessary interruption; materials



and activities which require exactness, including glass and other fragile items which

require exactness of movement; materials at the child’s level to promote usage.

Mistakes should be expected and almost encouraged, with materials, activities

and words set up in a manner which allows for auto-correction.

The human tendencies are a part of human nature. If you inspect human

nature, it is hard to deny their existence. To respond to the existence of human

tendencies, we must become new adults. We need to become familiar with the

child, remove obstacles that may interfere with the child's interaction with the

environment, and to prepare the environment and attach the child to it.

Observe the children every day to see that all of the human tendencies free

to operate. If they are not observable, then something needs to be fixed in the

environment. Watch for the tendencies and think of them as signposts, check the

map and stay on the correct route.

A Montessori education supports these basic tendencies: To Explore To Move To Be Independent To Make Decisions To have Order To Create



To Work To Repeat To Concentrate To Perfect One's Efforts To Express Oneself To Share With a Group To Develop Self-Control

Humans are constantly confronted with choices. We love and believe in

freedom, and freedom means being able to make choices. Everything we do in a

Montessori classroom leads the child to make choices. But freedom can't exist

without structure. We protect freedom through a structure of limits which helps

the child make the right choices, thus the child gradually develops self-control.

Education must support the Human Tendencies.

These inherited treasures are potentialities which each child is born with.

The responsibility of the educator lies in the recognition of the Human Tendencies

and the support of their development. Education should be an aid to life. As

Montessori educators we concern ourselves with providing for the child the optimal

environment where each of these tendencies can flourish and hold the child in good

stead and she becomes a young adult and beyond.



"There is in the soul of the child an impenetrable secret that is

gradually revealed as he develops"

- Maria Montessori

Spend time noticing these tendencies in your child as well as yourself!

the human tendencies

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