Meeting, Facing and Overcoming Barriers
to Disciplining the Mind
Barriers to the development of the mind (within
the mind) come in two primary forms:
Egocentric and sociocentric thought
These two sets of tendencies, when explicitly
understood by students, provide concrete
strategies for intervening in and disciplining
the mind.
What is egocentric thought?
 Working in pairs, silently read p. 21 in the
Concepts and Tools guide.
 For each of the egocentric “standards” listed
on this page, write out 2-3 examples of
student beliefs that fall into these categories.
 Silently read and then discuss the section on
egocentricity on p. 13 of the Human Mind
guide.
Human egocentrism:
the natural human tendency “to view
everything within the world in
relationship to oneself, to be selfcentered” (Webster’s New World
Dictionary); and
Categorize these typical student beliefs,
using the “standards” on p. 21.
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Learning should be fun.
Learning should be easy.
If I do what the teacher says, that’s all that matters.
All I need to do is the absolute minimum to get an A.
Learning means doing what the teacher says.
I shouldn’t have to waste my time learning anything I
can’t use.
Whatever our culture believes is important is
important.
Cheating to get by is fine because all I need is the piece
of paper (the college degree) to get a job anyway.
I believe that learning biology is a waste of my time.
I believe in creationist theory.
The Logic of Student Thinking
varies from student to student
but with certain identifiable patterns
More student beliefs/habits that affect learning
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It’s true if the teacher says it is true.
It is true if my friend’s believe it.
It is true if it agrees with what I already think.
If I am not learning it is the teacher’s fault.
I am too stupid to learn this.
If I have to ask a question in class, I am dumb.
I am the only person with a question, so I must
be the only dumb person here.
 If I finish my work first, I am smarter than
everyone else.
 If the teacher calls on me more that the other students,
it shows I am smarter than them.
 If the teacher calls on me more that the other students,
it shows I am dumber than them.
 The only things worth learning are those that will be on
the test.
 The only things worth learning are the things that will
increase my job-earning potential.
 All I should do is the minimum to get by.
 Since I am smarter than everyone else in the class, I
have nothing to learn from them.
 I shouldn’t have to waste my time teaching other
students since it isn’t my problem if they are “slow.”
 The teacher will explain everything I need to
know.
 If other students think I am dumb, I am dumb.
 If other students think I am smart, I am smart.
 I am too stupid to learn complicated things.
Students need to face these assumptions
and habits of mind and deal with them.
They need intervention strategies that they create
and regularly use, to change these habits.
What is sociocentric thought?
 Working in pairs, silently read p. 22 in the
Concepts and Tools guide.
 Then go through each bulleted point, briefly
discussing each one and exemplifying
implications for student thought and behavior.
 How might we use the concept of sociocentric
thinking to help students gain better
command of their minds?
Sociocentric thought is the native human tendency
to see the world from a narrow and biased
group-centered perspective, to operate within
the world through subjective and partial group
beliefs, group influences, group rules, group
think, group interests.
Sociocentric Thought is intricately connected with
egocentric thought, the native tendency to see
the world from a narrow, self-centered
perspective.
Beginning at a very young age humans begin to
internalize the mores and folkways of the groups to
which they belong. They begin “fitting in” to groups,
from no choice of their own, but out of instinct and
in order to survive.
Due to an innate need to be accepted and esteemed
by others, to be validated, humans operate largely
as members of various groups through the whole of
their lives.
At the same time, humans do not naturally develop skills
of group critique – the ability to determine group
practices that make sense to accept, those that need
modification, and those that should be wholeheartedly
rejected.
Due to the credulity of the uncultivated mind, from a very
young age, humans largely uncritically accept the
beliefs of family, school, religion, peers, government,
clubs and organizations, indeed any group in which
they become members.
And then they largely defend and build on those
views they have uncritically accepted.
Most of these group-held beliefs lie at the
unconscious level of thought, not explicitly
recognized by the mind, nevertheless guiding much
of our behavior.
Native sociocentric thought is at the root of many human
problems and countless injustices.
Only when each of us takes command of this hidden part
of our nature, can we begin to extricate ourselves from
dogmatic and dangerous group ideologies, from group
rules, taboos and conventions arbitrarily formed and
strictly imposed, from unwarranted group
righteousness that leads to untold pain and suffering,
from group agendas and actions that undermine the
cultivation of critical societies.
Sociocentric Thinking is Linked with Egocentric Thinking
Consider these definitions:
 Human egocentrism, the natural human tendency “to view
everything within the world in relationship to oneself, to be
self-centered” (Webster’s New World Dictionary); and
 Human sociocentrism, most simply conceptualized as group
egocentricity. To define sociocentricity, we might take
Webster’s definition of egocentricity (above), substituting
group for self. Thus, sociocentric thinking is the natural
human tendency to view everything within the world in
relationship to one’s group, to be group-centered.
In every human group, there are three existing
realities:
1. Things you must do (requirements).
2. Things you cannot do (taboos).
3. Things you are permitted to do but are not
required to do.
This conception is the heart of sociological thinking.
Consider your country as “group,” for example.
Working in groups, make a list of the following:
1. Things you must do (requirements) in your
country.
2. Things you cannot do (taboos) in your country.
3. Things you are permitted to do but are not
required to do.
How do the “rules” of society impede
the cultivation of the intellect?
Discuss how the rules, conventions, taboos of
the culture impede our ability to foster
intellectual development.
How do conventions within schools,
colleges and universities impede the
cultivation of the intellect?
 Answer this question, focusing on your
institution.
 What are some implications for student
thinking?
Questions…
 What self-handicapping behaviors do your
students engage in?
 What does it mean to self-handicap?
 To what extent is self-handicapping behavior
learned, and to what extent does it have a
biological base?
 Are there identifiable patterns for selfhandicapping behavior?
 Do students tend to use one, a few, or many
forms of self-handicapping behaviors?
Suggesting a way into self-handicapping behavior
focusing on the opposites of intellectual traits
 Working in pairs.
 Go through each intellectual virtue on p. 14-15
using this process:
1. Silently read the description for each trait.
2. Spend a few minutes writing out an explanation
of its opposite.
3. Share your explanations. Then formulate
examples of how this “anti-intellectual” trait
impedes student learning.
Two organizing roots of self-handicapping
behavior:
1. Inferiority Complex:
“I’m too stupid to learn this, so why bother
trying?”
2. Arrogance Complex:
“I already know everything I need to know about
this (subject, problem, situation).”
Understanding pathological dispositions of the human mind
p. 21, Human Mind guide, working in pairs
1. read each disposition
2. give examples from student thought and behavior
of the disposition
3. discuss how you might correct for each one, if you
were so motivated.
4. Then read our suggestions for correcting for each
disposition on pp. 22-23.
Discuss implications for teaching and learning.
Understanding pathological sociocentric dispositions of
the human mind
p. 21, Human Mind guide, working in pairs
1. Transform each disposition into a sociocentric
disposition,
2. give examples from student thought and
behavior of the disposition
3. discuss how you might help students correct for
each one.
Discuss any additional implications for teaching and
learning.
Requiring an intellectual journal
 Read idea #9 on p. 14 of the How to Improve
Student Learning guide.
 Discuss whether you might want to use this
structure in your classes.
Discuss
 How can we design instruction so that students
begin to overcome the barriers to their
development as thinkers?
 How can we design instruction so that most
students can be successful, and all students are
encouraged to work at the highest level of
functioning?
 How can we help students effectively deal with
the egocentric and sociocentric tendencies native
to all of us?