Harari's Tips: 5 things to teach your children. And it's not about programming

What to teach children? What skills will be relevant in the next 15-20 years? In what areas can you achieve success and where to start? Such questions are of interest to parents of teenagers who are faced with the need to choose a profession. But the problem is that career guidance is just the tip of the iceberg. Preparation for a successful career should begin long before choosing a profession. And in general, the direction of activity does not play a decisive role. If you teach a child the right things, you can succeed in any field. What are these things? 

5 tips from Yuval Harari At one of the forums dedicated to the future, Israeli historian and professor Yuval Harari gave a detailed interview about what needs to be taught to modern children.

He described these ideas in more detail in his scientific book "21 lessons for the XXI century".

The main idea is that we live in an uncertain, incomprehensible, unpredictable world. Therefore, we are at a loss what to prepare our children for. Do not think narrowly and try to make a list of professions of the future — there is always a chance to make a mistake in the forecasts. 

Harari offers a broader look at the issue of preparing children for professional activity and identifies 5 key skills that will help to succeed in any field. 

Also read: What to do if a child is teased and called names at school: 7 expert tips

Lifelong learningThe most valuable skill that will help our children in the future is the ability to learn.

It used to be like this: first a person acquired a certain number of skills, and the rest of the time he used them, accumulating personal professional experience. 

Now the situation has radically changed. Harari argues that it is impossible to foresee what will be relevant in 20 years. So, it is impossible to learn today in order to be in demand tomorrow. If you want to be in demand today, study today. If you want to be in demand in the future, you will have to study even then. The main thing in this chain is the ability to learn, find the necessary information, regularly update existing knowledge, acquire new skills. 

Why this is important: in 2015, the number of unfilled vacancies in various industries in the United States amounted to 5.8 million. And this is against the background of 17 million unemployed Americans. Why were there no candidates among the people who were looking for a job to close these vacancies? The problem lies in the lack of skills necessary for the employer for the applicants, on the one hand, and in the unwillingness of the unemployed to tighten their knowledge/skills to meet the demands of the market, on the other. In the future, the set of professional skills will become a separate currency. And in order for it to be quoted consistently high, it is necessary to constantly replenish your baggage with new, relevant knowledge.

Ability to hold a punchResilience to life's troubles is another valuable feature for people of the future.

Harari notes that the modern educational system does not teach people to cope with the blows that inevitably happen in life. Teachers are focused on achievements, success, forgetting that failures and temporary difficulties are integral companions of any progress. 

The way a person experiences failures exposes his personal qualities. Some, clenching their teeth, move on. The latter fall into a short-term reflection, but then they still gather themselves into a bunch and continue to work. Still others take offense at the whole world and climb into the bottle. How to hold a blow in case of defeats? This should be taught to your children from a young age. 

Why it's important: Japan has the highest suicide rate per 100,000 population — 26 people (in the UK — 9, in the USA - 11). And in 65.3% of cases, the cause of suicide is considered to be the loss of a job. The Japanese are taught a lot, but not the ability to hold a punch in front of problems at work.

Stress protectionThe problem of chronic stress is reaching a new level — now, in addition to the usual causes of neurosis, a feeling of tension and fear from total surveillance has been added to a person.

The development of monitoring systems makes the desire to be alone and relax almost impossible. Therefore, mental endurance becomes a significant advantage of the individual. 

It can be achieved only with the help of healthy ways to relieve accumulated stress — hobbies, sports, yoga, meditation, outdoor recreation, etc. This is a separate pastime culture that needs to be taught to children. Otherwise, there is a risk of joining the cohort of "useless" people — those who find solace in alcohol/drugs and remain outside the active professional life. 

Why it matters: In Europe, almost 25% of deaths are related to alcohol consumption. Moreover, over the last quarter of a century, this indicator has grown by 10%. At the same time, the global alcohol-related mortality rate is 5%. Hence the conclusion that among all available methods of relaxation, EU residents choose alcohol consumption. The number of "useless" people is growing, and employers are forced to replenish their workforce at the expense of expats. 

Flexibility of mind and resourcefulnessThe ability to quickly find a way out of the most seemingly stupid situation is worth a lot.

Such employees are highly valued by the management, they are put in the most responsible positions, they quickly gain relevant experience and go into free swimming, opening their own business. 

But the skill to instantly feel the situation and act correctly is not taken out of thin air. This is not an innate quality, it is not transmitted by genes. This is the result of hard training of both intellectual abilities and emotional intelligence. The flexibility of the mind is trained in the same way as the flexibility of the body. And the ability to read the emotions of others in order to predict their behavior is formed against the background of the study of their own feelings. 

Why this is important: 30 years ago, a study of career success was conducted among Harvard University students. It turned out that among those who achieved significant results in the professional field, only 20% were intellectuals. The rest had a different skill — the ability to manage their emotions and recognize the emotions of other people. So for the first time it was proved that emotional intelligence, as a success factor in the future, may well compete with a high IQ.

Four directions for school educationHarari raises one of the difficult topics — the need to transform the classical school system.

We all know how inflexible and insensitive to changes this sphere is. Although it would seem that everything should be the other way around. What should children be taught, if not actual and practical knowledge? Encyclopedic, theoretical information that none of us have yet come in handy in life? 

An Israeli professor offers his own version — a system of four "S":Critical thinking — critical thinking.

2. Communication — communication.
3. Collaboration — collaboration.
4. Creativity — creativity. 

Children who will build the world of the future should be able to think critically — to separate truth from lies, sincere intentions from manipulation, important from secondary. Their self-realization and exchange of skills should take place through productive communication. And professional growth and achievement of goals — through mutually beneficial cooperation. It is best to express yourself through creativity: you need to show children how wide their possibilities are and how beneficial the process of creation has on a person. 

Why it's important: the Scandinavian approach to teaching children, which largely echoes the four "S", has long been recognized in the world. Last year, Finland ranked 5th after East Asian countries in the ranking of the best national education systems. This means that such an approach is not a dubious innovation, but an already trodden path to success. 

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Yuval Harari's advice is progressive and universal, you can start following it at any age. Teach not only children, but also yourself. The main thing in this is motivation and awareness of the need to do something in the present for the sake of a prosperous and successful future.