There was a time that the word "default" meant only something that failed, like a loan. In computer terms a default is something that is preset and goes back to that setting unless it is intentionally programmed to do otherwise. The default color for MS Word is black. I could make it blue for this blog, but the next time I create a new document it won’t be blue but will default back to black.

There is a default culture that people fall back to as it relates to behavior or practice. I have seen this concept in my class for years, but never thought about a term. When speaking of “time” I have seen that my students can learn to be “on time” if he/she has a class which requires punctuality, but since many students are notoriously late for everything outside the classroom they default back to being “event” oriented. Enculturation is a pattern of behavior set by culture and it’s a process that is deeply ingrained in a person early in life and becomes their default setting throughout their existence on earth.

Default behavior is not only cultural but is true with personalities as well. If a person has grown up where education is valued, or if a person has seen some member of the family become successful because of education then attitude towards betterment through books is quite natural.

If on the other hand, hard work is the what is prized above all else, having one’s nose in a book

will seem like a colossal waste of time.

I believe it is possible to change some cultural or behavioral tendencies as a person gets older, but precedent has been established early and few people will change basic dispositions after they are past puberty. Implications? Perhaps waiting to start basic writing in the college years is a decade or so too late. Setting students default setting early to a love of learning can’t be over emphasized.