After taking part in the revolution, Lei Feng soon realized the importance of studying revolutionary theory. He regarded revolutionary theory as "grain, weapons, steering wheel". He said: "If you don't study Chairman Mao's works, you can't eat, you can't drive, you can't do revolution!" In learning, he is not only purposeful, but also very good at learning. When Lei Feng heard some comrades say that they were too busy to study, he wrote a passage in his diary based on his own learning experience: "Some people say that they are too busy to study. I think the question is not whether you are busy at work, but whether you are willing to study and whether you will squeeze time. Learning has time, but the question is whether we are good at squeezing and willing to drill. A good board, there is no eye on it, but why can the nail be nailed in? This is forced in by pressure, forced in. From this point of view, nails have two advantages: one is compressive strength, and the other is drilling strength. We must also advocate this' nail' spirit in learning and be good at squeezing and drilling. " This is the widely acclaimed "nail" spirit of Lei Feng's hard study.
Time is fair and equal to everyone, but everyone is different in using it. For those who are good at using time scientifically, one day can be regarded as two days. Lei Feng is like this. While working in Angang, he made a self-study plan of studying for one hour in the morning and learning from 10 to1in the evening. After he arrived in the army, he was busier at work and had no more time to study. So, he put the books he had learned in his bag. Wherever people go, he watches whenever he has time. When he comes back from the car, he always finds time to study. In order not to affect other comrades' rest after lights out, he went to the work shed, parking lot, kitchen and quartermaster's dormitory to study. His first reading was in the middle of the night. Lei Feng sometimes pulls the lamp to the pillow and covers the book with a newspaper. It is precisely because of this squeeze that Lei Feng has read more and more books and gained more and more knowledge.