When braking, and not in a panic situation, you always give plenty of time and apply with gentle pressure allowing heat and friction to build up. In doing so you will begin to slow down faster without having to apply more pressure to the brake pedal, and at the end of the braking you ease up on the pedal coming to a gental stop. Its how I was tought, how I been doing it since I started driving, and hardly ever have to change a set of pads and never brake shoes, I have dry rotted shoes and had to replace them because of that but never because I wore out a set.
Hard stops will cause your pads/shoes to wear out faster because your craming them into the rotors and drums and not giving them time to heat up properly. Also thoes who like to two foot it, one on the gas while riding the other on the brakes, that slight pressure is enough for you to wear your pads/shoes super fast, warp your rotors, and piss everyone off behind you because your damn brake lights are constantly on.