Lies We Tell Kids

Saved by kev and

Many of us have motivated our children with fear, guilt and shame. “I would’ve thought better of you,” or “if you want something to be scared of I’ll give you something to be scared of.” And you know, as a parent you pause and you say, does it work? Well yeah, sure, especially depending on your kids’ personality and temperament, it’s going to work ... See more

Shane Parrish • Jim Dethmer: Leading Above the Line [The Knowledge Project Ep. #60]

Probably the biggest lie told in schools, though, is that the way to succeed is through following "the rules." In fact most such rules are just hacks to manage large groups efficiently.

Paul Graham • Lies We Tell Kids

Whenever we lie to kids to protect them, we're usually also lying to keep the peace.

One consequence of this sort of calming lie is that we grow up thinking horrible things are normal. It's hard for us to feel a sense of urgency as adults over something we've literally been trained not to worry about. When I was about 10 I saw a documentary on pollu