I don’t rightfully know that you own all that. Unless you believe in original sin. But there ain’t Jack Schitt that you, as one individual, can do about it.
You could try “Howling at the Moon” as Hank Williams did. Or try “Blowing in the Wind” as Bob Dylan did.
But kudos to you for quoting Pete Seeger and the great Bard in one fell swoop.
It’s all sounds about right to me.
It almost sounds as if you are proposing a change in human nature.
Appreciate the kudos! (And actually, interestingly enough, that song was written by Malvina Reynolds. Seeger, of course, was the one who made it a hit). But heck no. Human nature is human nature and that's not changing.
Fundamentally -- deep in our heart of hearts -- we all contain within us the appetites and predilections of toddlers: we're happy when our belly's full and unhappy when it's not. We're angry & frustrated when things don't go our way. And when we have to do things we 'prefer not to' we get upset. We're very content letting the world come to us (with cookies and ice cream!) and irritated if we have to, instead, change ourselves to fit the world.
Now growing-up (if our parents are doing their job) requires teaching those toddler selves that we can't be toddlers forever...that we have to 'get a job' (I can hear Maynard G. Krebs now!)... That appetites need to be moderated, and temper tantrums eliminated, and anger leavened. We learn that yes, we do get more flies with honey than vinegar. That sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do...AND (surprise surprise!) sometimes that kind of discipline really does pay off. We develop -- if we've grown-up successfully -- a mature, adult perspective on 'life in the real world' and learn self-accountability.
And the State should stay out of all of that.
But if, instead, parenting gives free rein to the child... If we're indulged instead of disciplined... If Mama fights like mad to make the world accommodate Little Johnny's idiosyncrasies (rather than teaching Little Johnny that his behavior must be normalized)....and if the State insists on double-coddling both Mama and Johnny (and throw in Grandma and Great Grandma)... well then, we never put away childish things. We just more of them.
I'd suggest that the single thing we CAN do about all this (indirectly) is to stop (as best we can) the horrendously counter-productive practice of trying to solve human behavior problems (family problems) by writing ever larger checks. Since '65 we've spent $23Trillion on so-called Anti-Poverty Programs. Did we get anywhere near our money's worth?
I don’t rightfully know that you own all that. Unless you believe in original sin. But there ain’t Jack Schitt that you, as one individual, can do about it.
You could try “Howling at the Moon” as Hank Williams did. Or try “Blowing in the Wind” as Bob Dylan did.
But kudos to you for quoting Pete Seeger and the great Bard in one fell swoop.
It’s all sounds about right to me.
It almost sounds as if you are proposing a change in human nature.
Appreciate the kudos! (And actually, interestingly enough, that song was written by Malvina Reynolds. Seeger, of course, was the one who made it a hit). But heck no. Human nature is human nature and that's not changing.
Fundamentally -- deep in our heart of hearts -- we all contain within us the appetites and predilections of toddlers: we're happy when our belly's full and unhappy when it's not. We're angry & frustrated when things don't go our way. And when we have to do things we 'prefer not to' we get upset. We're very content letting the world come to us (with cookies and ice cream!) and irritated if we have to, instead, change ourselves to fit the world.
Now growing-up (if our parents are doing their job) requires teaching those toddler selves that we can't be toddlers forever...that we have to 'get a job' (I can hear Maynard G. Krebs now!)... That appetites need to be moderated, and temper tantrums eliminated, and anger leavened. We learn that yes, we do get more flies with honey than vinegar. That sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do...AND (surprise surprise!) sometimes that kind of discipline really does pay off. We develop -- if we've grown-up successfully -- a mature, adult perspective on 'life in the real world' and learn self-accountability.
And the State should stay out of all of that.
But if, instead, parenting gives free rein to the child... If we're indulged instead of disciplined... If Mama fights like mad to make the world accommodate Little Johnny's idiosyncrasies (rather than teaching Little Johnny that his behavior must be normalized)....and if the State insists on double-coddling both Mama and Johnny (and throw in Grandma and Great Grandma)... well then, we never put away childish things. We just more of them.
I'd suggest that the single thing we CAN do about all this (indirectly) is to stop (as best we can) the horrendously counter-productive practice of trying to solve human behavior problems (family problems) by writing ever larger checks. Since '65 we've spent $23Trillion on so-called Anti-Poverty Programs. Did we get anywhere near our money's worth?