We haven’t evolved, really. Evolution has been based on survival of the fittest. Humanity has forgotten what it means to survive. We do not know survival. All we know is hedonism. And where does it come from?
“My child shall never want”.
The pain of seeing one’s child desire something they cannot have is painful. It engenders envy, desire, jealousy. But it is only by going through the tunnel that one reaches light. And there is no dearth of tunnels in this life.
So, two children stand at a tunnel’s entrance. They both think, “here’s another tunnel”. One goes through the tunnel, thinking “Heck, I’ve done this before. I just have to get through time the other side, and I’ll be alright”. Meanwhile, the other either turns around and stays in the light without ever crossing the tunnel or waits until someone takes his hand and guides him through it. Delayed or aborted, the second child’s growth is needlessly slowed.
We are, in effect, helping our kids to be like the second child. We take upon ourselves the negative emotions and cognitions that would be exceptional learning experiences for them. We ensure their every whim is fulfilled, excusing it by saying they will not suffer as we have. But neither will they develop the grit, the strength of character – the very will to survive – that our struggles have afforded us.
Ironically, those who face such struggles want the ease that the others have. At what cost? Being wealthy is not being rich. Being strong, being resilient, being able to cope with a harsh world, THAT is richness. Facing the tunnel and not fearing it’s darkness knowing it is temporary, THAT is richness. And it is those people who have, and will, evolve. For they know how to survive.
Think Again 