One mother said that she refused to send her son to a certain public high school because it would be a bad influence on her son and he would get into trouble. Another mother sent her son to the same high school and he turned out to be an All American football player and Pro Football player, became deeply Christian and still is. Why do we so often make environment the fall guy? Environment can be problematical, but I am forever seeing these stories of someone overcoming or getting through it. I have never figured out the formula and maybe there isn't one, but environment is not automatic. Many children go to Catholic schools and leave the church. The football player, by the way, never went to Catholic school.
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After thinking about this, as I am one who want the perfect environment, I see that environment is more like a crutch. It can prop up a damaged individual, but shouldn't be relied on for long term stability. Best is to build the strong bones of self reliance, and self substance.
ReplyDeleteWe could say, as they say, what doesn't kill you, make you stronger.
ReplyDeleteHowever that's true up to a point, as many athletes well know. If you want to get better, you have to exercise to the point suffer, but not to the point to injure yourself (which may not kill, you, but not make you stronger either).
So back to the environment, a spoon-fed-like environment certainly does not teach you self-reliance and is "bad". But still a supportive environment that encourage you to be yourself is better than one where you have no support and just frustrates you.
Read "Outliers" and dump summer vacations.
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