Things We Should Never Teach Our Kids

I don't have kids, so take what I say with that in mind. You may write me off as not knowing anything because I am not a father, but know that I will be one someday and when I am - I will raise them with some of the following ideas.

Call me bitter, jaded - that's fine. I just see myself as a realist with a more objective point of view.

1. There is one person out there made just for you.
This idea is rubbish. First of all, if there was only one person destined to be your soulmate, the odds of you finding that person amongst the over 6 billion humans on earth would be close to zero. What if your soulmate had a terrible childhood accident and died? Would that mean you'd be fated to a painful and lonely existence? Of course not, because the reality is that there isn't just one person made for you. You can always find someone for you - and it's just a matter of finding someone 'good enough' to keep you happy.

2. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you tried your best.
Now I agree with the spirit of this lesson because you should always give your full effort in everything you do, but the reality is that winning matters. You should try your best, but if you lose - you're a loser. The real world is competitive and we all can't be the best at something, regardless of how hard we try. We all have natural talents and abilities that make us better at some things than others, thus if we all try equally hard some will come out on top.

3. Love is forever.
Love is an emotion and thus it isn't permanent. It is one of the strongest emotions and is much less ephemeral than other emotions like anger, happiness, or sadness. However the idea that you'll find your spouse, fall in love, get married and stay in love until you both die is silly. The statistics will show that marriages often end - and presumably, so does the love that began the bond. People change over time and circumstances put different stresses on us - these things all lead to the diminishing of love. I believe the strongest bond of love is that between a mother and a child, however, that too can be destroyed.

4. Always treat your elders with respect.
I'm a firm believer that age does not earn you respect. I will teach my kids that they should treat someone with respect until they show that they do not deserve it. It's like a test where you start out with a perfect grade, but each time you miss a class or forget your homework you lose points. That's how I'd teach them to treat people. Some people deserve respect, some don't - to treat everyone the same only prevents those undeserving of respect from realizing the error of their ways.

5. Good things come to those that wait.
I think this is rubbish. While patience can be a desirable personality trait, passivity is not. If you want something, go out and get it. Make it happen. No amount of waiting patiently will cause your goal to be realized. It may occur by luck, but who knows when that will happen. I say "Good things come to those who go out and get them." I'm not a religious person but I'd agree with the saying "God helps those who help themselves." Maybe God doesn't do anything, but if you're helping yourself you're doing something!