Kind Youngsters

 

One of the primary ambitions for introducing youngsters to moral training is that they will learn be kind to each other. This is successfully socialization of each natural sinner, each child not born nice or courteous.

 Dennis Prager is correct that if we are not good persons, then we will not and cannot esteem ourselves: I insist that esteeming the self is based on action and merit, so if we are not kind to others and ourselves, we will not esteem ourselves, or others.The two acts of esteeming the self and others depend on being kind to the self and others at the same time.

How is this lofty but reasonable ambition to be gained? Christian ethicists would argue that each child should be taught to be selfless, humble, and kind. 

 

I am not against the inculcation of these selfless, altruistic virtues but suggest that they are best taught and learned by children where kids learn to maverize and achieve their enlightened personal interest, thereby achieving a high, healthy sense of self-esteem on average.

 

I would argue that if the boy or girl does not love himself or herself, he or she will not love others, and most kids are not encouraged, not taught to esteem themselves, ergo general callousness and other vices abound. When children do not like themselves, they are mean to themselves and are unpleasant to others, not liking them either.

 

To socialize a child is to maverize a child.

 

Life is confusing and the truth is hard to discover even when we are smart, alert and seeking actual truth. We can still miss the mark.

 

I think I know what needs to be done to produce a generation of kind youngsters and I refer to this challenge as the self-esteem paradox.  To enable youngsters to esteem others, they have first to esteem themselves.