Suffering as Character Forge

““I know, I’m an old fart singing a sad sack song, but it's true. When you get to my age and you've done everything, you will understand. I've had a lot of women in my life, but not much love, at least not real love. And my children are a fucking mess, but I still love them. Someday when you have kids you will understand. Nobody is perfect, and you will screw up and make mistakes, and so will they, trust me on that. But you need to forgive them and love them, or you will regret it. "I did my best with my kids. I know I wasn’t the world’s greatest father, but I didn't want them to make the same mistakes I made. I wanted them to be better than me, and I thought that would happen if I gave them everything and saved them from the struggles and suffering I experienced. I didn’t want them to know that pain. “But that was a mistake. I now know that a little suffering is good for kids. It builds their character and makes them appreciate things and understand people better. Suffering makes them better people. So does teaching them to help and to give, and you can’t start them too early. Take them to animal shelters, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, wherever. Show them real life. Don’t sugar coat it. Show them the shit all around us. They need to see what others lack to appreciate what they got, and they will be happier because there is so much more joy in giving. Encourage them to give whenever they can and any way they can. Let them give their allowance away, or their toys to children that don’t have anything. Giving is the best feeling there is. My kids never learned that, and that is my fault. Turns out that wasn’t the biggest mistake I made.””

“You must make your children work. Make them earn a living. Make them appreciate responsibility and accountability. Let them learn how to form relationships, communicate, influence and earn respect. If you don’t, they won't learn how to deal with people, and they will never achieve anything on their own. Don't let them invent fairytale excuses for not working. It's a load of bullshit."”