From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Sun May 19 2002 - 14:44:12 MDT
From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>
> Dossy wrote:
> > How did you learn to do all these things on your own? Who
> > are you helping, other than perhaps yourself? You think it's
> > good to teach kids to be self-serving?
> I think you don't *need* to teach kids to be self-serving. However, you
> can't teach kids to be altruistic by making them take out the garbage.
The
> human mind just does not work that way, at least not in my experience. If
> you want to create altruism, give the kids opportunities for self-willed
> altruism, reward it when you see it, and don't be disappointed if you
don't.
Kudos, Eliezer. What you summed up in your last sentence is brilliant
observation, especially "and don't be disappointed if you don't." (I say,
isn't having children self indulgent enough?) Luckily, I was reared in a
home where I was left pretty much to roam at will as far as domestic chores
were concerned (I pitched in when I was inspired), and (probably out of
ignorance) reared my own children the same way. However, the legacy of the
people who reared me (in my case, mother and maternal grandparents) has
never left me - to this day I use a simple wooden spoon which had been my
grandmother's, and every time I use it I think of her and the all those
years she spent cooking for all of us, and am flooded with feelings of
gratitude.
Olga
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