submitted by jwithrow.
Journal of a Wayward Philosopher
Why Peaceful Parenting is More Important Than Ever
July 10, 2015
Hot Springs, VA
The S&P closed out Thursday at $2,051. Gold closed at $1,160 per ounce. Oil checked out just under $53 per barrel, and the 10-year Treasury rate closed at 2.30%. Bitcoin is now trading up around $287 per BTC as the Greek banks remain closed and the Chinese stock market continues to plummet.
Dear Journal,
We examined the Greek crisis last week and we wondered if depositors would find that they had generously “bailed-in” their bank with their hard-earned money when the banks finally reopened. Sure enough, the Greek banks have yet to reopen and there has been talk of a 30% haircut on all deposit accounts in excess of €8,000.
This is yet another example of why it is a bad idea to warehouse your funds in a domestic bank account. Fortunately, the Infinite Banking Concept offers a much better solution to warehousing capital without sacrificing liquidity.
These financial crises that continuously occur from time to time in various countries, along with government’s heavy-handed response in each instance, are the symptoms of a much deeper problem:
Our world is ill.
Modernity has constructed hierarchical systems of power and control and it has elevated the leaders of these systems to positions of prestige and authority. This has created a scenario in which the least among us fight tooth and nail to reach the top of Modernity’s power structures then they work to grow and perpetuate their power. This is done largely by bribing the masses with wealth-redistribution while aggressively cracking down on non-conformists and disruptors. The predictable result has been the disappearance of personal responsibility and basic human empathy.
If you observe small children at play it is immediately clear that they are ecstatic to simply explore the world around them while interacting with the people they meet. They seem completely unattached from the identifier known as ego which seeks justification from external sources. Surely this is what Jesus of Nazareth meant when he said: “Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
As beautiful as this dynamic is, it is clearly at odds with Modernity’s systems of power and status. Parents know this intuitively thus the dominant form of parenting has been the punishment/reward model geared towards molding behavior. Children are punished when they behave in a way deemed undesirable and they are rewarded when they behave in a manner that is pleasing to the parents. This approach seeks to “mold” children to better fit society. The behavior modification really ramps up when children are sent off to school. Though never explicitly stated in this way, the modern school system is designed to teach children the nature of Modernity’s power game.
Once in school, children are segregated by age and stripped of all freedom. Where they once had the ability to explore the world around them in peace, they now are forced to adhere to a strict schedule as dictated to them by the school officials. The freedom of movement, speech, and even thought that they once enjoyed is replaced by regimentation. They must go only where their schedule tells them to go. They may only speak at the designated times or once permission has been granted in the classroom. They must focus the vast majority of their time and energy on learning the curriculum forced upon them both in school and at home through homework. They are exalted and praised when they conform their behavior to fit this system and they are publicly punished when they fail to comply. They are taught to think their intelligence is directly correlated with the grades they receive and they are conditioned to seek approval from adults in positions of authority.
Isn’t it odd that this system of child-rearing is directly at odds with the philosophy of freedom that most of us claim to hold so dear?
Equally disturbing is the dependence this type of conformity has bred. People have been taught to rely on government to support their basic needs for the better part of the past one hundred years now. Social welfare programs of all shapes, sizes, and colors now dominate much of the western world.
The social welfare programs for “poor people” are the most obvious but they are just a piece of the puzzle. There are many welfare programs for the middle class hidden in plain sight. For example, government actively props up the higher-education industry and the housing market so that everyone can go to college and buy a house. All of the bloated bureaucracies that have developed around every level of government are middle-class welfare programs in that they provide jobs that would not exist in the free market. Governments run massive corporate welfare programs through all of the crony trade agreements like NAFTA, CAFTA, and TPP as well as the huge amount of government spending on the military and defense-contracting. Perhaps most disheartening are the welfare programs for senior citizens like Social Security that are sold as retirement programs. These programs are nothing but massive ponzi schemes with huge unfunded liabilities. Government did not invest Social Security payments for people – it spent them on whatever it wanted at the time.
The western world is on the verge of a “Great Reset” that will result in all of these social welfare programs being reduced significantly. All western nations are way over their head in debt and the demographics in most of these nations show that there are too few young people coming along to support all of the political promises made to the older folks. Those stuck in the authoritarian model of Modernity will have a very difficult time adjusting when this comes to fruition. In fact, the predictable response to the coming default of western society will be a call for more heavy-handed and oppressive measures. Those still immersed in the power and control mindset may even find themselves victims in such a scenario.
Enter Peaceful Parenting. While it has always been morally superior, the peaceful parenting approach to child-rearing is now more important than ever. Generation Next will have a tremendous opportunity to rise above Modernity’s authoritarian model and live a more fulfilling and enlightened life if they are able to shed the destructive social conditioning.
The peaceful parenting approach adheres strictly to the non-aggression principle that fundamentally anchors the philosophy of freedom. This principle simply states that it is never acceptable to initiate force or violence against others except in self-defense. While most people would accept this principle as true, it is clear that the popular punishment/reward method of parenting and the modern school system are both egregious offenders.
Children are so much more intelligent than we give them credit for, and as such they do not respond well to forceful commands. “Do as I say because I said so” is not good enough for thinking human beings. Children need to know why it is in their best interest to act in certain ways. This is why the punishment/reward model is not effective over the long term; it actually encourages stealth and dishonesty rather than understanding.
The logic behind Peaceful Parenting is simple. If we tell children it is never acceptable to hit others then we probably shouldn’t be hitting them. If we tell children that disputes should be settled in a peaceful and rational manner then we probably should not be angrily yelling at them. If we tell children to treat others as they want to be treated then we probably shouldn’t be bossing them around and ignoring their thoughts and desires. Instead of issuing commands, the peaceful parenting model negotiates with children and it solicits feedback.
Children are placed in a unique predicament in that they must balance their own interests with their parents desires for them, but they do not have the ability to walk away from a negative environment.
Think about that dynamic.
Most of us have been in a position at work where we felt belittled and under-appreciated but we were forced to submit to our boss regardless to keep the paychecks coming in. We had visions of storming the office and saying “I quit” but we didn’t have any better alternatives available so we couldn’t go through with it. The child’s dynamic is very similar but even more difficult emotionally because the child expects to be loved and cared for by the parents at all times. Peaceful Parenting seeks to respect the child’s predicament while also conveying desirable guidance and education.
The goal is to help children learn to internalize self-control, personal responsibility, and self-driven motivation. This is especially important going forward because the social welfare systems that have been relied on for several generations now will be reduced drastically over the coming years. The politicians of all political parties will try to maintain the welfare state at all costs but the morality of market forces will win out in the end. It is just not feasible to build a society based upon confiscating money from one group to give to another group.
The technology necessary to sidestep the failing hierarchical systems of power is already prevalent… the self-empowered mindset is not. The internet enables us to communicate with each other instantaneously regardless of location. We can trade information, goods, and services with anyone, anywhere, at anytime. We can review books, articles, essays, and videos on any subject imaginable from the comforts of our own home without any need for a centralized educational curriculum. Ecommerce opens our businesses up to millions of prospective customers with the click of a button. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin enable us to transact with one another on a peer to peer basis with no third-party intermediary whatsoever. Companies like Hard Assets Alliance enable us to store our wealth in precious metals within an audited vault overseas from our home computer. Social networks enable us to organize in-person meetings, meet-ups, and commercial transactions in our local communities with people who we would otherwise never know existed. Sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo allow us to finance projects and businesses without ever stepping foot into a financial institution. We can form private charities for any cause that touches our heart and solicit donations online in a much more effective way than passing out flyers on street corners.
Simply, individuals have the power to shape their life, and by extension this world, as they please without permission. This has always been the case but it is especially true in the Internet Age. Modernity’s power structure works night and day to indoctrinate and distract individuals because it becomes irrelevant when an individual finds the key to unlock this inner power.
Peaceful Parenting very well may be that key.
More to come,
Joe Withrow
Wayward Philosopher
For more of Joe’s thoughts on the “Great Reset” and ideas for individualized education reform please read “The Individual is Rising: 2nd edition” which will be available later this year. Please sign up for the notifications mailing list at http://www.theindividualisrising.com/.