“Decades of climate-change exaggeration in the West have produced frightened children, febrile headlines, and unrealistic political promises. The world needs a cooler approach that addresses climate change smartly without scaring us needlessly and that pays heed to the many other challenges facing the planet.”
Decades indeed. Ten years ago: “One in Three Children Fear Earth Apocalypse.”
And before that, my 1991 (!) The Wall Street Journal article, “Global Problems Are Too Big for Little Kids,” on widespread reports of children coming home from school scared that the world is ending soon. The conclusion:
“Frightened or apathetic children are not going to grow into the adults who will be able to solve the world’s problems. Problem-solving requires confidence that solutions can be discovered and a healthy self-esteem about one’s ability to find them. These attitudes require nurturing over a long period of time, on countless small, day-to-day issues. Too much too fast can only destroy them.”
Education is about helping children grow into knowledgeable, creative thinkers with emotional resilience and a can-do spirit. The opposite of that is indoctrination that results in young adults oscillating between angry dogmatism and stunted apathy.
The WSJ piece is online in text [pdf] and audio [mp3].
Postmodernism’s contribution: “Why Postmoderns Train—Not Educate—Activists.” Also at The Atlas Society and in Spanish and Portuguese translations.
My daughter 12, brainwashed by green Rudy Bahro types. When I mentioned that wind farm power is very expensive and that auntie might have her power cut off if she can’t afford it, she got upset. Kids go off feels. So I have to slow down and counter educate.
BY the way. Podcast 14, on the failures of schools and the educating power of our clubs, was great. Got something to work on, encourage the clubs.
Amusingly, and completely coincidentally, I wrote this blog post the day after you posted yours:
https://irfankhawajaphilosopher.com/2019/04/08/teach-your-children-well/
Good point, Irfan. Thanks for the link.
Thanks. Here is a companion piece on a similar theme–call it “the role of frightened children in law enforcement.”
https://irfankhawajaphilosopher.com/2019/04/26/see-something-swat-someone/
Thank you so much for your excellent article on this!
Teachers in Germany have been burdening even little children with all the fears and problems they see all the time.
They grow up thinking that if they do not save the world now, it will collapse.
Constant apocalypse looming over their head.
This is a crime in my opinion.
Thank you, Martin!