Upbringing or Down-bringing?
The amount of happiness that children bring into the world to the people around them is immeasurable. Unconditional love, diamond-like innocence even in their mischief, non judgemental attitudes are a fraction of the plethora of qualities that they possess. But everything in this world is transitory. Children grow up in their surroundings which possess the harsh realities of mankind. Hatred , jealousy , corruption , emotions, tragedy and several other undesirable qualities long for an opportunity to creep into the shields of these children as they grow. The biggest dilemma is laid upon the parents or the people who account for the upbringing of their children.
The first alternative that is applied by many of the parents is to keep the shield as impregnable as possible. They want their children to be protected from every truth the world has to offer. Is this the right way to go forward in shaping a child’s life? Well , the truth is that it is impossible to protect the child forever in a world which can make or break anyone. Definitely , the child lives a very peaceful life till a certain time very much similar to the tales that children like to hear where good always wins over evil. However the difficulties start creeping in after their shield is broken. They tend to refrain from believing that the world is dominated by the evil and the good stand a little chance. A shell is formed around them as they watch others who seem not too flustered by such truths. Take for example a child who had always been pampered, who goes on to work in an institution where people try to weigh each other down , there is too much of competition. In such a scenario he is taken advantage of by others in trying to achieve their goals.
Well if this is not the right way, the another alternative is to let the child get accustomed to everything that happens around them and be shaped as the surroundings offer as they grow. But then the childhood of the person is cracked open too early by the realities. And the child never gets to feel the innocence, curiosity and fun that is expected from a child. The person grows up always believing that the world is not too good a place , and that there is no light around the darkness. Majority of people start realizing that only doing good will rarely lead them to the life they desire, and they start following several evil paths that damage the future of a child. For instance a child who lived in a family whose financial position was weak , and people around the child gained success by evil practices like stealing , the person grows up understanding that only these practices account for success and the good bits never hold too long.
Given an option , almost everyone would prefer a situation that took bits of both alternatives. However, if given an option between these two which one would be preferable compared to the other.
Opinions are welcome. (No Diplomacy allowed)