When I say that my small children are taught to obey without question, I very often get a reaction that this is child abuse, not a necessity for keeping several littles safe and alive. Being able to shout 'stop' or 'come here' and be instantly obeyed is a preventative measure against traffic or snakes with buzzing tails. Questions are welcome, but only after obedience. The few times we've had true emergencies this training has stood my children in good stead.
Questioning authority might very well be part of America's unwritten unifying belief systems. And it strikes me that perhaps always questioning is a necessary component to reach the Tamanous society you described.
Of course the educational systems push back against that, as do government systems, as questions can be so inconvenient. And yet, we still question.
So both an excuse and a natural urge of the land, perhaps? The determining question being, of course, when the question is answered, what does the questioner do next?
BoysMom
P.S. I got interrupted in the middle of writing this by a question from a teen, of course, about how much of what was considered magic in the past is explained by science today, and how much is not? One of my futures-dreamers. But then they all are, so far . . . that trait has turned out remarkably heritable.
no subject
When I say that my small children are taught to obey without question, I very often get a reaction that this is child abuse, not a necessity for keeping several littles safe and alive. Being able to shout 'stop' or 'come here' and be instantly obeyed is a preventative measure against traffic or snakes with buzzing tails. Questions are welcome, but only after obedience. The few times we've had true emergencies this training has stood my children in good stead.
Questioning authority might very well be part of America's unwritten unifying belief systems. And it strikes me that perhaps always questioning is a necessary component to reach the Tamanous society you described.
Of course the educational systems push back against that, as do government systems, as questions can be so inconvenient. And yet, we still question.
So both an excuse and a natural urge of the land, perhaps? The determining question being, of course, when the question is answered, what does the questioner do next?
BoysMom
P.S. I got interrupted in the middle of writing this by a question from a teen, of course, about how much of what was considered magic in the past is explained by science today, and how much is not? One of my futures-dreamers. But then they all are, so far . . . that trait has turned out remarkably heritable.