[extropy-chat] ethical issues with children

[pjmanney]

Robert wrote:
>I want to visit everyone and "play" with their children.  Not "that" way (for those of you who have been watching too much prime time TV), in the way I can "trim"-tab their minds.  

I don't know, Robert... That makes me nervous, too!  ;-)

>Very very hard to do. 

Not really.  Parents do it all the time, whether they mean to or not.  We're consciously or unconsciously directing them towards or away from things.  "Grow up and be like me" vs. "Grow up and DON'T be like me"  Some of those are literal statements and some they gather on their own from your existence as example.  As a parent, it's our job to be conscious of what we do.

>It is a delicate balance for parents to strike.  Enable survival.  Promote productivity. 

Again, not so difficult.  It's called teaching by example.  Many of us have said before that our own parents inculcated certain beliefs in what it would take to be productive.  Work hard, etc.  It's as simple as just telling them what you're doing and why.  If you are productive, and they see the upside to productivity, odds are they'll be productive.  Unless they are resolutely wired not to be and no amount of 'trim-tabbing' is going to work.

I assume that the Extroparents are doing that by being Extropes.

PJ