Takeaways

Like Liam, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs also had passion for gadgets. But they took a different path. Instead of buying such gadgets, they worked hard to make them.

While Liam’s case of yielding to temptations is an extreme example, it is a common weakness among all animals, including human beings. Most animals have only a few basic temptations. For example a dog or cat can be lured with food, but not with an iPhone. Animals may be curious about an iPhone, but not interested in it.

Humans are evolved social animals. As a social animal, we enjoy many advantages of society. But it has some negative aspects too. And these negative aspects of the society impact some weak persons more. All children are not strong enough emotionally and mentally to handle the temptations. They are passing through a transition period. They are at an impressionable age. So they often become soft targets, particularly ‘morally weak’ children.

Most children know what is right and what is wrong. But very few have the wisdom to apply that knowledge. Many follow the wisdom of their parents and teachers to embrace a safe, secure and successful way of life. However, some children are not intelligent enough to avail this advantage.

But then, it’s not that mentally weak children cannot become strong. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most honest men of the 20th century, once stole a piece of gold from his brother and sold it. In his childhood, Gandhi was also addicted to smoking. But he realized his mistakes in time and later became a leader in the truest sense of the word. He won the freedom for his country with his intellect. He used honesty and nonviolence to win freedom for 400 million people without any war or bloodshed.

Points to Ponder

• Why Liam wanted an iPhone?
• Why Liam did not involve his parents or any friend in his deal?
• Liam knew the fact that selling a kidney is illegal. Why this fact could not discourage him?
• Why we can tempt animals with their primary needs like food? Can we always influence animals with food?
• Why most human beings have weakness for worldly things like car, mobile or iPad, which are not essential for them?
• Animals kill other animals for their food or safety, and many human beings also commit crime but rarely for their primary needs. Can we call ourselves more intelligent and developed than animals? Considering the criminal behaviour of animals and humans, who are more humane?
• Why weak children often give in to unreasonable temptations? Can we blame their parents and teachers for their stupidity?

How do you tell right from wrong? Many years ago, Harry Fosdick developed a formula that helped him determine right from wrong. He called it ‘six ways to tell right from wrong’. He suggested we test our potential actions against these six criteria:

The Common Sense Test – Are you simply being foolish? How would you judge someone else if they did the same thing?

The Sportsmanship Test – Are you playing fair? How would you feel if someone else did the same thing to you? If it is not right for everyone, it is probably not right for anyone.

The Best Self-Test – Are you trying to be the best that you can be? Will it help you become a better person?

The Publicity Test – If everyone knew what you were doing, would you still do it? It is surprising how the light of public knowledge changes our perspective and our behaviour.

The Most Admired Person Test – Would the person you most admired do this? If you told that person about it, would you feel proud or ashamed?

The Foresight Test – What can possibly go wrong? Could you live with the consequences?

These six ways can help you to tell right from wrong. When you have important decisions to make, use this formula to choose wisely.

Remember, life is what you make it. Your choices today will determine who you are tomorrow. Choice is yours.

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Little Karishma’s case of trying to get attention by imitating her sister is not a rare one. We all knowingly or unknowingly imitate others. For example, we copy the clothes we see others wearing, we imitate our neighbours to maintain our status in the locality, and we want to buy the latest mobile just because our friends have bought it. Karishma’s act was childlike. But when grownups imitate, it’s childish.

While unconscious imitation is a universal phenomenon, real victims of this menace are children, particularly pre-teens and teenagers. They know the difference between fantasy and reality, but they lack the perspective to decide whether or not they are right. What’s more, some of them can no longer be told how to behave or what to believe. They develop their own sense of what is right.

Many children play video games because their friends play. Some go to the mall or disco for the same reason. Others prefer to buy what their friends are buying (or what advertisers influenced them to buy). As always, businesses are good at making the most of our soft spots.

In this day and age of internet, children have access to material that is too advanced for them and could be quite harmful to their physical and mental health, but good for the financial health of businesses. Children watch a lot of television and are exposed to an awful lot of risky and violent behaviour. Media pushes a ‘machine-like’ view of the world, treats children as objects and promotes unhealthy behaviours to them. Unfortunately, ‘morally weak’ children, who seek instant gratification of their desires, often become the soft target.

The unhealthy behaviours can be infectious among children. Students, whose friends smoke, drink or use drugs, for example, are more likely to show such behaviour problems. Friends and media play a big role in negative destructive behaviours like teen runaways, substance use and self injurious behaviours like lying, violent outbursts and self-harm. These unhealthy behaviours are often fuelled by peer pressure and media.

The challenges of life can be overwhelming for students who often feel powerless to do anything about them. In addition to academic pressures, sports, and school activities, students also deal with pressures like, finding a sense of self, adjusting to growing up, and choosing a career path, among others.

But then, you can’t ignore that school years are the best years of your life and set the stage for your future. So, it’s important to identify your stress triggers and avoid unhealthy practices to ensure a healthy and successful transition to adulthood. Remember, the seeds of a successful transition to adulthood are planted in early years.

Points to Ponder

 Why Karishma was very sad and depressed?

• Who was responsible for Karishma’s sadness and depression?
• What would you do if you feel your parents treat your brother or sister better than you?
• Do children engaging in risky behaviours face regretful outcomes as adults? Why?
• How could Karishma’s father consider him lucky when his mother scolded him very badly for buying a gun?
• Health warnings regarding smoking are well known and health messages on cigarette packages deliver important information directly to smokers. Why Karishma’s mother disregarded these warnings? Why she continues to suffer even after realizing her folly?
• What is the relationship between positive adolescent behaviours and adult outcomes?

Watching other successful people and trying to do what they do is a good way to learn things. Attempting to be someone you’re not can be good when it involves improving academic, sport, and other positive skills. It can be very destructive when you’re trying to ‘be like’ someone else just to have their appearance and popularity.

Students should try to develop a sense of identity, and feel secure in that identity. The idea is that if you try to be someone else, you’ll not feel too good. Developing your self-esteem is probably the best antidote to deal with the present-day negative influences.

Source: Get Ready For A Great Future by Priya Sarin