From the very start, a person lives within a model of the world built for them by their parents. In other words, quite literally, what a child understands as “good” or “bad” becomes a defining force in the rest of their life. It's worth adding here that it's only in the poem that the son comes and asks.
In real life, for the 20% of questions a child asks their parents, there's 80% of the answers that they find on their own, simply by watching how their parents live.
Now here's an exercise to try: look back at your day today or yesterday. Look at it from the outside. Look at it through your child's eyes. Look at it through your spouse's eyes. And answer this question for yourself: “What does your life show about what's good and what's bad?”
After all, our actions show what we actually think.
What you believe is right or wrong shows up in your actions. Just write your answer down on paper.
Done it? Do it right now! It's quick and very useful. And now write down what decision you've made based on your observations. And what you'll change in your actions starting today.
There are a few ways an adult can “level up” their inner thinking apparatus today:
1. reading books (for example, the Book of Proverbs);
2. learning through various trainings, courses, and so on (for example, programs on preparing for marriage, having the courage to do what matters, resolving conflicts peacefully);
3. consciously observing the world around you — we can draw conclusions and change our thinking.
