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I have a set of rules I give my children. I started with them as kind of a joke because they would always flip out about stuff, so naturally, rule #1 is: 1) B

I have a set of rules I give my children. I started with them as kind of a joke because they would always flip out about stuff, so naturally, rule #1 is: 1) Be calm 2) Be kind 3) Don't steal 4) Always attempt your best I've always liked the thought that "don't steal" is the ultimate morality lesson. Killing someone is stealing their life away. Adultering is stealing someone else's love or relationship. And of course, stealing in its basic meaning.

komali2 10y ago
I like these rules, but for myself, I always struggle with #4. For a while, "my best" was a half-hearted effort. "Oh well," I'd think, "this is the best I can do." Around college I had a resurgence of willpower, and "my best" became unhealthy obsession - dangerously low calories, dangerously frequent lifting, etc. Finding a balance there is a question I think about often. Technically, "my best" can easily kill me. It's not just about effort, it's about a high amount of thought and consideration into whatever it is - finding a weight target and just choosing a date for it to avoid over-dieting. Taking only so many classes that I can still have a social life. Etc.
pitt1980 10y ago
I've noticed that younger kids seems to take events extremely seriously One thing that helped me keep this in perspective, is that every event makes up a significantly larger fraction of their existence than that event makes up of my existence I'm 36, my oldest daughter is 6 occasionally she'll get really upset when seemingly minor setbacks happen (a craft she's working on doesn't turn out the way she wants it too seems typical), while we do try to work on her handling her frustration better its helpful for us, to remember that 1 messed up craft out of 6 years of life experience, is 6 times a bigger deal than 1 messed up craft out of 36 years
matt4077 10y ago
There's much more to morality than "don't steal". Firstly, it elevates property rights to a position they don't deserve – making life or dignity second-class rights. "Don't steal" isn't even universal: there's nothing wrong with a starving child stealing bread. If you want something memorable, the golden rule ("Do unto others as you would have them [...] do unto you") is much better, even if it requires more thinking.

komali2 10y ago

I like these rules, but for myself, I always struggle with #4. For a while, "my best" was a half-hearted effort. "Oh well," I'd think, "this is the best I can do." Around college I had a resurgence of willpower, and "my best" became unhealthy obsession - dangerously low calories, dangerously frequent lifting, etc. Finding a balance there is a question I think about often. Technically, "my best" can easily kill me. It's not just about effort, it's about a high amount of thought and consideration into whatever it is - finding a weight target and just choosing a date for it to avoid over-dieting. Taking only so many classes that I can still have a social life. Etc.

pitt1980 10y ago

I've noticed that younger kids seems to take events extremely seriously One thing that helped me keep this in perspective, is that every event makes up a significantly larger fraction of their existence than that event makes up of my existence I'm 36, my oldest daughter is 6 occasionally she'll get really upset when seemingly minor setbacks happen (a craft she's working on doesn't turn out the way she wants it too seems typical), while we do try to work on her handling her frustration better its helpful for us, to remember that 1 messed up craft out of 6 years of life experience, is 6 times a bigger deal than 1 messed up craft out of 36 years

matt4077 10y ago

There's much more to morality than "don't steal". Firstly, it elevates property rights to a position they don't deserve – making life or dignity second-class rights. "Don't steal" isn't even universal: there's nothing wrong with a starving child stealing bread. If you want something memorable, the golden rule ("Do unto others as you would have them [...] do unto you") is much better, even if it requires more thinking.