"None of this, however, dampens the urgency of her broader message. “Adults tell students that it gets better, that the world changes after school, that being ‘

"None of this, however, dampens the urgency of her broader message. “Adults tell students that it gets better, that the world changes after school, that being ‘different’ will pay off sometime after graduation,” she writes. “But no one explains to them why.” Beyond the bromides, she’s dead on: teenagers need to hear that adolescence ends. And more than that, they need to believe it." Our kids have been told that they will learn more about living in the world from school than they will of the Three Rs. And that it is an important skill, being able to cope with the stress. It just seems to be the best way to frame it for them: people are sometimes shitty. No sense in trying to figure out why or change them. Better spend your energies finding ways to avoid them when possible and suck it up the rest of the time. And I don't exclude teachers. I tell them that these are skills they'll need for the rest of their lives, because there will always be a boss, a cop, a teacher or some other person in a position of authority who may not be inclined to act to your advantage. Then you move on. Build stuff. Learn to play an instrument. Write stuff. Anything that makes you feel good that doesn't rely on someone else's approval. Next thing you know, you're interesting and everybody wants to know you. It's a better use of your resources than whining, for sure.