The Weakness of the Parent

[Sagesound]

03.18.06.1262
The Weakness of the Parent—to which I owe as one of the contributing factors to my intellectual independence and spiritual supremacy. It is, by all accounts, an endless cycle that all children must combat and guard against. We—the next step from a dying generation—like our parents before us and their parents before them, will to come to be tested upon our strength not just as parents, but as individuals.

@Friedrich Nietzsche

(The Will To Power: Section 385)Moral intolerance is an expression of weakness in man: he is afraid of his own ‘immorality,’ he must deny his strongest drives because he does not yet know how to employ them. Thus the most fruitful regions of the earth remain uncultivated the longest:— the force is lacking that could here become master—

The parent grows accustomed to its belief—spirituality or religion—and makes it their primary source of morality and ethical teaching: this occurs in older ages while the child is either in its weaning years or not yet even born. The parent desires to feel that their “truth” is complete by the existence of their being and ergo sees the child as the logical link to continue this existence—the maintenance of earthly immortality. However, the parent neglects a principle element of the universe that change is constant and truth is therefore an ever-evolving interpretation of an idea that is never ultimately a fact. This neglect causes the child, who in the growing years of awakening awareness, to feel a sense of rejection and lack of true connection—spiritually or otherwise—with the parent.

The inquisitiveness and explorative qualities of the child frightens the parent—upon the presentation of differing elements that separate the drives of opposites. The parents feels assured of its “truth” and finds the “search thereof” by the child to be an attack upon those established beliefs.
The parent will say: the truth is here, you don’t have to look any further!
Yet, the child will retort: your truth is for you, I require a truth meant for me!

A more modern illustration of this example can be found in Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, where Darth Vader—the supreme embodiment of fatherly evil—speaks to his son, Luke—a rebel by all accounts—with the intent of ‘bringing his son up right.’ When Vader says that he is Luke’s father, Luke’s imminent response is anything but acceptance. This is a result of conflicting values represented by two opposing belief systems—accurately illustrated by The Sith and The Jedi, or rather, The Parent and The Child.

Naturally, the intolerance of the parent is relatively apparent through the rejection or dissatisfaction of qualities, choices, and companions of the child—an immense taunt of power against the previously sustained security. Ergo, the weakness of the parent is clear—through intolerance, or the lack of acceptance that change is constant.

Let us never neglect the ever-evolving constant of change, lest we become as our parents and evermore connect with the next generation—the turn of the page that will understand what we have learned, quicker than we have, and improve upon it. Such is a satisfying revelation of our earthly immortality!

[Mastriani]

If I may be so bold Sagesound, I wish to inquire as to how many children you have reared?

[Sagesound]

03.19.06.1263
If the wind changes course, would you not change yours as well?

@Mastriani

If I may be so bold Sagesound, I wish to inquire as to how many children you have reared?

The hint of sarcasm from one so bold—such humor is well placed!
Yet I find also a seriousness well concealed within this veil of certain humor—be not so subtle in your audacity!

For the sake of understanding, I do indeed owe you an answer. Let it be known that I have no children of my own! “What—how can this be? What person would write such things had they no children to boot?” Reduce your fear, fair reader, I speak not from the point of view of a parent—far be it for me to assume a weakness as that! Rightly so, my propaganda is laced from the opposite point of view—such words to be represented to whom this injustice has been taken upon! What is it then that we fear—the opposition, or ourselves?

Should the moment of change take its course, I will seek to flow with the tide, and be not one found in the self-imposed atrocities of weakness!

Alas, good sir: feel free to regard me as “Sage,” and I then shall feel free to regard you as some shorter reference of your name! Perhaps “Masti?”

[Mastriani]

Honestly, no sarcasm was intentionally placed or implied. It was a sincere question.

As a parent of four children, including twins, weakness in parenting is reduced to two rather simple elements: Inability to understand a child is a self-contained, developing, individual entity and as such, no two child can be viewed or reared as the same - even twins. Secondly, the growth of the child is in direct relation to the growth of the parent from the child.

Including all four, that gives a composite of sixty-five years of parenting experience, and they have taught me more about my own patheticness with weaknesses of person, than any other people in my life. A child is a reflection of those who rear them, biologically and mentally.

I don’t fault your perspective, and intended no harm. It is just preferred that Nietzche isn’t the summation of your parenting knowledge.

[Sagesound]

03.20.06.1264
A sudden change—to this I am tested!

@Mastriani

Honestly, no sarcasm was intentionally placed or implied. It was a sincere question.

As a parent of four children, including twins, weakness in parenting is reduced to two rather simple elements: Inability to understand a child is a self-contained, developing, individual entity and as such, no two child can be viewed or reared as the same - even twins. Secondly, the growth of the child is in direct relation to the growth of the parent from the child.

Pardon my words: I presume you were not always this wise—an obvious assumption. I believe I understand your position—that to become a parent is like being reborn: only to learn how to walk again.

@Mastriani

Including all four, that gives a composite of sixty-five years of parenting experience, and they have taught me more about my own patheticness with weaknesses of person, than any other people in my life. A child is a reflection of those who rear them, biologically and mentally.

Could it perhaps be said that given the child is truly a reflection of two persons combined—which is obviously so—then to know the child, the parent must first know themselves and their partner? I have met children who have presented a aire of cleverness that seemed lacking in the parent—perhaps that is the case! That the parent, who had once been like the child, was molded by society to shed what attributes the child now out-maneuvers them with—upon this now the child teaches the parent what true humanity is, but the parent would defame this humanity and begin the molding process of the child.

Is this what you are trying to say, good sir? That you had forgotten your own past, which your children then taught you to remember? Are children then a lesson in life within itself?—Never forget who you are, for you will likely meet yourself!

@Mastriani

I don’t fault your perspective, and intended no harm. It is just preferred that Nietzche isn’t the summation of your parenting knowledge.

No harm taken—I have in fact benefited from your wisdom. Your preference, however, is justly so—I have learned all that I believe I can learn of parenting from my own parents. For the sake of explaination, I have found Nietzsche to compliment the this by leading me to interpretations I feel may benefit what I have learned.

In summa: the key to good parenting—te nosce!

[Mastriani]

@Sagesound

Could it perhaps be said that given the child is truly a reflection of two persons combined—which is obviously so—then to know the child, the parent must first know themselves and their partner? I have met children who have presented a aire of cleverness that seemed lacking in the parent—perhaps that is the case! That the parent, who had once been like the child, was molded by society to shed what attributes the child now out-maneuvers them with—upon this now the child teaches the parent what true humanity is, but the parent would defame this humanity and begin the molding process of the child.

Is this what you are trying to say, good sir? That you had forgotten your own past, which your children then taught you to remember? Are children then a lesson in life within itself?—Never forget who you are, for you will likely meet yourself.

Aye, there are no more truthful words to be spoken of children and parents. Children will teach you to unlearn the crass and pitiful assumptions of arrogant knowing adulthood, and posture once again as the open conduit. A parent is unfortunately a molder, a child, the consumate mold breaker.

Although in form they are the composite of the two, summarily the child chooses freely to represent more of one. I have no notion of how this is decided or attained, but it is what I have witnessed. The first twin is his mother, in her youth, the other, his mother with experience. The middle boy is me in my youth. The youngest, the girl, looks as her mother, but has decidedly rejected both our personalities, and creates her own reality.

P.S. It is imprudent to suppose wisdom in another, for alas, I am far too young to hold firmly to the countenance of such. The cup does not empty each day of it’s own volition. The empty vessel is for those that wisdom is a continual experience, not a temporal definition within a contention.

[tentative]

In another thread, I pointed out that it is an illusion that parents raise children. The truth of the matter is that children raise their parents. In a perfect scenario is is a collaborative effort.

[Mastriani]

Aye, brother tenative, aye.

I have been raised four times independently, and yet, I am still pathetically inept. LOL. Perhaps another child or two might change that scenario?

Yea or nay?

[Gobbo]

Yea or nay?

Nay.

I’ll be honest with you Mas, I get tired of your constant reflection of self as inferior. Your degree of self introspection may have opened up your vision to more of yourself, and hence more of your faults but do not forget about your strengths. You can’t have one without the other and (just from my perspective) it feels like you forget about your strengths sometimes.

I agree with the fact that childen are a reflection of their parents to an extent, and Tent’s point about children raising their parents is interesting but sometimes children simply turn out differently than their parents - alot differently. It’s not the fault of the parent… but perhaps the praiseworthy effect of inspiring them to be different.

Of course I’m still a child myself… so grain of salt.

[Gobbo]

Ok so I didn’t see the joke from Mas before…

My previous post is thus rendered [size=150]whack![/size]

I have much to learn…

[tentative]

I’ll add to my first obscure post. The problem with being a parent is that they always send us unexperienced people to do the job…

[Mastriani]

@tentative

I’ll add to my first obscure post. The problem with being a parent is that they always send us unexperienced people to do the job…

LOL. comical truism?