Knowing versus 'Knowing' 173 Provide safe opportunities for learning common sense.
Stand aside and let the child learn to think for himself.On the other hand, suppose that parents base their judgments in some
system of absolutes. This deflects the attention of Perceiver thought in their
children away from a focus upon Mercy people and emotional status and
causes it to search for Perceiver principles. But what if absolutes do not
exist? It does not matter. The point is that a child who is not taught about
Perceiver absolutes will be forced to rebel as a teenager, whereas teaching
about absolutes makes it possible for him to follow an easier path.
Notice the relationship between these two points. Right rules help
Perceiver thought to develop, and resolving the status of parents gets
Mercy feelings out of the way. Following these two principles primes the
pump for Perceiver thought. It can then learn that 'truth' does not come
ultimately from people, but that it is related to repetition and stability.
With this, the child needs a chance to practice Perceiver thinking and
to gain common sense. I suggest that this is provided by a backyard.A In
other words, the child should be
encouraged to observe his world,
explore his environment, experiment
with his surroundings, and observe
results. Perhaps he can learn from the
mistakes of others. It is this
combination of parental absolutes and
critical thinking which will give him
the mental tools for growing up.
But why this indirect route? Why
can‟t parents simply tell their children
how to think? Because that is a
contradiction in terms. Remember that
the goal is to wake up the Perceiver
observer in the child and to teach it
how to think. If parents intrude with
their emotional status, then they will
overwhelm Perceiver thought in the
child and send the Perceiver observer
back to sleep, precisely the opposite of what they are trying to achieve.
Therefore, they must give their children the right mental tools, provide an
environment for learning, and then step out of the way.
Following this path, I suggest, will teach children also about generality.
First, by downplaying personal status, parents show that Perceiver facts are
not based in Mercy specifics. Second, by being consistent, and by teaching
A We will expand this concept in a few paragraphs.