Life Rules

Our life journey is all about learning how to adjust to the real world.

We use Hollywood romances, sitcoms, and viral wedding videos to help sugarcoat reality, to make us see things in a more palatable rose-colored glasses. And there is merit in donning those glasses. We need to be able to figure out a way to cope, or else we’d have a breakdown. But that’s really just to cushion the blows. It would be foolish to think that things get better in reality with a soft focus, swelling orchestral music, and a gentle fade to black. Sooner or later, we still have to face the fact that we have bruises and welts. And that the best thing to do is not to feel sorry for oneself or get mad at the world, but to take your lumps and learn from them.

And as much as we want to protect children from the “big, bad world,” I think it’s a mistake. Children should be given a healthy respect for the dangers--and the wonders--that the world has to offer. More and more I suspect that the world will be spared of even more mentally unstable shooters had their parents disciplined them more and instilled in them a fear for obedience. I’m afraid Americans’ penchant for sparing the rod and allowing kids to terrorize their parents give the children a warped sense of entitlement and a sad lack of self-discipline.

Of course this way makes possible the specter of parental abuse. There will always be bad apples, true. But I still prefer to give the responsibility to those who are of age.

Even as adults, we shouldn’t try to insulate ourselves from the bad that’s out there. Political correctness is an attempt to sugar-coat the world. We will never be able to please everybody. Let there be disagreements, let there be insults. Life isn’t fair, and sometimes the best course of action is to just smile and roll with the punches. There is also strength in losing, especially if you learn how to get back up (and not get even).

It’s okay to seek ways to soften the blows, but never forget that life is tough. Deal with it.