Friend or Foe?
Flight or Fight?
Nurture or Nature?
Carrot or Stick?
Helping Hand or Tough Love?
Decisions, decisions ... so much of effective governing comes down to effective decision-making.
And how individually we were brought up, to choose between and hopefully resolve, so many of Life's tough decisions:
Parenting Styles
by Kendra Cherry, About.com Guide
[...]
The Four Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
In this style of parenting, children are expected to follow the strict rules established by the parents. Failure to follow such rules usually results in punishment. Authoritarian parents fail to explain the reasoning behind these rules. If asked to explain, the parent might simply reply, "Because I said so." These parents have high demands, but are not responsive to their children. According to Baumrind, these parents "are obedience- and status-oriented, and expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation" (1991).
Authoritative Parenting
Like authoritarian parents, those with an authoritative parenting style establish rules and guidelines that their children are expected to follow. However, this parenting style is much more democratic. Authoritative parents are responsive to their children and willing to listen to questions. When children fail to meet the expectations, these parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Baumrind suggests that these parents "monitor and impart clear standards for their children’s conduct. They are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. They want their children to be assertive as well as socially responsible, and self-regulated as well as cooperative" (1991).
Permissive Parenting
Permissive parents, sometimes referred to as indulgent parents, have very few demands to make of their children. These parents rarely discipline their children because they have relatively low expectations of maturity and self-control. According to Baumrind, permissive parents "are more responsive than they are demanding. They are nontraditional and lenient, do not require mature behavior, allow considerable self-regulation, and avoid confrontation" (1991). Permissive parents are generally nurturing and communicative with their children, often taking on the status of a friend more than that of a parent.
[...]
In summary:
1) Authoritarian: Do as I say (not as I do).
2) Authoritative: Ask me anything (but we all make mistakes, even me).
3) Permissive: Whatever little dudes! Have fun (just try not to break anything).
Gee, I wonder if these different worldviews, these behavior models, these decision mindsets, ever carry over into adulthood? Ya think!?
Could it be some of our politicians are constrained by some similar "internal set of rules," that they were given as a child? Rules for "good behavior" that they just expect everyone around them ... Has been given the same rules of behavior, that they have ?
Well, how self-centered is that?
Try to rate these rhetorical refrains as indicative of a mindset of a:
1) Authoritarian
2) Authoritative
3) Permissive
A)
"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
Does this indicates a 1, 2, or 3 mindset?
B)
There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. You built a factory out there -- good for you!
But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn’t have to worry that maurauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea -- God bless. Keep a big hunk of it.
But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.
Does this indicates a 1, 2, or 3 mindset?
C)
[...] resisted GOP calls to apologize. On Tuesday night, he gave a brief floor speech where he said: "
If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick."
Does this indicates a 1, 2, or 3 mindset?
D)
"We still cannot get a $2.15 over two years! Over two years."
"What is the price we ask the other side that you want from these working men and women? What cost? How much more do we have to give to the private sector and to business. How many billion dollars more are you asking, are you requiring? When does the greed stop, we ask the other side?"
"What is it about working men and women that you find so offensive?"
Does this indicates a 1, 2, or 3 mindset?
Discuss your answers quietly among yourselves ... in the comments section below.
Extra Credit (for the over-achievers in the audience)
Is the road we each must travel down in life, a pre-planned itinerary that we inherit mostly from our parents, and the rules of wisdom they gave us, along the way?
Or is that road largely an uncharted adventure, where our daily choices and decisions play a very big role, in those various destinations we will ultimately end up reaching, along the way?
Is it Nature or Nurture that rules our politicking? ... and who in the world is now nurturing the instinctual brain?
Progress-oriented and goal-oriented minds should want to know ...