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Small-Scale Question Sunday for December 4, 2022

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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My criticism is that your post reads like your ultimate priority is ensuring your kids can accumulate as much status as humanly possible. There are aspects of this that are reasonable to care about, as a parent: keeping them out of poverty, crime, or damaging social dysfunction. But what's the point of maximizing returns beyond that? You say you've gone through the usual parenting strategies, which presumably takes care of the essentials -- why is ensuring your kids develop good character not the natural priority then?

To be frank, the reason I skipped over a lot of non-status elements is because I really feel like I have those covered.

I'm not a piece of shit, my wife definitely isn't, and almost nobody in our extended family is either. From a moral/good character perspective I just feel like we have that on lock and would have to fuck up royally to have things go any differently.

Even with these status maximization techniques there's going to have to be lessons with them. As an example, I've always been very good with women, but that's worthless if you're destructive to the people you're fucking/having relationships with. The bar should be that everyone views you as a net positive in their life, even if there's a little pain or wistfulness when things don't work out.

You can be an amazing athlete at school or what have you, but you'll 100% regret treating anyone in your peer group badly or being a bully. There's no reason for it.

I could go on but basically I think it's sort of boring table-stakes that should be expected out of a functional parent.