1 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of 2 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: hours of Dennis's lectures, courses in classic radio programs. I 3 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: had to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles. Go to Dennisprager 4 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: dot com. 5 00:00:38,080 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 2: I'm very, very honored to be here and for you 6 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:43,239 Speaker 2: to have come out tonight. 7 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 3: So let me get right into the subject. 8 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 2: We have an hour together, and I do want you 9 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 2: to have the time to ask me whatever you'd like. 10 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: The subject is raising good kids. Raising good children, really, 11 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,600 Speaker 2: it's raising good adults. That's what we're trying to raise, 12 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 2: and it's we've given a lot of thought up to this, 13 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 2: and here are the fruits of this thought based on 14 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,639 Speaker 2: parenting myself, plus of course years of talking about this 15 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 2: to other parents and my radio show. 16 00:01:19,039 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 3: So here goes. 17 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: And if this interests you, I am recording it, by 18 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: the way, so you don't know that it's important to 19 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 2: me anyway that I have a record of anything that 20 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: I say, because so often I'm misquoted on the Internet 21 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: and then I say, well, here is the recording. It 22 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 2: doesn't help, but it's still there. The first thing that 23 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 2: a parent has to do in trying to raise a 24 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 2: good person is to find out how important it is 25 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 2: to you to raise a good person. This is so 26 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: self evident when I say it, but it's not at 27 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 2: all self evident too. 28 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 3: I would say a very great number of parents. 29 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: Specifically, I mean, how important is your child's goodness to you? 30 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: And if it's not the most important thing, it's going 31 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 2: to be very hard to raise a good child. It 32 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,279 Speaker 2: has to be the most important thing, not another important thing, 33 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 2: or not another thing. And here is, by the way, 34 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: a very good test that you can do when you 35 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: get home. And this, by the way, applies fascinatingly to 36 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 2: whether your child is five, fifteen, or fifty. It would 37 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 2: be just as interesting to ask this of your child 38 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 2: at whatever age he or she is. And here is 39 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 2: the way you have to ask it. If you are 40 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,920 Speaker 2: the father or mother and you say, I'm curious, what 41 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 2: do you think I most want you to be? That's 42 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: if they're very young or young and they're still living 43 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: with you. Well, I take that back. If they're young, 44 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 2: some are old and living with parents. But if your 45 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 2: child's forty, then you would say, what do you think 46 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 2: I most wanted when I raised you? But here is 47 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: the question, what do you think I most want you 48 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 2: to be, and then you give them four choices smart, successful, happy, good. 49 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 2: They can't cheat on it because you are asking them 50 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:30,959 Speaker 2: to give the answer that you want to hear. You're 51 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 2: not asking what do you most want to be? I 52 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: don't want you to ask that. That's fine if you do, 53 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 2: but that's not my question. The question that I want 54 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 2: you to ask is what do you think I your 55 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: mom or I your dad most want you to be smart, successful, happy, 56 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: or good? And so they will only answer the answer 57 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 2: that they think you want to hear, which is exactly 58 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 2: what you want. What do you what do they think 59 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 2: you want to hear? And that's the way you know 60 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: what have I conveyed? And parents are often surprised because 61 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 2: they think that their child will say good and their 62 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: child will say something else. By the way, smart, successful, 63 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 2: and happy or terrific. It's not like I asked, do 64 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 2: I want you to be evil or good? That's not 65 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 2: the question. 66 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 3: That's easy. 67 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 2: I don't nobody. None of your kids are going to 68 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: say evil. There. This is why you're giving four wonderful things. 69 00:04:26,919 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 2: I want your kids to all be smart, successful, happy, 70 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 2: and good. Certainly you know about my or those of 71 00:04:32,159 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: you who have heard me on the radio or read 72 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: my book. Know how committed I am to the importance 73 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:42,719 Speaker 2: of happiness. But goodness is number one. At least goodness 74 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 2: is number one if that's what you want to be 75 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 2: number one. But understand, you can't expect something if it's 76 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 2: going to be secondary or tertiary in what you communicate 77 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 2: you most want. 78 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 3: And by the way, you should ask yourself this question. 79 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,920 Speaker 2: And answer honestly to yourself, what do I most want 80 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: my kid to be? 81 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 3: Do I most for example? 82 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 2: Do I what if I had the choice, my child 83 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: could be exceptionally good or valedictorian? 84 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 3: Okay, just to give to give? Now? 85 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,480 Speaker 2: Can they both be valedictorian exception good? Of course it's possible. 86 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: But if that were the if that were presented to 87 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 2: you as the question, then you have to answer it. 88 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 2: I'm very almost radical on this issue about the secondary 89 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 2: importance of everything else to goodness, and so I have 90 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: even asked, and I know some of you will find 91 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 2: the question annoying at the best, and perhaps even wrong 92 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 2: and get worse. But just you know, a way of 93 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 2: a way of asking about priorities in a different way 94 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 2: which you're rather your teenage child smoked too much or 95 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 2: watch TV too much, And I rather my child smoke 96 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 2: too much tobacco, not anything else. 97 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 3: I want to make that clear. 98 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: Now this is very painful for me to say to you, 99 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 2: because I know some of you will look askance at 100 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 2: me immediately. 101 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 3: But I'll tell you why I raised this question. 102 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 2: I raise it because I believe that one of the 103 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 2: values that we have put above goodness has been health. 104 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:27,200 Speaker 3: Health uber alis. 105 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:32,359 Speaker 2: I remember the rapist who used a condom because he 106 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 2: had learned well that you don't want to have a 107 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 2: sexually transmitted disease. 108 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: He didn't learn well that you don't rape. 109 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 2: There was a certain character deficiency, but he certainly got 110 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 2: a good health lesson somewhere in life. So and believe me, 111 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 2: I want your kids healthy. And I'm not advocating that 112 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: your kids smoke. That's not my point at all. I'm 113 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 2: saying that we have to be very clear about priorities 114 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,039 Speaker 2: in our lives. They say, I don't want them to 115 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 2: do both. Whatever your answer, you answer it, All I'm 116 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 2: saying is that it is you have to ask the 117 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 2: questions of yourself. 118 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 3: Here's another one to ask yourself. 119 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: Most parents, middle class and above want their kids to 120 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 2: get into the best college possible. So here's a question, 121 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 2: another question you should ask yourself. How angry would you 122 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: be at your child if your child got into Yale 123 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 2: or Stanford but had cheated on two tests, just two tests? 124 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: How angry would you be? Would you give up Yale 125 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,119 Speaker 2: and make it absolutely clear to your child Yale doesn't 126 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 2: mean a thing to me compared to the fact that 127 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 2: you cheated on a test. I don't think that most 128 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 2: kids would think that their parents would blow a gasket 129 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 2: if they learned that they cheated on a test. How 130 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 2: many kids think that their parents would be particularly annoyed 131 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: if they learned that they had downloaded songs that they 132 00:07:56,520 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: didn't pay for. Obviously, there were cases where you're allowed 133 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 2: to do that. It's legal, and it's ethical and fine, 134 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: but a lot of times not. The technical editor or 135 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: technology editor David Pogue of The New York Times wrote 136 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 2: a piece recently that he talks a lot to adult groups, 137 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 2: obviously about technology, and sometimes he raises ethical questions like. 138 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 3: Would download music you didn't pay for? 139 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 2: And he would ask them, would you download a movie 140 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 2: you didn't you didn't pay for? 141 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 3: And so on? 142 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 2: So he and and people, they said, adults have mixed feelings. 143 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 2: They'll ask questions, they'll vote yes on the music, but 144 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 2: know on movies or whatever. And then he went to 145 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,440 Speaker 2: a high school group or a college group, a college group, 146 00:08:40,079 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 2: and of a five hundred, and he said, how many 147 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 2: of you would download a movie that you didn't pay 148 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 2: for a movie and you didn't pay for it, and 149 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 2: how many of you would do it, or how many 150 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: of you would think it was wrong? Two out of 151 00:08:55,880 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 2: five hundred raise their hands. He was stunned, stunned. It 152 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 2: had never It didn't doesn't even register as an ethical 153 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 2: question that they are downloading a film they didn't pay 154 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 2: for that it's an issue, So we don't we don't 155 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 2: concentrate on making good people, and then we wonder where 156 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 2: is our society going. 157 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 3: His question is more important. 158 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 2: Than any social position you'll ever have in your life, 159 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,240 Speaker 2: any political position. If we don't raise good people, were doomed. 160 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 2: I mean, it is so self evident. I feel silly. 161 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,040 Speaker 2: It's like the first time I was ever on TV. 162 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 2: I was twenty seven years old, and I've just been 163 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 2: made the director of a Jewish retreat center where among 164 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 2: its programs was a leadership program. And they asked me 165 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 2: on this NBCTV thing here in La So, mister Prager, 166 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:52,479 Speaker 2: why is why do you have this a leadership program? 167 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 2: And I said, because a society without leaders is a 168 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 2: leaderless society. Not an impressive answer to the guy, but 169 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 2: you know, we all start off humbly in life. And 170 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: although I've done my number enough Corker's as a radio 171 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: talk show host to match that, I'll give you one 172 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 2: other that I matched. I had a guy on he 173 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,679 Speaker 2: called me up on my talk show. It's it's a 174 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 2: national show, so obviously get calls from different places. He 175 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 2: was in Arizona and he was a trucker. So I 176 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 2: like to talk to the to the folks who call him, 177 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 2: not just about the issues they're calling. 178 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 3: So I said, ah, your trucker, what are you hauling? 179 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 2: He said, Dennis, two tons of celery? So I said, really, wow, 180 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:46,880 Speaker 2: what does that smell like? And the poor guy liked me, 181 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 2: and he didn't want to hurt my feelings, it was 182 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,679 Speaker 2: clear from his tone, but he had to tell the truth. 183 00:10:53,679 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 2: And he said, well, like celery. My station played that 184 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 2: call for about six months and over and over. 185 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,599 Speaker 3: Now what did I think two tons of celery smell like? 186 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 3: You know, horse? Radish I mean, you know, but. 187 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 2: Yes, a society that doesn't produce good people bull is doomed. 188 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 3: And that's that's we don't think of it. We think 189 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 3: of we take. 190 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,599 Speaker 2: Great pride and ow we're kids athletics, and and in 191 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 2: their in their looks, and in their popularity and are 192 00:11:31,440 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 2: they are they. 193 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,079 Speaker 3: Popular in school? And and so on? But are you good? 194 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 3: It almost sounds goody goodie. By the way, there's a 195 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 3: huge difference between good and goody goody. 196 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: I can't stand goodie goodie, and I love good good 197 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 2: is strong. 198 00:11:46,880 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 3: Goodie goody is weak. 199 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 2: And so it's an important thing to make clear the 200 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 2: importance of being a good, decent human being to other people. 201 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,160 Speaker 2: And so I gave you a handful of examples in 202 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:05,559 Speaker 2: the ethical realm. It's but character development is constant, you know, 203 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 2: is there is there is there a kid bullied in 204 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 2: your class? Do you stand up for the bullied kid? 205 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 2: I was a camp counselor for years. I learned almost 206 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: all I needed to know about humanity being a camp counselor. 207 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,960 Speaker 2: Every bunk of boys that I was ever counselor of 208 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 2: had a bully, had a bullied, and had sheep. 209 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 3: I mean that really. 210 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: And that is that is, to a certain extent, the 211 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 2: world accept the handful who fight and are in sheep 212 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 2: and fight the bully. So my first thing to tell 213 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 2: you is you have to figure out for yourself, is 214 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 2: it really the most important thing that my kids be 215 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 2: good people? 216 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 3: I would I rather have. 217 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:54,559 Speaker 2: A good kid who did some I don't know, some labor, 218 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 2: a blue collar worker, or a not such good kid 219 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 2: who was a great lawyer or a great doctor. 220 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 3: I mean, these are questions that one has to ask. 221 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 2: So if goodness is number one to you, you have 222 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 2: to convey it. And one way to find out is 223 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 2: to ask this question of your kid. All right, how 224 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: do we do this? I'm gonna I'm going to give 225 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 2: you a few tips here. They're philosophical and pragmatic. The 226 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 2: philosophical one, we have to understand we're not born all 227 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 2: that good. 228 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,080 Speaker 3: Now, telling you this is a pleasure because you know this. 229 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 2: How do I know you know this because you send 230 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 2: your kids to a Catholic school. But when kids go 231 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,599 Speaker 2: to secular schools, they don't learn this. They learn basically 232 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 2: that we're terrific. I'm okay, you're okay, the government stinks 233 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 2: or something like that, Right, I'm okay, You're okay. It's 234 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,840 Speaker 2: somebody else's fault that I've acted out like this. It's 235 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 2: always somebody else's fault. And so I'm telling you this, 236 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:00,640 Speaker 2: but we have to put it into practice. We are 237 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:03,280 Speaker 2: not born good. And I don't even say this from 238 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:06,319 Speaker 2: a theological standpoint. I'm not talking about original sin. I'm 239 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:08,920 Speaker 2: not talking about anything biblical. I'm talking about common sense. 240 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 2: We are not born basically good. 241 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 3: We are born innocent if you will, but we are 242 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 3: not born good. 243 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 2: Well, people say, come on, babies, Come on, Dennis, babies 244 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: are look at them. They're adorable, beautiful and innocent. Yes, 245 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 2: they are adorable, beautiful and innocent, but they're not good. 246 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 2: I want mommy, I want nipple, I want to be held, 247 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 2: I want to be comfort, I want to be played with. 248 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 2: And if you do not do all of these things immediately, 249 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 2: I will ruin your life. Why is that a good person? 250 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: If babies were good, this is what they would say. 251 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 2: You know, I have been throwing up for the last week, 252 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 2: been crying at three am every night. My parents haven't 253 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 2: been intimate with one another since I'm born. 254 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:58,680 Speaker 3: I'll shut up tonight. That's a good kid, that's a 255 00:14:58,680 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 3: good kid. 256 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 257 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom. 258 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 2: Now, am I blaming infants for not thinking that way? 259 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 2: I'm not an idiot. Of course I don't blame them. 260 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 2: I was like that, you were like that. But that's 261 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 2: the way we are. We're not born good. We are 262 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 2: born narcissistic. Me, myself and I. That's our trinity, if 263 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 2: you will, thinking about oneself. So it is critical from 264 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 2: the earliest stage, virtually the earliest stage, to teach a 265 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 2: child to control his or her nature, to fight himself. 266 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 3: That's, by the way, I've written a lot about. 267 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 2: This, the difference between a religious education and a secular education. 268 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 2: I went to Jewish religious schools till I was eighteen, 269 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 2: and one of the major things I was taught is 270 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: that the biggest problem in Dennis Prager's life is Dennis Prager. 271 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 2: But you're not taught that in secular education. The biggest 272 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: problem in life is government, pollution, corruption, whatever it is. 273 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: But it's always outside of you. You're wonderful, something's wrong 274 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 2: outside of you. Now, No, you're not wonderful. That's the point. 275 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 2: We're not wonderful. We don't begin wonderful. Some begin more 276 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 2: than others. This is one of the ten questions I'll 277 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 2: ask God. We don't start at the same place in 278 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 2: the track, race, ethically, or in almost any other way. 279 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 2: That's true some kids, I acknowledge, there are kids who 280 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 2: seem to have a kindness in them from birth, but 281 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,600 Speaker 2: the other ninety eight percent don't. And so these are 282 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 2: people that we have to teach. You have to fight yourself. 283 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 2: You have to fight yourself. You have to fight yourself. 284 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 2: And here I want to address something that nobody seems 285 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 2: to address, certainly not since the age of stupidity began 286 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,119 Speaker 2: with the baby boomers my generation, and that is that 287 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 2: girls are no longer taught to fight their natures. Boys 288 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:13,119 Speaker 2: are still taught to fight their natures. Every boy, virtually, 289 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 2: I mean not every but virtually every boy is taught 290 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: from the earliest age you have to fight your proclivity 291 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:24,679 Speaker 2: toward violence and aggression, physical violence, and you have to 292 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 2: fight your sexual predatory nature. Boys are taught that from 293 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 2: the get go. Boys, you have to fight your nature. 294 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 2: And I ask parents all the time, what do you 295 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,479 Speaker 2: tell your daughters to fight in their nature? 296 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 3: And parents look at. 297 00:17:38,720 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 2: Me as if I had asked the capital of Mongolia. 298 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 3: It's just not anything they think about. 299 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,920 Speaker 2: And you don't even think about not thinking about it. 300 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 3: That's how unthought it is. It's not even consciously not 301 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 3: thought about. 302 00:17:56,480 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 2: But girls have to fight their natures just as much 303 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:03,160 Speaker 2: as boys do, but girls are not taught that, since 304 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:08,679 Speaker 2: their problems are less obvious than boys acting out sexually 305 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:13,800 Speaker 2: and aggressively. Therefore, girls are not taught nearly as much 306 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 2: to fight their natures. And this is a terrible thing 307 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 2: to lay on our daughters, because if you don't fight 308 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 2: your nature, not only will you not be terribly good 309 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:26,680 Speaker 2: in life, you won't be terribly happy in life, because 310 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 2: the trick to happiness is fighting your nature. It's part 311 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 2: of the reason I am convinced that there are so 312 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: many more depressed women today than there were generations ago, 313 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,359 Speaker 2: and far more depressed women than depressed men. That there 314 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,479 Speaker 2: are many reasons for that. We were talking about that 315 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 2: with the Friars during dinner about I am convinced that 316 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 2: if I were given a female brain for an hour, 317 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 2: I would shoot myself. There's no doubt in my mind. 318 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:58,520 Speaker 2: There's no doubt in my mind. And if a woman 319 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 2: got a man's brain for an hour, she. 320 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 3: Would just wow. God, is that simple. 321 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 2: So I acknowledge that there may be a lot of 322 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,280 Speaker 2: reasons why women are more depressed than men, but the 323 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 2: fact is that they are. And one of the reasons 324 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 2: is women are not taught to fight their natures. And 325 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,679 Speaker 2: so if you give into your nature, which for a 326 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 2: woman has its own. For men, it's obvious to problems 327 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 2: in terms of aggression and in terms of sexuality. But 328 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 2: with women it manifests itself in other ways, giving it 329 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 2: too nature, giving into the passions and emotions, but especially 330 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 2: the emotions. And if you let your emotions govern you, 331 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 2: you will be a wreck, an absolute wreck in life. 332 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 2: So you have to tell your daughter, excuse me, we 333 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 2: don't tolerate bad moods in this house. Have a great day, 334 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 2: by the way, that should be told to your sons too. Obviously, 335 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,879 Speaker 2: this is a this is a home that does not 336 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 2: tolerate bad moods. If you are If you are sad, 337 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 2: we want to hear it, but we don't want you 338 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 2: to act it. 339 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 3: Just as you know. 340 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,240 Speaker 2: But what I'm naturally sad, I mean yes, So what 341 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,119 Speaker 2: you have natural body odor, you still take a shower 342 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 2: by the way that the way I teach what bad 343 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,400 Speaker 2: moods are, people should regard bad moods exactly the way 344 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 2: they regard bad breath. 345 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:27,359 Speaker 3: It's offensive to others. 346 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 2: We brush our teeth as often as we do when 347 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 2: we shower as often as we do, primarily for other sakes, 348 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:36,399 Speaker 2: because we don't want to inflict those odors on others. Well, 349 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 2: we should not inflict that our moods on others too. 350 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 2: Everybody gets unhappy. Everybody, even the happy, get unhappy. The 351 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 2: difference between the happy and the unhappy is not that 352 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:48,880 Speaker 2: the happy have easier lives or never get unhappy. It's 353 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 2: that they don't allow it to govern them. The unhappy 354 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 2: thing that the happier all had easier lives. 355 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 3: Huh huh. 356 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 2: Ask any happy person about their pain in their life. 357 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 2: Everybody has pain in their life. I always say, if 358 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 2: there were pain or water, the world were drowned. So 359 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 2: that's not the issue. The issue is due. You control 360 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 2: your moods and control your emotions. So to a girl. 361 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 3: As just as much to a boy, you have to. 362 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 2: Fight your nature, don't give in. That's true ethically, and 363 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 2: it's true in terms of happiness. So that's rule number one. 364 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 2: Number two. 365 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:33,120 Speaker 3: We have taught kids in our society that being good. 366 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 2: Is a macro issue, not a micro issue. Meaning macro 367 00:21:40,119 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 2: is social, public, large scale, micro is personal, individual. And 368 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,360 Speaker 2: so a lot of kids think that they are a 369 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 2: good person if they have, Oh, let us say, I 370 00:21:52,480 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 2: don't know, ran five k for cancer research or for 371 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,240 Speaker 2: AIDS research. Now that's a lovely thing to do. Don't 372 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 2: get me wrong. Run five k for a Charity's a 373 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 2: lovely thing to do. It doesn't make you a good person. 374 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 2: It's a good thing to do. But goodness and character 375 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 2: are how you act overwhelmingly on the micro level. 376 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 3: Has happened. In other words, how do you treat your 377 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 3: fellow kid at school? Do you do? 378 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 2: You do you go over to the to the to 379 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 2: the to the least attractive kids, especially the least attractive 380 00:22:29,880 --> 00:22:32,920 Speaker 2: girls in the class, and try to bring them into 381 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 2: the group. I mean, just to give one example of 382 00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:38,320 Speaker 2: something that people tend not to do. Do you do 383 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 2: you make fun of other kids? Do you have did 384 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 2: you form a clique? Are you a member of a clique? 385 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 2: Let alone cheating on tests and so on, which I 386 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 2: mentioned in the ethical sphere, And so what what kids 387 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,679 Speaker 2: today think is they are good if they take the 388 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,000 Speaker 2: right position, if they no longer use incandescent light bulbs, 389 00:22:59,040 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 2: they are they are sure they're a good person. But 390 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 2: you're not a good person. If you don't use incandescent 391 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 2: light bulbs. You're a good person. Based on how you 392 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 2: treat other human beings, you're not a good person. 393 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 3: If you love up your dog. 394 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 2: Everybody loves up their dog, except for a few pathologic 395 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 2: sadists who doesn't love up their dog. We're born to 396 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 2: love dogs, and dogs know it. Every time they see 397 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 2: a human, you know what they think, another sucker. 398 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,800 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 399 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless wisdom. 400 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 3: And so it doesn't matter. 401 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 2: By the way, this is an important thing about the 402 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,680 Speaker 2: animals issue. I want to make a point here. People 403 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,440 Speaker 2: have it half right. People always say that if you 404 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 2: mistreat animals, you'll mistreat people. 405 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 3: That is true. There generally is a trend if you 406 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 3: are if you are cruel to animals, you will be 407 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:01,919 Speaker 3: cruel to people. 408 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:05,439 Speaker 2: But the converse has no truth at all. There is 409 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 2: linkage between mistreatment of animals and mistreatment of people. There 410 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 2: is no linkage between kindness to animals and kindness to people. 411 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 3: None, it's zero. 412 00:24:18,080 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 2: And those great teachers of ethics, the Nazis, were the 413 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 2: greatest examples. You have no idea how pro animal the 414 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 2: Nazi regime was. 415 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 3: They were against vivisection. 416 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 2: Nazis banned experiments on animals. They allowed experiments on people, 417 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 2: but they did not allow experiments on animals. 418 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,120 Speaker 3: And it's the same with anybody else. 419 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 2: If I know a kid is kind to a dog, 420 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 2: I have no idea what they'll be to people. 421 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 3: I'm happy they're kind to the dog. 422 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 2: Obviously, because if they were unkind to the dog, then 423 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 2: that would translate into how they treat people. But kindness 424 00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 2: to animals does not translate into kindness to people. Maybe 425 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:02,960 Speaker 2: kindness to people will translate into kindness to animals, but 426 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:07,399 Speaker 2: that's a separate subject. So again we have to be 427 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:12,000 Speaker 2: clear about goodness, and goodness is a character issue, and 428 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 2: development of character is not the same as development of 429 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 2: great social positions, whether it's incandescent light bulbs or are 430 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:25,680 Speaker 2: running to raise funds against for some sort of medical research. 431 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:28,719 Speaker 3: Number three treatment of siblings. 432 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 2: We tolerate mistreatment of siblings because it is so natural, 433 00:25:34,640 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 2: natural isn't the same as good. 434 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 3: Do not allow your child to. 435 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 2: Tease or mistreat another one of your children, and the 436 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 2: issue it should not be allowed. 437 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 3: I don't know why at the family door. 438 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 2: Cruelty that would never be allowed outside the door is 439 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 2: allowed inside the door. Well that's what kids do. No, 440 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: you're right, that's what kids do, and kids. 441 00:25:59,119 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 3: Shouldn't do it. 442 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:05,040 Speaker 2: You don't pick on your little sister, you don't. I'm sorry, 443 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,399 Speaker 2: it's not tolerated in this house. Well I was only kidding. Fine, 444 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,200 Speaker 2: you wouldn't do that to a stranger. You will only 445 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 2: do that to your sister. By the way, people should 446 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:19,119 Speaker 2: think that for everything in families. How many spouses I've 447 00:26:19,119 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 2: seen their spouse treats every stranger better than they treat them. 448 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 2: It's very sad. It's very sad. We almost reserve the 449 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:32,120 Speaker 2: home for meanness. And then that's a very very tragic 450 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:33,160 Speaker 2: part of human life. 451 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:35,000 Speaker 3: It shouldn't be. These are the people you should be 452 00:26:35,040 --> 00:26:36,479 Speaker 3: treating particularly kindly. 453 00:26:38,840 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 2: So treatment of siblings should be monitored and instructed. Number four, 454 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,920 Speaker 2: you have to teach children gratitude. Gratitude is the single 455 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,399 Speaker 2: greatest human trait, and the reason it's the greatest is 456 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 2: because it's the mother of all traits. I'm smiling because 457 00:26:57,040 --> 00:26:59,000 Speaker 2: we got you know, mother of all battles. You know, 458 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 2: I'm paraphrasings that great thinker, Saddam Hussein. And this is 459 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 2: the mother of all good qualities is gratitude. Gratitude is 460 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 2: the mother of goodness, and it is the mother of happiness. 461 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 2: You can't be good if you're not grateful, and you 462 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 2: can't be happy if you are not grateful. Teaching your 463 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:24,199 Speaker 2: children gratitude ensures that they will be happy people and 464 00:27:24,400 --> 00:27:24,960 Speaker 2: ensures that. 465 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 3: They will be good people. 466 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:30,320 Speaker 2: That's the key of the key of the keys. The 467 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 2: more they express gratitude. That is why thank you is 468 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,439 Speaker 2: so incredibly important. I don't care and you will for 469 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 2: some of your kids. You will have to say it. 470 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 2: I am convinced ten thousand times did you say thank you? 471 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 2: And by the way, it has to be heard. If 472 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:53,360 Speaker 2: they go thank you, that doesn't count. The recipient has 473 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: to hear the thank you. It is not enough for 474 00:27:55,560 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 2: them to mumble it. I'm sorry, uncle Jerry didn't hear 475 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: your thank you. And that brings me to a side 476 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,639 Speaker 2: point here. It should be probably included in the list 477 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 2: to raise a good child. Do not strive to be 478 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:22,120 Speaker 2: loved by your child, give up on that aim, forget it, 479 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 2: or as I've often put it, your kid is going 480 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: to hate you anyway, you might as well do the 481 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 2: right thing. This is an unbelievably important thing. Parents want 482 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 2: to be loved. Kids don't know that. I didn't know that, 483 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:42,800 Speaker 2: but but kids don't they because they're so narcissistic. They 484 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 2: always think in any way in their direction. You can't 485 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 2: seek to be popular with your child. That is one 486 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:55,160 Speaker 2: of the reasons it's so good to have a good marriage, 487 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 2: because you should. Ideally, one should get one's love from 488 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 2: one's partner or one's friends. But in other words, horizontal, 489 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 2: not vertical, is where love should come in life. You're 490 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 2: raising your children as a service to society, not as 491 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 2: a means to be loved. 492 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:15,960 Speaker 3: It's very hard. 493 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 2: By the way I say these things, having learned many 494 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 2: In any case is the painful way. I'm no better 495 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:25,240 Speaker 2: than you. I've just consolidated my errors into a speech. 496 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 3: This is a very. 497 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:37,160 Speaker 2: Important idea that you have to live with every day. 498 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,400 Speaker 2: Do not seek to be loved by your children, or 499 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 2: you will not raise good children, because you will compromise 500 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 2: constantly by the way. That is true for every leadership position. 501 00:29:48,480 --> 00:29:50,600 Speaker 2: A president who seeks to be loved will be a 502 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,680 Speaker 2: terrible president. A teacher who seeks to be loved will 503 00:29:54,680 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 2: be a bad teacher. A clergyman who seeks to be 504 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 2: loved by his congregation will not be a good clergyman. 505 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 2: You're going to you better tell your congregations some things 506 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 2: they don't want to hear, or you're not doing your job. 507 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:15,000 Speaker 2: And I certainly feel that in my radio show, I 508 00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:18,560 Speaker 2: want to be respected, and I am very touched by 509 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,400 Speaker 2: the love that I am shown frequently as it happens, 510 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 2: and I'm blown away by it because I never aimed 511 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 2: for it. But if I aimed to be loved by 512 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 2: my listeners, I would not be telling what I truly believe, 513 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 2: because I'd be so afraid of offending anybody listening. You 514 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 2: can't be afraid to offend your child. That's your job. 515 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 2: I don't mean to offend them in inter gratuitous way. 516 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 2: But of course you have to be a nuisance, and 517 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 2: that you are a nuisance in their lives. You have 518 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 2: to be One day they will thank you for it. 519 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 2: Fifty sixty years from. 520 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 3: Now, you'll be dead and they'll thank you. 521 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 2: You know. 522 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:04,400 Speaker 3: My father was right. 523 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: May This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 524 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 525 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,920 Speaker 2: I'm sorry, though, that's why raising good children is so difficult. 526 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 2: Look at all the obstacles I'm just mentioning here. 527 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,120 Speaker 3: So this is another one where we want them to 528 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 3: love us. 529 00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:33,000 Speaker 2: It's particularly difficult for a single parent, of whom there 530 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,200 Speaker 2: are tens of millions in our society, because it's very 531 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 2: hard to live in a home where you're not loved 532 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 2: by its constituents. It's very tough you want to be 533 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,239 Speaker 2: loved by your kid, especially a single parent, but as 534 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 2: well as an intact home, it's also a danger, but 535 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 2: it's particularly one problematic in a home of a single parent. 536 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,080 Speaker 3: Next, it is. 537 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 2: Important for children to believe in something higher than themselves. 538 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 2: Obviously for you and for me as religious people, God 539 00:32:06,480 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 2: is the something higher, and religion is higher. 540 00:32:08,680 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 3: Not just God. 541 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:14,800 Speaker 2: God is not is necessary, but not necessarily sufficient. They're 542 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 2: also that's why I believe that religion is important. A 543 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 2: lot of people who believe in God, and it doesn't 544 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 2: mean a thing. God is a celestial butler to a 545 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,719 Speaker 2: lot of people. God i'd like to following today if 546 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 2: you would, thank you very much, and if you don't 547 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 2: do it, I'll stop believing in you, and in you're 548 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 2: you're going to really be hurt. And so, no, God 549 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:40,800 Speaker 2: is important, but religion is also higher than us. I 550 00:32:40,840 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 2: was talking to the friars in fact earlier when they 551 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 2: had delicious food, but among the foods that they had 552 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:50,920 Speaker 2: for dinner was pork. 553 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 3: And I keep kosher, so don't I don't need pork products. 554 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 2: And then I was saying to them, you know, it's 555 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:03,280 Speaker 2: ironic because here I am. I just yesterday teaching the Bible, 556 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 2: which I've been doing for many years. I told my 557 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 2: class that in every religion there has to be something 558 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 2: that you do just because God said so. Now not 559 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 2: a bad thing, obviously, but something ritualistic or what have you, 560 00:33:21,720 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 2: for no other reason than God said so. 561 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:26,480 Speaker 3: It's a it's a very important thing. 562 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 2: The secular mock us for doing something just because God 563 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 2: said so, but it's an important part of one's religious life. 564 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 2: Now it can go overboard and you could end up 565 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 2: just being irrational and anti rational. Everything needs to be 566 00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 2: in moderation, but it is important to have that, and 567 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 2: your child should do something just because the religion said. 568 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: So that's right. You don't like it. I'm sorry. Now, 569 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:58,880 Speaker 2: that's a very hard part of raising a child, because 570 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 2: on the other hand, you don't want to be so 571 00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 2: overbearing that they end up hating the religion or hating 572 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 2: God for that matter. So this is a very it's 573 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,359 Speaker 2: a very tough call, and I fully acknowledge that as 574 00:34:09,359 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 2: a parent. It's a tough call. Do you force your 575 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 2: kid to go to church every week? 576 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:13,680 Speaker 3: For example? 577 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:17,719 Speaker 2: So I would argue, all things being equal, you give 578 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 2: them periodic good you know, Sunday's off. Okay, all right, 579 00:34:22,279 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 2: today's off. I don't know what it'll be. I don't know. 580 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 2: Maybe it's a bad answer, you'll figure it out. Every 581 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:30,840 Speaker 2: child is raised differently in any in any event, in 582 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:35,240 Speaker 2: certain ways. But the idea that I owe my religion 583 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:39,440 Speaker 2: and my God certain things is a good character builder. 584 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 3: I am not the only thing. I owe something too. 585 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,200 Speaker 2: I owe something to America is higher than you, not 586 00:34:48,280 --> 00:34:51,160 Speaker 2: just religion and not just God. Something else is America 587 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,239 Speaker 2: is better than me. America is higher than me. I 588 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,760 Speaker 2: owe America something. We have lost that idea of service 589 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 2: to the country. It is lost. We don't even think 590 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:04,799 Speaker 2: about it. People would complain if they were just asked 591 00:35:04,800 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 2: to visit a cemetery on Memorial Day, but that was 592 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,839 Speaker 2: that was the norm for many, for most American generations, 593 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 2: that you go to a you go to a cemetery 594 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 2: on Memorial Day? What do what do we do any 595 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:23,360 Speaker 2: more for our country when you think about it. Next 596 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:30,680 Speaker 2: is innocence, the importance of maintaining the innocence of your child. 597 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,920 Speaker 2: This is a real difficult thing to do in the 598 00:35:34,960 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 2: age of the media, very very hard, but innocence often 599 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,760 Speaker 2: goes hand in hand with character and goodness. 600 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 3: In a child. 601 00:35:44,440 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 2: There is a time to be a child, there is 602 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 2: a time to be an adult. That's why I mean, 603 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:52,520 Speaker 2: there are so many examples of this. I mean, first, 604 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:57,240 Speaker 2: television is an innocence robber. Ads are an innocence robber. 605 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 2: Billboards are an innocence robber. And in this regard, I 606 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:04,200 Speaker 2: would also just like I showed you that we don't 607 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 2: have it quite right on the treatment of the animals. 608 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 2: Mistreatment does lead to bad, but good treatment doesn't lead 609 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 2: to good. 610 00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:10,920 Speaker 3: So to hear. 611 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:15,719 Speaker 2: Interestingly, violence in films does not generally rob kids of innocence. 612 00:36:17,080 --> 00:36:19,880 Speaker 2: I remember being a very innocent child being raised in 613 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 2: the fifties and sixties, I was very innocent and I watched, 614 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,799 Speaker 2: you know, I watched cartoons that had more violence than 615 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 2: the news. 616 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:31,720 Speaker 3: Does I mean? You know, the cats were always beating 617 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:33,040 Speaker 3: up the mice in the. 618 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:39,080 Speaker 2: Whatever animal it was was flattened one hundred times. You know, 619 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 2: the three stooges were poking each other's eyes out constantly, 620 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 2: you know, slapping each other and so on. 621 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 3: Did I lose innocence? 622 00:36:47,160 --> 00:36:49,600 Speaker 2: And by the way, I don't even mean that's cartoonish, 623 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 2: I even mean non cartoonish violence. To see high Noon 624 00:36:53,960 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 2: and to see a good man vanquished bad men shooting 625 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 2: the bad guys. You know how that protects a child's innocence. 626 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:05,480 Speaker 2: That violence protects a child's innocence because children are afraid 627 00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 2: of bad guys. So if they see a movie where 628 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:10,279 Speaker 2: the good guy gets rid of the bad guys, their 629 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 2: innocence is protected. 630 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 3: Not deprived. 631 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:17,280 Speaker 2: It's beyond simplistic. It's backwards to think all violence. Rob's 632 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 2: kids of innocence, sex, Rob's kids of innocence, but not violence. 633 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:25,600 Speaker 3: That's that's the difference. 634 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 2: In none of my cartoons was were they were they 635 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 2: having sex? 636 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 3: Hey? 637 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:36,760 Speaker 2: That that is that's the innocence robber of a child. 638 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 3: And we know that biblically. 639 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,160 Speaker 2: The first why did they lose, Adam and Eve when 640 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 2: they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and bad? 641 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 2: Why did they lose they lost their innocence? How do 642 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 2: we know what is the first thing? They knew? 643 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:48,800 Speaker 3: That they were naked? 644 00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:54,520 Speaker 2: And so that's a classic that it's the classic feature 645 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,600 Speaker 2: of the fact that it is sex that deprives sexual knowledge. 646 00:37:58,600 --> 00:38:01,320 Speaker 2: And I don't only mean the act sexual knowledge deprives 647 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:07,360 Speaker 2: kids of of their innocence. So that's something to protect 648 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:11,360 Speaker 2: them from, which may mean not even having a TV on, 649 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,920 Speaker 2: except for a handful of channels, History Channel, whatever it 650 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 2: might be. Look, frankly, if you threw your television out, 651 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:22,320 Speaker 2: it would help your marriage, help your life. There's almost 652 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 2: nothing redeeming. I know how History Channel has good shows. 653 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 2: You can get them on DVDs. I'm all for watching movies. 654 00:38:28,719 --> 00:38:32,800 Speaker 2: Movies is fine, documentaries are fine, and even some TV 655 00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:35,200 Speaker 2: I understand. 656 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 3: But it's it's it jades people. 657 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:42,319 Speaker 2: I mean the the Italians that are fascinating study and 658 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,279 Speaker 2: found that couples with a television in their bedroom had 659 00:38:45,360 --> 00:38:48,640 Speaker 2: less sex. I mean, my god, do you realize how 660 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 2: powerful TV must be. I mean, what's more powerful than 661 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 2: the urge to pro create? TV beats it. That's astonishing. 662 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:00,880 Speaker 3: That's how powerful television is. 663 00:39:02,239 --> 00:39:06,400 Speaker 2: So the the the I is drawn to that tube 664 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 2: for whatever reason, but in any event, it's it's now 665 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,840 Speaker 2: almost impossible to avoid this stuff. 666 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:15,600 Speaker 3: Even if your kid is watching football. 667 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:20,960 Speaker 2: The ads for other shows are so sex drenched it's unfortunate. Now, 668 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,600 Speaker 2: I'm not saying that the add in and of itself 669 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,040 Speaker 2: is good. If the kid is generally innocent, an ad 670 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,319 Speaker 2: for the Victoria's Secret show that's going to come up 671 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 2: on whatever channel isn't going to ruin their life. Okay, 672 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:36,919 Speaker 2: I'm not fanatic on this, but the bombardment and I'll 673 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,840 Speaker 2: tell you what it does as kids smile less today, 674 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 2: kids enjoy life less today than they did in the fifties, 675 00:39:44,719 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 2: in the forties and the thirties and the twenties and 676 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 2: the tens and whatever. Kids growing up in the Depression 677 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,400 Speaker 2: probably in some ways were happier than kids growing up 678 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,719 Speaker 2: in affluent homes today because they had their innocence. And 679 00:39:56,800 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 2: innocence protects you, and it enables you to still like 680 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 2: a sunset or think a flower is pretty, or go 681 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:06,439 Speaker 2: wow if you see a giant redwood. If a kid 682 00:40:06,520 --> 00:40:09,640 Speaker 2: can't go wow, except for a video game, the kids jaded. 683 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,440 Speaker 3: The kid won't enjoy life. 684 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 2: The wow factor in a child's life is the determinant 685 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:21,320 Speaker 2: of how jaded they are. Can they still say wow 686 00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:23,320 Speaker 2: to so many things? 687 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:26,200 Speaker 3: Wow? I'm going on an airplane? 688 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,560 Speaker 2: I mean if they can say that, I mean I 689 00:40:28,640 --> 00:40:31,640 Speaker 2: say the opposite, going on an airplane right now? Oh 690 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,040 Speaker 2: God do I not want to go? But it's but 691 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:37,120 Speaker 2: that's because flying is no great joy if you do 692 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:38,759 Speaker 2: it as often as some money. 693 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:39,200 Speaker 3: Like I do. 694 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 2: But a kid should have still a thrill to go 695 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 2: on an airplane and go somewhere else and see the 696 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:46,160 Speaker 2: country from a window. 697 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:51,479 Speaker 3: In any event, protecting their innocence is key. 698 00:40:51,600 --> 00:40:54,719 Speaker 2: I was against kids going to Titanic. Now you say, well, 699 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 2: why you said violence is okay? Well, first of all, 700 00:40:57,840 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 2: that was true. I had nightmares after seeing Titanic. You 701 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 2: watch a thousand innocent people drown, nobody to protect them. 702 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:10,040 Speaker 2: That's disorienting for a child. Listen, I found that disorienting 703 00:41:10,040 --> 00:41:14,440 Speaker 2: as an adult. It's a horrific, horrific, utterly realistic film 704 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:20,280 Speaker 2: about a spectacular, awful tragedy of perfect life, decent people 705 00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,239 Speaker 2: drowning on mass It's it's very painful thing, and it 706 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:24,719 Speaker 2: should be. 707 00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 3: It should it should be painful. So innocence is critical. 708 00:41:31,440 --> 00:41:35,759 Speaker 1: This has been timeless wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit dennispragger 709 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,360 Speaker 1: dot com for thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses, 710 00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: and classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles. 711 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: H