Coming of Age Stories

Tough love

September 12, 2020
Coming of Age Stories
Tough love
Show Notes

Under what conditions do we learn best? In both fiction and real life, there is an argument to be made that greatness thrives under pressure, fear and adversity. I make the case for the ineffectiveness of such teaching methods, and reject the notion that sacrificing kindness is worth it to create a genius. This episode really serves as an introduction of a number of different concepts I want to explore in more depth later, including conditioning, corporal punishment, the emotional education of boys, and the myth of the tortured genius. It also serves as a summary of my philosophy of learning.
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Further reading:
The Uncomfortable Message in Whiplash's Dazzling Finale: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/10/the-ethics-of-whiplash/381636/  

Corporal Punishment of Children Should Be Banned: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-18/corporal-punishment-of-children-should-be-banned/11025096 

 The State of Research on the Effects of Physical Punishment: https://bit.ly/2ZvJYDK  

Punishment in Psychology: Negative Effects of Punishment: https://veronikatait.com/posts/2018-10-21-punishment-in-psychology-negative-effects-of-punishment.html 

 The Study of Punishment in Psychology: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-punishment-2795413