The Puzzle of Our Parenting
With every passing decade human beings seem more and more like aliens who arrived on Earth by some incredible (and perhaps terrible) accident. We don’t fit in harmoniously with other living creatures. We pursue the creation of our own isolated “human” societies that distinguish us from common flora and fauna. What’s more, many of us seem quite content with this solitary existence. Our lonely human cocoons are comforting because they allow us to pretend that we are above the laws of nature. We rarely speak about ourselves with the same impersonal biological theories that we use for other species. And there are some human experiences that we hold so dear - that to apply scientific principles to them is akin to blasphemy. The Altar of Parenting The idea that human beings are the most committed, diligent, and selfless parents of all living beings is widely accepted. Accepted is actually a rather small word - the altar of parenting is worshipped. Human parents are celebrat