The 6 kinds of risks children seek out (source: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt):
• Heights (e.g., tree climbing)
• High speed (e.g., slides)
• Dangerous tools (e.g., hammers)
• Dangerous elements (e.g., fire)
• Rough-and-tumble play
• Disappearing (e.g., hiding)
I had never considered this. It strengthens the theory that the human animal needs struggle and risk to develop and kids will seek it out themselves if not provided other avenues. I was thinking about all the parents that will not let their children engage in any activities deemed dangerous.
My son at age seven or eight kept asking for a ramp to jump his BMX bike. My brother inlaw and I made one that was only about 18" high. I watched him do a couple of jumps and gave him some instructions to take it easy and be careful. I left for an appointment and came back to an upset wife who had just come back from urgent care with my son to check for a concussion and also to bandage the road rash on his face. Apparently after we left, he and his friends had moved the ramp so he could get a long running start to go as fast as possible over the ramp. He crashed on his first attempt.
That same son was always climbing things.
Today he is married and works for the family manufacturing business that includes a lot of dangerous tools and equipment, and he is very capable and careful. I think those early years of dangerous experimentation were developmental.
Thanks for turning me onto Living Fossils. It is rare that I read something that astounds me. The last time that happened was when I subscribed to your stack. Thanks.
On that first interesting finding, the X chromosome is also larger than the Y chromosome, almost twice as large and serves as another explanation for why women live longer than men on average. So women get two large sex chromosomes (XX) and men get only one large sex chromosome with one small sex chromosome (Xy).
It’s both “birds of a feather flock together” in content of values beliefs and goals but “opposites attract” in personality style.
Both true.
The 6 kinds of risks children seek out (source: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt):
• Heights (e.g., tree climbing)
• High speed (e.g., slides)
• Dangerous tools (e.g., hammers)
• Dangerous elements (e.g., fire)
• Rough-and-tumble play
• Disappearing (e.g., hiding)
I had never considered this. It strengthens the theory that the human animal needs struggle and risk to develop and kids will seek it out themselves if not provided other avenues. I was thinking about all the parents that will not let their children engage in any activities deemed dangerous.
My son at age seven or eight kept asking for a ramp to jump his BMX bike. My brother inlaw and I made one that was only about 18" high. I watched him do a couple of jumps and gave him some instructions to take it easy and be careful. I left for an appointment and came back to an upset wife who had just come back from urgent care with my son to check for a concussion and also to bandage the road rash on his face. Apparently after we left, he and his friends had moved the ramp so he could get a long running start to go as fast as possible over the ramp. He crashed on his first attempt.
That same son was always climbing things.
Today he is married and works for the family manufacturing business that includes a lot of dangerous tools and equipment, and he is very capable and careful. I think those early years of dangerous experimentation were developmental.
Chuffed for my review of Adam B. Coleman's excellent book to be on your recommended list, Rob. Thank you!
Thanks for turning me onto Living Fossils. It is rare that I read something that astounds me. The last time that happened was when I subscribed to your stack. Thanks.
On that first interesting finding, the X chromosome is also larger than the Y chromosome, almost twice as large and serves as another explanation for why women live longer than men on average. So women get two large sex chromosomes (XX) and men get only one large sex chromosome with one small sex chromosome (Xy).