-------------------------------------------------
There is a way of bringing up the child of a samurai. From the time of infancy one should encourage bravery and avoid trivially frightening or teasing the child. If a person is affected by cowardice as a child, it remains a lifetime scar. It is a mistake for parents to thoughtlessly make their children dread lightning, or to have them not go into dark places, or to tell them frightening things in order to stop them from crying .

*From the Hagakure
-------------------------------------------------

This passage from the Hagakure sold me on it's brilliance. Though it's intention speaks of raising a child, it speaks volumes about our society and how we ignorantly use "fear" as a convenient safe guard, which inevitably breeds ignorance in a vicious cycle. It so much easier to tell someone not to do something "or ELSE" or to take a "I told you so approach" since it requires no time for explanation or education. In many cases the teachers themselves cannot truly explain why something should be feared as they where taught with the same empty warnings and not educated to the "TRUE" dangers. It is this "ignorant convenience" which helped breed such ugly things as Racism, Sexism, and much more. If you cannot truly explain and understand that which you have deemed dangerous in your life, then maybe it is time to re-examine what there is to fear.

Also aside from that which is life threatening I believe all children/students should not be totally safeguarded from pain or should live life without complication . They will lead a life not respecting consequence, or having accountability. I feel in children and students you should, of course lessen and advise against dangers but instill the sense of being responsible for one's self and for one's actions. One day they will have to answer for their actions and there ability to perservere through those situations will be a direct result of how they where tempered in the past.

S. Joe