Source
Having a kid by your side is one of the best emotional experiences. In Nigeria, society has classified the rich and poor based on whether you have kids or not. That's the best way for a society to evolve, I must say.
We all are curious about the behavioral traits that an offspring would possess. And that's I think a universal aspiration for all parents across different societies.
While the physical body is strongly influenced by the geography/environment a person experiences throughout life, behavioral traits are precisely the result of genetic interplay.
I would personally be more interested and hope that my kid would inherit the trait to achieve the golden mean between two extremes. In the entire Universe, there exist two extremes, and the best way to survive and negotiate a world is to have the ability to find that golden mean between two extremes, for that, we need these basic traits- Temperance, courage, and wisdom.
Of course in the first place, I would want a kid who is physically and mentally fit enough with a threshold minimum capacity both phenotypically and genotypically from the get-go.
Because all the flourishing traits and sophistication always thrive on the basic minimum threshold.
Another thing I must note here is that it's not just about traits a kid is born with it is also about what environments and family values he/she gets during his/her upbringing. So the real momentum is rooted in the family values/culture. Let's not forget that.
One more thing I would always hope that my kid should be interested in spirituality. When I say spirituality it's more about experiencing it, not just about following it. He/she should have an innate desire for the question of "Who am I"? He/she should be more inclined towards "consciousness", and "meditation".
So the lens through which I see or hope my kids to have these traits(temperance, wisdom, courage) is basically to encourage them to seek and achieve the golden mean which will lead to flourishing life and at the same a constant effort to raise the consciousness level.
In any kind of society, there are two things- one is survival in the first place and the second is self-realization. When I say survival it's more about how we cope in society and how sustain ourselves through different skill sets.
Of these if anything that I would rate as the most important, that is wisdom. Wisdom would automatically activate the "faculty of reason" and "faculty of intuition".
Last but not least, I must emphasize the point that stretching too much on what you expect or hope in a kid could also be counterproductive. While it's good to have some aspirations and expectations we should also remain open to autonomy, and diversity and accept what Nature wants to give us and be grateful for that. Imposing our aspirations is not an ideal parenting trait. So let's fix our own trait first before we hope it from our offspring.
In gist, let's not look for AI kids rather look for EI kids. At the end of the day we are humans, we need emotional accomplishment.
Thank you.
🙏🙏🙏
This article has been published in response to the Weekly Prompt by @scifimultiverse
