Do Children Need Competitiveness?

Dr. Michael LaitmanQuestion: Integral education makes our children more positive and kind. But, on the other hand, the science of learning of our world, in spite of this, is based upon egoistic fulfillment. Every child would like know something better than his classmates do. There is a certain duality. Doesn’t this influence the process of learning in a bad way? Won’t the child loss the intention and the taste for the science of learning of our world?

Answer: Egoistic characteristics were given to us so that we would use them correctly. Here competition is required. Envy, this is a person’s best characteristic. Without it he would not advance. We would have remained living in the trees or in caves; we wouldn’t have come out from there if not for envy and competition.

Therefore it is forbidden to take this from the children in any way, but rather only to direct them correctly so that both competition and envy would be for the purpose of bestowal: Who among us does something much more and much better for a friend, for the group, and so forth.

Then a person really blossoms, everyone encourages him, he does great work both for himself and for others, brings everyone great benefit. But these awakenings in people should not be killed in any way, especially in children. Only try to change them gradually, to transform but not reduce them.
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From the Moscow Virtual Convention “Unity Without Boundaries” Day One 12/13/13, Lesson 1

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