Enabling Natural Consequences

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I will help you become that."--Johan Wolfgang von Goethe

I try not to get sucked into political debates, especially on Facebook, mainly because they are akin to discussing religion.  The vast majority of people already have their minds made up on what is right and what is wrong, so they embrace the things that support their existing viewpoint and ignore or fight violently against things that contradict their existing viewpoint.  Almost every time the result is that people on both sides are angry and further entrenched in their beliefs.  It just doesn't seem like a good use of my time and energy.

However, the quote above got me thinking about politics, so I'm doing a brain dump here.

Especially since my years working at Clarinda Academy and Tarkio Academy, I have strongly believed that natural consequences are the best teachers and behavior modifiers.  When it comes to addictive behavior, the hardest type of behavior to change, behavioral changes only happen when one "hits bottom".  The "bottom" is different for different people, but unless a person suffers the pain of the "bottom", he or she won't change the behavior.  Enablers are one of  if not the very biggest hurdle to addicts overcoming addiction.  If  you aren't familiar with the term "enabler", the Merriam Webster definition is "one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior".  Enablers do things like giving addicts unearned money, making excuses for them so they don't suffer social consequences, covering their work or family obligations, etc.  Enablers don't do it out of evil intent, but with the intention of "helping".  Sometimes they think they really are helping, or sometimes they know they are hurting in the long run but choose to make the short term "better".  But the effect is that by keeping the person from hitting bottom, he or she never recovers so he or she never makes it to the top.  In fact, they are always close to "bottom".  Which puts continuous stress on families, friends, employers, neighbors, and society in general.

So how is this political?  It got me thinking about politics, because what is our government except the world's biggest enabler?  The vast majority of government programs (and even more so the most controversial ones) are all about preventing people from suffering the natural consequences of their negative behavior (and in many ways prevent from enjoying the natural consequence of good behavior).  Didn't save money for retirement?  We'll make a government program to pay you anyway.  Didn't pay attention or didn't go to school?  Haven't developed sufficient skills to demand high wages?  The government will make your employer pay you more than they want to so you can have  stuff anyway.  Or if it's not enough, the government will supply you with food and housing.  Have an unintended child?  Or six or eight or ten?  The government will supply all your needs so you can continue to be a parent.

Some may say that I have a negative view of people, that many are "losers", etc.  But it's the opposite.  I truly believe that those dependent on government programs are capable of doing great things, that if they are no longer "enabled" then they will enable themselves.  I think that it's pompous and condescending to think that people can not overcome their circumstances without governmental help.  People are much more capable, resourceful and smart than anyone, even themselves, think they are.

Stopping the enabling by the government would be painful in the short term, and it's difficult to do, but it's necessary for long term success and results.

Are there good government programs?  Yes, but for the most part the government's role as an enabler is the "I" in "If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse".  It should not be acceptable to be uneducated, unskilled, and unmotivated in this country.  To make things better, we as citizens need to demand that "I (the government) treat you as though you (the citizenry) are what you are capable of becoming,  I will help you become that".  The best way to teach that is to stay out of the way and let natural consequences teach.  When we do that, we will get closer to realizing our full potential.