just stumbled on this interesting conversation from TED with Psychologist Philip Zimbardo as he attempts to answer the larger question that many of us…teachers-pastors-parents are pondering: “why are boys struggling?” the solution is less clear…the struggle is glaringly obvious. i see this almost every time i go into a local school. and when i’m with the jr & sr high dudes…its clear in their admissions to how they spend their time. wondering if there is anyway to turn it or is it simply where things find themselves? ht ben arment
If I learned anything during my 35-year career as a high school teacher and mentor, the American young man is still out there and achievable, even though the recent politically correct “war on boys” has made victims of a whole host of young men who fail to understand from an early age that they must grab the reins forcefully and “make themselves”. I used to ask this question to the young men in my charge, “How many women are going to be seriously attracted to the kind of man who’s fat, dumb, lazy, shops for everything at Walmart, and doesn’t care about anything except his next cell phone and where he’s gonna get and his next tattoo?” It always seemed to make an impression, and for some it made a difference. When your power comes from being a victim its cure will become your enemy.
keep asking those questions, eric. your story and presence is still making an impact even in your new career.