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Good post. Makes on think. Makes one remember other youth like him and evaluate the reaction to them at the time. All of us, ever and always, need to keep growing and learning no matter the age.
posted by
TAPS.
on February 7, 2012 at 7:08 PM
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Naut, as often, we are actually on the same line of thought.
In some circumstances, it's practical and necessary to eject the problem-maker immediately. My point is that it is a mistake to think that this solves the problem, and that a compassionate society will make further moves at a later time, to really address the problem instead of merely evading it.
But we are an expedient, out-of-sight, out-of-mind society, by habit. That's what I think also needs some behaviour-modification.
posted by
Ciel
on February 7, 2012 at 1:17 PM
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Ciel
Of course I agree with you in principle! But there are times when the practicalities need to be taken into account and have to take precedence.
When I am running a show where I have to consider the well-being of a number of participants, I cannot deal with someone who's out of control other than by removing him. When it is clearly impossible to modify his behavior by normal reprimands, it is obvious that it's just the symptom of personal problems and possibly a personality disorder of long standing. Those problems are not solved by ad hoc 'therapeutic' moves...
And re your comment: In my case it was not a matter of replacing the whole shoulder, but stitching together what's there, which was torn...
posted by
Nautikos
on February 7, 2012 at 12:00 PM
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Pat, I think you're exactly on the point there:
This kid wants us to give him the power he has given us.
And I agree wholeheartedly that such behavior is a red flag: how it is responded to may well determine whether the kid can be pulled back to stable ground, or will go on over the edge of the precipice.
posted by
Ciel
on February 5, 2012 at 9:02 AM
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Probably the most provocative sentence in your blog is
"the problem with ignorance is that we never know how much of it we've got." That is so true, and in my ignorance I'm thinking sometimes that kind of acting out is the forerunner of an unfolding mental condition. Or not. Sometimes when one feels unsafe he will try to make himself look a bit dangerous.
posted by
Pat_B
on February 5, 2012 at 8:44 AM
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