my dad always told me that i was a mistake. whenever i would tell him about something that i did that I thought would make him proud he would tell me that helen keller could do it better. i didnt know who she was so i asked my mom and also asked why my dad would compare me to her. she told me that helen keller was a woman that could hold her breath under water for 12 seconds without coming up for air. i told my mom that i could do that and she told me I wasnt smart enough to count to 12 and i'd end up drowning. I think all of these things helped me become a better person, i'm 38 years old now and I probably never would have known about this helen keller womans ability to hold her breath and i can count to 12 no problem, and if my mom told me to try to follow in helen kellers footsteps i would most definately have drowned. one of my online friends told me helen keller was known for something else but i think he's just jealous of the relationship i have with my mom and dad.
2007-11-12 15:54:41 · 8 answers · asked by MilFra 2 in Social Science ➔ Psychology
From what I have studied (being a psychology major) is if you tell someone they are not or will not be good at something then they will get the idea stuck in their head that they will never be good at whatever it may be.
So I guess it's just basically up to the person
2007-11-12 16:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your parents were both right. I dont know whats wrong with everyone that answered this question and think that their way of parenting is always right. My kids know that if they don't finish their cauliflower that they will have to wear it in their underwear the next day at school. If they get anything but an A+ on their report card they aren't allowed to wear pants around the house. I will also take pictures of them and force them to show all of their friends how silly they look on Myspace. If they make the excuse that their teachers only go up to an A, I tell them that they need to tighten up on their negotiating skills and make them give me a pedicure. I know I'll get a lot of heat for saying these things, but thats my way of showing my kids I love them. If they screw up in the real world like this they risk being raped, sodomized or even killed. In my opinion I'm giving my kids a break...when Tommy goes into the fifth grade next year he'll be good at everything he does and his friends will all be jealous. Not everyone has the abilities that I do though, I am a psychic, and I already know that everything I'm teaching my kids is going to make me a lot of money in the future. You should write your parents a thank you card...and maybe even include a $20 dollar bill just to show them that you want to repay them. Nothing makes a parent more proud than receiving monetary rewards from their offspring.
2007-11-14 20:28:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Helen Keller was blind, deaf and dumb but had a very special teacher who stayed with her and got her to talk - she was actually very intellegent. Your Dad was meaning that as an insult ! You Mom wasn't much better either! How is your relationship with these people now? What else happened in your life that made you the person you are now? Are you a Christian? Maybe you can now ask them why they said these things to you - certainly not to improve your self esteem!
2007-11-13 00:01:11 · answer #3 · answered by curiouscanadian 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
So your dad always told you that you were a mistake. So why did he have you then? Whatever. This relationship may have worked for you, but try and treat your own offspring like that, and the results might not be as favorable.
2007-11-13 01:05:19 · answer #4 · answered by autumn leaf 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't really thing so, if you always tell some one they can't do any thing right, then that's what they will believe and stop trying, you build people up by telling them how good they are doing, so some day day they can be on their own, I think your mom and dad were wrong!!!
2007-11-13 00:11:42 · answer #5 · answered by Silver Fox 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This question is in the wrong section, it should be in the Joke Section.
But at least you do have a sense of humour.
2007-11-13 00:07:58 · answer #6 · answered by malcolm g 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thats disturbing.
2007-11-13 00:19:35 · answer #7 · answered by amor fati 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i am glad you think this helped you, but many, maybe most, people have their self confidence destroyed by this sort of thing in their childhood.
2007-11-13 00:06:05 · answer #8 · answered by nickipettis 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋