Lying to the Children

I one night brought this up with Mike because it was something I was thinking about. The feeding kids lies about Santa Clause, who, if real, would be mind boggling in his capabilities and make Jesus look like a guy on the corner playing music while passers by drop coins and bills into a jar held by a monkey in comparison.

[From 12-5-04]

NR363avs (1:23:07 AM): Ok, I have a slightly bizzare question that came to mind a few days ago
HTMLjedi (1:23:25 AM): go.
HTMLjedi (1:23:30 AM): i like bizzare.
NR363avs (1:23:32 AM): What good does it do to lie to kids early on about the existence of the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause?
NR363avs (1:23:44 AM): (I went with a holiday theme)
HTMLjedi (1:24:51 AM): it's a rationalization for gift-giving and getting, and it's just a little thing that adds a bit of spirit to the holiday, something that a kid can relate to.
HTMLjedi (1:25:02 AM): fairy tales aren't ever close to accurate, but they're told for that reason.
HTMLjedi (1:25:10 AM): uh... other things, too.
HTMLjedi (1:25:37 AM): it promotes imaginative growth, heh.
HTMLjedi (1:25:55 AM): i can almost see that, seeing as i never ever believed in the easter bunny.
HTMLjedi (1:26:03 AM): santa, well... i did when i was wee lad.
NR363avs (1:26:12 AM): yeah
NR363avs (1:28:40 AM): eh, nevermind on that
HTMLjedi (1:28:52 AM): lol
NR363avs (1:28:52 AM): I was all into what lesson it teaches kids to lie to them about things
NR363avs (1:29:04 AM): and gullibility and such
HTMLjedi (1:29:08 AM): the social complex part of it.
HTMLjedi (1:29:09 AM): well.
HTMLjedi (1:29:31 AM): a kid should learn this on his or her own anyway.
HTMLjedi (1:29:36 AM): no one told me santa didn't exist.
HTMLjedi (1:29:39 AM): i dunno.
HTMLjedi (1:29:46 AM): i don't even know how i stopped.
NR363avs (1:30:08 AM): mine was seein my dad sneak upstairs and put stuff under the tree when I was like five
HTMLjedi (1:30:10 AM): it just happened. it's like when someone dies and you just foget about it. i mean, i forgot or something?
HTMLjedi (1:30:22 AM): yeah. that leads to complexion.
HTMLjedi (1:30:33 AM): the issue is how long do you continue the ruse?
HTMLjedi (1:30:49 AM): a kid should be mature enough around 7 or 8 to understand.
NR363avs (1:30:59 AM): yeah, because i can very very vaguely remember elementary school arguments about whether Santa was real or not
HTMLjedi (1:31:09 AM): the problem is, if you give your kid too much of that shit, they'll believe it more than their brain would let them think otherwise.
HTMLjedi (1:31:15 AM): it's blind belieft.
HTMLjedi (1:31:16 AM): belief.
HTMLjedi (1:32:05 AM): i still suppose it's not quite harmful by itself.
HTMLjedi (1:32:28 AM): because really, you won't lead them into a complex unless more issues occur.
HTMLjedi (1:32:46 AM): the whole lying issue really stems from more things, like how trustable the parent is.
HTMLjedi (1:33:12 AM): it's not just on santa and christmas and holidays, it's gotta be overall--does the parent say one thing and not mean a shit of it?

And eventually the whole internal chatter about the topic dissolved into oblivion -- for a while. Then came this string of Boondocks comics (easily found on MSNBC under Entertainment: Comics) that are on the subject of lying to children at the least about Santa Clause and such (the following strips have been altered so they go vertically):

- from 12-6-04


- from 12-7-04


- from 12-8-04


- from 12-9-04


- from 12-10-04


- from 12-11-04

In brief, I'll say this. Its not a "big" lie, but considering the scope (i.e. millions of children across America among other countries that have a majority that practices the holiday) its pretty sizeable in usage and obviously influence. It shapes the minds of kids, and the question is where you draw the line if you tell them that lie because "its not that bad", or with other people long past that childhood phase. Because lying is acceptable to a certain degree for the human race depending on intent and usage of each individual lie. "I'm too tired", "I did not have sex with that woman", "I believe in equality", "I'm lost", "Go Rams!", "We're winning the war in Vietnam", "Earth is not round", etc.

So where the line is drawn in the greater spectrum is really subjective, bringing me back to elements of the chat with Mike. Including how it goes back to blind belief to a degree (or at least the potential for it through deception of the gullible individual or masses).

- from 12-13-04