Thursday 21 August 2008

The way of the child

Just as I was driving home today, a thought came to me. I wonder… if I am given a choice, would I want my children to be super intelligent but carry an evil heart… or less intelligent but carry a kind heart.

Let’s say that there is no choosing the “in-between”, which I am sure all of us would want in our usual great escape route, I would prefer the latter. Imagine all of us produce super intelligent but evil children, the world would end up like how it was shown in Wall-E, or worse. Some will be worried that if your children are less intelligent, they will lose out. Fret not, because if everyone carries with them a kind heart, I believe no one will lose out.

Unfortunately, I observe that most, if not all parents nowadays are moulding their children into super intelligent beings more than nurturing their children into someone with a kind heart. One can see what the days ahead will be, isn’t it?

What do you think? What would you prefer?

Have a lovely weekend.

58 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about neither too stupid but nor too kind either? :p

Anonymous said...

This post reminds me of Forrest Gump bro..

I'm choosing the latter..definitely

kyh said...

Latter for sure. What's the use of being so intelligent but hv no respect for the rest of the world?

day-dreamer said...

I'd rather have the latter, because intelligence can be nurtured.

cDi said...

It's hard to determine if the child is either kind or cruel, because human functions in so many ways.

I think I'll just let that kid be aware of the word "conscience" and let them be aware of the feelings that they have in themselves then from there I would TRY my best to guide them, but in the end, how would they grow up to be is really not in my control.

I don't know if it answers your question though. I think mine is more textbook-ish kind ^^|||

I'd want a super-intelligent child who is conscious about other people's feelings and hence able to show kindness. No point having a super-intelligent child who can't express themselves.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

a good heart. =)
happee weekend.

the Constantly Dramatic One said...

Excuze moi, seems that a lot of ppl want their kids to be kind and bla bla bla. Whatever man, I want my kid to be super intelligent and evil?

Why?

Easy so that by using my kid I can......*pause for dramatic effect*.........TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!! MWAHAHAHAH.

No seriously, think Angelina Jolie in that movie "Alexander". Rmbr that scene when she was crouched by the bed going "In my womb I carry my avenger!!"...yeah I so totally would re-enact that whole entire scene when I'm pregnant. Seriously.

Just cause it's cool and I can pretend to be Jolie.....also my kid would totally kick ass. Yours included }=p

Ahem

Anonymous said...

A good heart for sure! What's the use for intelligence when one's heart is evil?!

missX said...

Babies, babies, babies!

I'll choose "less intelligent but carry a kind heart".

Not too dungu of course, heh heh heh ;P

B.H. said...

Between the devil and the deep blue sea.

That's why they coined the term "a necessary evil".

B.H.

Anonymous said...

Arm them with the wit to survive the realities of this world, yet also with a kind eye to see the good that most would not. :)

Anonymous said...

zewt is going gaga for a baby lor!

Anonymous said...

A child is God's gift.
I will pray for HIS guidance in raising my child.

A Blessed Weekend to you.

myop101 said...

if i am going to have children, i just want them to know they are sinners in need of Jesus Christ.

whether they are intelligent or not, it doesn't matter too much so long as they are useful to the Lord.

Anonymous said...

kind heart? easy to say ya...but lets do some day dreaming...if now u r having the baby juz next to u...how u gonna bhave when a big bully pinch him n he still give lollipop to the bully

zewt, good post...it suddenly juz hit me...decades ago the main subject we kena 'teach' by our parents is mostly abt manner....but nowadays parents indeed raise their chidren wif the 'u better be smart' attitude. rmbr how u all compare ur children wif other? its abt exam result most of the time!

side track abit....
http://malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/11620/84/
he got the record of beating LD 3 great times juz recently...zewt, the chances of wat u said is true getting higher, wat ediGod said might b true oso...tat he is indeed a MaChAi..emm

missironic said...

kind heart i guess...too intelligent also very dangerous coz will bcome too evil..then the world will end even sooner! i tink like tat la..hahahaa

have a good weekend yourself too! =D

Jorji said...

cuba dapatkan anak pulak ..hehe
then u know what u want for yr children...
have a great wiken!
:)

Purple~MushRooM said...

Your less intelligent means what? As long as not stupid or pak-chi, I will choose kind heart over super-intelligent. No need to be too intelligent la...

huntressmoon said...

Easy. I want my kid to be streetwise. Other kid can be super intelligent but my streetwise kid who is really business minded will hire super intelligent kids to generate profits for him, while he go buy sports car and have millions of gf.

Anonymous said...

how about 70% intelligent + 30% kind? :) more realistic i think..


ammu.

ManaL said...

Intelligent....now thats bit subjective. Every human being is given a brain with a mind. And then this so-called IQ and EQ evaluations. Any parents would want to be beaming in joy and pride to see how well their kids behave and how excellent their school results are. And as protective as I can be, I wouldnt want my kids to be left out on many things and wud let them develop the adventurous sense as well even if we r now facing more danger on the street than ever before.

What is also more important besides a good EQ and IQ kid is how we teach them self-respect and how to respect their parents, elders, among their siblings and so on. We dont want to create a monster but a smart citizen who not only assert good moral behaviour among his/her peers but also wise enough not to be too gullible or too evil.

Kids yea...they can hurt their parents feeling and they can also melt their hearts with so much love and happiness. We see kids who grow up neglecting their parents and those who stick by them till death do they part. Lets pray that God will bestow us with good children as they are the gifts from God himself.

PS: U r broody now is it? so when's your turn to be a daddy? Cmon la Zewt, spill the bean :-D

Anonymous said...

How about the best they can be? Your post reminds me of one super bright student I once knew who's going to medical school - I wonder how he's like as a doctor now.

I pray that he has changed because he is one arrogant and selfish boy who only wants to become a doctor because it shows a) he's smart, b) he can do it and c) beat everyone else.

Btw, I wanna tag you on a meme but not sure you do tags. Can you let me know?

drumsticks said...

less intelligent but kind. why? because if he is intelligent but bad, the most it can bring him is worldly success - material success, but we don't live forever. Even if he is successful in the eyes of the world, he won't be successful in the eyes of God, and as a parent, i'd fear for him on his judgment day. I think it hurts being stupid,especially if you care about rejections, some even have it worst, getting rejected from their parents. But being less intelligent but kind, providing that he can still understand what it means to be kind, even if people of this world doesn't view him as someone successful, i'm sure God will take good care of him. So as a parent, there isn't much to worry about, after all its our eternal life that matters; and that's not to say we shouldn't care about things on Earth, its just that being less intelligent through no fault of their own, is ok as he will be taken care of. As for the evil hearted one with brains, i fear for him.

Acute Critique said...

talking abt babies now aren't we? so are u hinting something? *ehem ehem*

XD

back to your story, i don't want to choose. i will accept any child(ren) that i will have and accept them as they are. whether they are kind or evil, i let them have the freedom to choose themselves.

Anonymous said...

Currently, I would not reproduce. Why? I'm an abomination of havoc already so if I did have kids, they would be me but in a worst form. Heh... So trying to spare humanity the agony.

But if I gotta choose. I would choose a pair of identical twins with one of each type. However, I woud prefer the kind one to be the manipulative and master strategist. Why? Having one of each would balance out the other but the kind one needs to counter the evil genius to subdue and curb his destruction. Get it?

My mom often said to me and still does occassionally. "If I didn't love u, I would have strangled u to death when u were younger." Hehe...

Zewt... R u becoming Papa Zewt? ;) Yeah!! We can eat a full-moon banquet soon!

Anonymous said...

Can we actually 'groom' super intelligent children? Hmmm...I thought we are either born with intelligence or without. But if given a choice, I'd rather have a child with a good heart.
A kind person can go a long way compared to a super intelligent evil one.

Anonymous said...

I believe character can carry someone further then intelligent

Anonymous said...

The heart is a complex thing..it cant be made, can only be forged by upbringings and examples.

If the child can be kind and be wise at the same time, why choose?

Seaqueen said...

Wah! Is this indirectly saying you're thinking of making babies already now? Hihi.

Yea, it's true, nowadays parents are bringing up super intelligent kids rather than super respectful and morally right kids. It's a sad case.

SamSeiko said...

it can be intelligent and kind heart together :P

Anonymous said...

That's why kids nowadays totally different than our time. Kids now think that they are intelligent and show no respect to elderly. On paper, it is easy to say you would prefer the second choice. But in real life, all parents would like their kids to be excellent, intelligent.

Azlan Zed said...

kind heart trumps intelligence... :)

Kim said...

It's abnormal and not exactly human to have any of the extreme. But if I really have to choose, it'll be a kind heart.

Anonymous said...

Agree with you. Kindness wins!

zewt said...

sooi sooi - i already said no in between mah.

pookyma - hahaha... definitely. but forrest... not smart + kind + extremely lucky!

kyh - well said and good choice.

day-dreamer - not really... dont think it can be nurtured.

CiNDi - the subject matter is pretty clear... either intelligent and evil or stupid and kind, no way in between and no best of both world. i know we all want a kind smart kid but looking at way things go... not exactly happening.

Jed Yoong - good! :)

zewt said...

the constantly dramatic one - i get what you mean, and i have to say.... thank you for an honest answer :P well, in a idealistic world, ppl will want their kid to be kind ler.

cc - and let's hope that's the way things will turn out to be.

Just Jasmine - hahaha... no lah, just not so intelligent.

B.H. - so it's the former for u eh?

Life for beginniers - so... is he going to be intelligent or not?

wuching - no lah... :P

jemima - that's faith.... leaving everything to Him. But God might just let us manage things :)

zewt said...

myop101 - that sounds like a kind heart with whatever level of intelligence :)

anon @ 22/8 9.05am - well, i will just buy my baby a new lollipop, no worries :) yes, parents no longer teach their kids about manners, it's all about equiping their kids with the skills and knowledge that they need, very sad. as for your side track.... well, ppl still wanna live in fantasy... right? wanna be honour and all sigh....

missironic - that's right, when you become too intelligent, u will tend to be evil.

j or ji - hehehe.... i know what u mean :)

purple mushroom - not pak chi lah.... just not intelligent, not saying he is handicapped or something...

huntressmoon - hahahaha.... have millions of gfs... that sounds like evil to me.

tulipspeaks - hmmm... cant have the best of both world... no place for evil?

Anonymous said...

The not too bright might be manipulated by more intelligent, evil kids... point of reference: Children of the Corn.

On the other hand, the more intelligent but evil can be locked up behind bars for a few years, to come out and make the world more interesting... point of reference: Lex Luther of Superman Returns.

zewt said...

Manal - wah.... suddenly into EQ. when we talk about child, it's usually IQ first lah... EQ comes later. no la... nothing to spill.... really, not hiding anything :)

KittyCat - well, that boy sounds like the former, super intelligent and evil. or perhaps, want to be super intelligent so that he can be evil. no lah... no tag :)

drumsticks - and that... is exactly what i am talking about. when we have filled this world with kindness... there is no need for intelligence.... not super type at least.

Acute Critique - so if they are evil, you're going to accept it too?

pinknpurplelizard - hmmmm... if one is kind, i dont think he will be manipulative. master strategist... dont think so if he is not super intelligent. cant have best of both world, dont u think? no papa zewt lah.... :)

Foong - exactly... some ppl here say they can nurture intellligence, i dont think so. i think one can nurture a good heart. certainly, a kind person can go a long way...

Eddie Law - hello there... well said, that is exactly what i was trying to say.

zewt said...

ngy - that's why i am saying... if u can choose, which would u want?

seaqueen - nothing to hint lah... u leh?

EliteVillain - that's why i said no in-between mah.

jam - good point... that's why... kind heart only exist in an idealisic world.

alan zed - true.... but which one would many want?

Kimmy - hahaha.... not extreme... just a test of choice.

Siew - make sure shen liang grows up that way ya... :)

taxy driver - both of them not going to do the world any good.

Jun said...

too much evil in the world nowadays isn't it? sigh.

Jerrenn said...

Less intelligent, but with a kind heart, 'cos intelligence can be nurtured =)

Faisal Admar said...

I would prefer the latter one too. Who wants a brilliant devil? No one!

Aphrodite said...

ummm i would definitely want me kid to be one with a big golden heart...:)

Horny Ang Moh said...

Aiyah! Fai Ti lah!!! Make ur kids first lah! whether he/she becum good/bad clever/stupid u as parent can help out in this!
Oh! BTW I am a 'horny' blogger has nothing to do with my papa & mama! Both of them teach me to be a 'good boy'!!! I blame it all on my naughty 'bro'!!!
Have a very nice day!

SuLee said...

I dont care if my kid is not bright but as long as he/she has a kind heart, but that will take away their "awareness" of evil ppls around, well..in a way. dont you think?

Mcmercedez said...

To be honest, every parents nowadays are trying their level best to make their children the best of the best without understanding the actual potential of the child.. That's why you can see children nowadays are either spoil brats or runaways..

For me, I'll let God decide what my children will be and let they themselves have the chance to prove what they believe in.. I'm not going to mold then into something which they are actually not or they are not interested in..

cDi said...

I think you've misunderstood me zewt. I said, a kid who is "conscious about other people's feelings, hence able to show kindness". But it doesn't mean he will be smart and kind, just saying he might be able to when situation needs him to be.

I don't ask for the best of both worlds. This is the logical answer. Super-intelligent kids are always, if I'm right, arrogant, than being evil. How does arrogant = evil? I don't know which era you come from that suggests that super-intelligent people are going to grow up to manipulate and became a tyrant.

And what makes you think stupid kids are kinder? They are probably just as michievous at the start, but with some education their michievous self just go poof, just like any other kid who had their first education.

But when they go into teens, no parents are able to control them. They decide themselves whether they are evil or kind or whatever.

I'm very disappointed with you this time zewt. Not only you misinterpret my comment but you disregard it as well. I think I might think twice before presenting my arguments.

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

So zewt, am I evil or stupid? Hahaha. You can't tell la. It all depends on the child's upbringing, on what the parents fed them. I believe your kid will be a intelligent and kind hearted bcos u are a good man.

Anonymous said...

As for me, definitely the latter.. and yes, it is very noticeable nowadays that parents would rather have their children to be super intelligent and neglecting the part of teaching the kids MANNERS!

I have seen a daughter shouted at the Mom; because she thinks her mom is stupid.. she is indeed a straight A student but with such attitude towards the parents... I wonder if she'll take care of her aging parents someday...

Ninja said...

My children will definitely be nurtured to be evil geniusses...all in line with our continuing efforts to take over the world!!!! Muahahahahahahahaha!

Seaqueen said...

Me ar? Nothing as well lor. Working hard. ;D

Anonymous said...

We live in such a kia soo era now, of course we want our kids to be smart la and have a kind heart too. Who says we can't have our cake and eat it as well in this case. There are many adults that I know who are very intelligent and yet kind hearted.

I don't think there is any need for compromise of one for the other.

These days, with our economy going down the drain and inflation at a 20 year high, I really hope my kids will be smart la, cos otherwise when they come back here and need to work and earn a living they'll be in deep shit... no jobs for "not so smart people" lor..

Now an overseas grad comes back to home sweet malaysia and first pay check is only RM2500 if damn lucky...

How to buy a car and pay rent or think of buying a house and have a family...

Need to be smart to survive ... unfortunately...but of course always be KIND too!

Huei said...

cos everyone always goes..my kids does this..my kid does that! damn clever..damn smart..1yr old can do miracle edi! so everyone wants that

me...i'd rather not have a kid than have one screaming into my ears every nite!! =P

i'd rather have my Baby by my side forever! ^^

~aSstHa~ said...

easy... for me, i'd want my kid to have enough joys to make them happy, and enough sorrows to keep them human...

i think minimalism is the way to go... no fancy things... i always believe a kind heart will get u places... i've personally been subjected to a few along the way... :D

Anonymous said...

answer is always easy....of course kind heart!! but reality...dare not say la...!!!
eh, baby making in progress ka???

zewt said...

Jun - indeed... must limit it.. try our best.

poseidon - i dont think so... kind heart can be nurtured.

faisal admar - hey there... welcome to AZAIG. well... check out some comments, some ppl do.

aphrodite - in reality, things can be different eh?

Hor Ny - hahahaha... that is so you.... i think a horny funny boy sounds like one with a good heart eh?

SuLee - the problem will be solved when everyone nurture kind heart to their child.

McMercedez - yup... parents now are nurturing their kinds to be intelligent... manners, all thrown outside the window. God will use you as the instrument to teach the child :)

CiNDi - i didnt really disregard it but i made the choice rather clear... anyway, you have a point about arrogant not necessary results in evil. but majority (it's generalisation), that intelligent people are one who will grow up to manipulate others. that is how the world function now, you dont see kind ppl with low IQ sitting up in high position with evil ppl doing their bidding. and i think everyone make mistake in interpreting comments somwetimes, includine me.

zewt said...

littlepolaris - yup... upbringing, so when u have one... make sure u concentrate on making him kind and not smart eh :P

melbie - those are results of all the tuition and extra classes but lack of mannerism.

sabrina - hahahaha.... terrible!!

seaqueen - what type of working hard? :)

Michelle Khang - hello there. welcome to AZAIG. just to comment on an overseas grad coming home getting 2500 and not being able to get a car and home and start a family.... do u think a grad should immediately buy a car, buy a house and start a family? everyone wants things so quickly now... that is the problem. that is why parents want their kids not just to be super smart, but super smart ahead of others. one day, nature is going to take control again and i wonder what will be the outcome. sounds morbid eh?

huei - but your baby cant call u mommy woh.

aSstHa - yes... kind heart all the way. and if everyone thinks the same... the world will be a much better place.

jacss - that is a very honest answer :)