5 (or 6) Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do.
Here They Are:
1. Play With Fire
2. Own a Pocket Knife
3. Throw A Spear
4. Break DRM Laws
5. Deconstruct an Appliance
6. Drive a Car
Basically, he argues that these are all activities that build one's relationship with the surrounding environment and train both mind and body in the basic laws of mechanics and physics. It's too bad he's not a better speaker.
I definitely do agree with this, particularly #2 (friends know I've always got at least one knife).
I'd say I agree with his principle more than his specific examples (while they're a good start, a number of other activities are just as productive). But the idea behind these exercises is right-on.
Overprotection has become the standard in our society, and the consequences aren't limited to the skills a child develops.
Turns out, Drug-Resistant Bacteria are actually made stronger through our over-use of antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, and antibiotics.
Moral of the story: Small amounts of "bad stuff" (bacteria, cuts, burns, bruises) teaches us how to cope (immunity builds up, fire=hot=pain, etc).
Or, as Paracelsus said over 450 years ago,
"Alle Ding' sind Gift und nichts ohn' Gift; allein die Dosis macht, dass ein Ding kein Gift ist." ("All things are poison and nothing is without poison, only the dose permits something not to be poisonous.")
It is the dose that determines the poison.
