DumpyMcDoodleface
New member
- Location
- My house
Some other observations on fear being learned (or not):
I learned to skateboard later in life than many, and I always had to battle the fear of falling/getting hurt - really more of subduing the instinct for self preservation... and I never was very good as a result. To drop in on a pipe for example, you have to commit and throw your body weight out over the board or you'll never keep it under you - but fail to keep it under you and your going to eat it. Even the simple act of committing to a motion vs bailing. I see these little little kids doing so much more than I was every able to achieve and I can't help but think that starting before having that self preservation engrained makes such a huge difference (the low cg and bodies made of rubber probably don't hurt either).
On the nature over nurture side, my two daughters have generally been raised the same way, but the little one has very little fear to the point where we worry. She loves to be thrown in the air, swung around, etc. My oldest has never liked it. Even as an infant, she would tolerate being held into the air for a moment, but if held too long, held in a position where she was looking at anything but me, or if she left my hands for a split second, it was all over. I've asked her if she'll climb with me some day, and there's no hesitation... "No". As far as I can tell, that's 100% just their nature. My wife also gets anxiety just considering the idea of going up so I'm holding out for the little one to someday be a climbing buddy. Might be a long time before Mom allows it.
I've started carefully sprinkling the idea around though, I'm hoping it will make it easier when the time comes (although it could be giving her time to mount her defense).
I learned to skateboard later in life than many, and I always had to battle the fear of falling/getting hurt - really more of subduing the instinct for self preservation... and I never was very good as a result. To drop in on a pipe for example, you have to commit and throw your body weight out over the board or you'll never keep it under you - but fail to keep it under you and your going to eat it. Even the simple act of committing to a motion vs bailing. I see these little little kids doing so much more than I was every able to achieve and I can't help but think that starting before having that self preservation engrained makes such a huge difference (the low cg and bodies made of rubber probably don't hurt either).
On the nature over nurture side, my two daughters have generally been raised the same way, but the little one has very little fear to the point where we worry. She loves to be thrown in the air, swung around, etc. My oldest has never liked it. Even as an infant, she would tolerate being held into the air for a moment, but if held too long, held in a position where she was looking at anything but me, or if she left my hands for a split second, it was all over. I've asked her if she'll climb with me some day, and there's no hesitation... "No". As far as I can tell, that's 100% just their nature. My wife also gets anxiety just considering the idea of going up so I'm holding out for the little one to someday be a climbing buddy. Might be a long time before Mom allows it.
I've started carefully sprinkling the idea around though, I'm hoping it will make it easier when the time comes (although it could be giving her time to mount her defense).
