It is strange to think of ourselves as robbers. I mean most of my readers are intelligent, hardworking folks. Not robbers.
I’m not talking about the robbing of attention. Your attention is a gift and I cherish it.
I’m referring to the robbery of experience. Not deprivation. Robbery.
When a teacher tells his students “the answer is on page-34”, the teacher has robbed his students of the experience of browsing through the pages.
When a parent restricts her grown-up child from cycling on a wet road, she is robbing the child’s experience of handling the slippage on road. Possibly getting a little bit hurt in the process.
When a mentor provides the readymade formula to his mentees so they can finish the project on time, he has robbed them of the experience of figuring out things on their own. The experience of sitting with the anxiety of not meeting the project deadline. The most important is the anxiety of failing.
We are all guilty of this act. Because we care. Because we are concerned.
The trick is to strike a balance between recklessness and over-cautiousness.
Whether it is your student, a child or a friend, they should feel confident to go through the experience. Knowing that they’re taken care of, regardless of the outcome.