Nature and Nurture, the Death of Independant Thought.

From day one you are cultivated as one to grow by another’s sun. It is not their fault, and certainly not yours, but a bitter tradition in human nature that is too far gone to be redeemed.
I am sure there isn’t any real doubt of it, and while some might profess nothing but love and admiration for their parents, grandparents, teachers, professors and even friends, there is an element of poison to these relationships.
In severe cases you are left with people either too stupid or too afraid to think properly for themselves and form their own opinions on matters, and in mild cases simply regular Joes with a few poignant issues they will not abandon their beliefs on.
The classic example, of course, is the Catholic church. You are baptised at birth, usually speaking, and so they give you little choice to object. The freedom of religion honest citizens get so giddy about is a sham, in so much as you are free to choose your religion, so long as it is that your parents have chosen for you.
Politics is much the same, though to a lesser extent. While it is probably fair to say that religious convictions run strong through the pristine bloodlines of this land down under, political passion or persuasion is more a case of ‘who cares’ or ‘they’re all evil’. True enough, perhaps.
What occurs is a fairly uniform avalanche effect. You, as a perhaps naïve youngster, see all the positive aspects in the lives and characters of those who guide you and so assume they must have the goods on the bigger questions also. I mean, who could disagree with those who created you, fed you, clothed you, hugged you when you might’ve needed it?
This is allowed to be commonplace in part due to homogeneous religious and political beliefs and practises in places where a similar calibre of person dwell. For instance, it would be hard to find a wealthy right-winger in my working-class hometown of Lithgow and likewise hard to find a Labour blue-collar amongst the doctors and lawyers and such of Sydney’s North Shore, where even the plumbers have private insurance and publicists.
This is detrimental, yet not likely to change. Parents are the natural pack leaders and as by our nature we have become accustomed to following the leaders, trails and rules. It takes too much effort and courage or perhaps intelligence to forge new beliefs and opinions.
Of course, indifference has well and truly set in by the time you realize this and so absurd issues like gay marriage and abortion are allowed to stand a challenge to communal sanity by the convictions of, in some cases, people who lived when gay folks were condemned to jail.
Obviously this is not everyone, but it is enough to make a real difference. It is this kind of bitter tradition that make politics and religion taboo subjects for most dinner time conversation, but don’t let them fool you, you can disagree with your parents, anyone or everyone and still maintain friends and family, provided your friends and family aren’t one track minded, stubborn, ignorant or poor losers.

The wonderful British poet, Phillip Larkin wrote a poem on, more or less, this exact subject, it is below…

Phillip Larkin, This Be The Verse.

They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.

Though don’t be too hard on them, their parents left them with similar qualms…

NP.