Creating monsters

"If you love somebody set them free." is from a song. Yet in the name of safety and stability, many leaders choose to limit freedom. It's a hard balance. Parenthood is even harder because many believe our children are "our" flesh and blood. I think in reality that life is on loan and will belong to our children in the end. To find the balance to set them free and protect is so hard.

The story of Frankenstein is sad and sensational because of the grey images of death and a half life. Of course, this parallels many real life situations that appear prettier and acceptable. Zombies, the supernatural and other legendary creatures remind us of ourselves be they fear or real.

Many leaders believe their success in their company or institution makes them so entwined that there is ownership. If a child is ultimately their own person, what makes a group of diverse adults belong to a leader.

The difference between influence and manipulation is subtle. It is about intent and implications vs duress and scheming. Some do the latter so well, their actions seem always disguised in good intentions. The more this is done, the higher the chance we create monsters closer to that of Frankenstein.

Whether you believe in a Creator or not, our dynamic Universe is full of mystery and beauty, chaos and patterns. There is both violence and peace, birth and death. For me I see brilliance and a plan that is somehow balanced between fate and choice, the universal and personal, solitude and companionship... I see creation to be so romantic, beautiful and deep it creates joy, purpose and love. I see humor, sadness, anger and courage. Most important there is no manipulation or forced behavior. Yet the freedom to be ourselves somehow makes us choose the right path to a creative, rich and loving life.

The opposite would result if coercion, conspiracy and traps were used. Yet in the name of progress, parents and leaders want to drive success and change using such enslaving tactics. Maybe it's a much faster way to get results.

But like a program or software, these methods actually code negative precedence and intent: sometimes yielding the very things we wanted to avoid. When our "creation" comes into their own, we may regret our choice of expediency over patient cooperation. For the monster is about death, inability to feel, staleness and putting their own existence above any notion of a life worth living.