Sharing is Caring

I was sitting in the park and watching kids as my daughter was playing. At first I was intrigued at how there was a method to all the madness - kids finding their turn at the swings, the slides and the merry-go-round, which is more popularly known as roundabout now. But then I noticed something - some kids got greater access than others, some kids were dominating, some kids settled for what they could find idle. But most often, once a kid had control on something, it was rare he/she gave it up just coz someone asked for it. Makes me wonder, is submissiveness innate in humans or an acquired quality? Is it part of grooming? In our effort to teach kids that they must share, we often push them hard to give away things too easily. And as an unintended consequence, some kids may in the process learn to abuse the principle and demand things too hard, and may even start crying foul when they are not handed over what they crave. And it's hard to argue with them as they are loud and argumentative.

We must realize, of course, that any such moral lesson is generally intended as a way to ensure that those at a disadvantage for whatever reason are not deprived of access. But when it's applied equally, there's a chance that the strong may feign weakness, take advantage of the privilege the situation entails, and augment his/her powers with it.

It's hard not to see how all of this applies even to adults. Perhaps we are just bigger versions of ourselves as kids, with a little more shame that the society instils in us and a greater ability to reason that comes through education and experience.

Should there be boundaries to "sharing is caring"? Perhaps we must define the principle better to embed elements of power, justice, fairness, civility and empathy. And find better ways to impart it to the little impressionable minds. What are your thoughts?