YEAR OF ZEN: AUTUMN: DAY 50

Cueva de las Manos, Perito Moreno, Argentina

Q: Do you think it is possible to break free from the conditioning that has shaped you?

A: I don’t know if I agree that we are all programmed from birth by the authority figures in our lives. We are taught and conditioned and when that happens well it lays a foundation to build great things on. At least that has been a core tenant of my parenting philosophy. I want to give my kids the tools to lead happy lives. But their lives will be theirs, not what I think their lives should be. I say this knowing that it isn’t always the case and that some people to grow up feeling programmed and alienated. And that sucks, simply put.