Are Bad Parents The Best Parents?
Some of the most successful interesting and powerful people had a traumatic upbringing from ‘bad parents’ who projected their own trauma and suffering onto them.
“When children have parents who ignore them or are abusive they find a way to compensate for that. Their compensations often lead them to be great artists, political figures, actors and orators.” — Robert Greene
From Winston Churchill’s isolating childhood being raised by his nanny to Charlize Theron witnessing her mother shooting her father in self-defence to Will Smith, David Goggins and Joey Diaz growing up through violence, abuse, suicide and addiction.
Deficiency in parental guidance can cause a compensation of proficiency in the child.
Children get wounded as they grow up — some get paper cut wounds and some get gutshot wounds (literally and figuratively). Some will bleed out and not make it, and others will form a callus over their wound building a stronger more resilient character and skillset in the process. This callus sets the child up to be able to handle the inevitable pain, suffering and adversity that life presents. It hardens their resolve against the pressure of life and helps them discover their purpose.
This is not saying great loving supportive present parents can’t foster successful great people. They…
