My experience is that most people claim to have suffered no trauma from eventually finding out that there is no Santa.
It is also my experience that 100% of the people who claimed they weren’t harmed were also irrationalists, in that they not only had no concern for rationality but actively embraced rationality-incompatible worldviews and methods.
Does that mean anything? I don’t really know. You likely already know my position of its effects on me.
One bit of advice, though: I think you’re really dealing with two questions: Should we tell our child that Santa is real? If not, should we tell our child that Santa isn’t real?
If your goal is to encourage inquiry and doubt, never mentioning anything about Santa until you’re asked is probably a good way to do so. Then when the kid is exposed to the idea, hopefully they’ll be doubtful and seek confirmation.
My experience is that most people claim to have suffered no trauma from eventually finding out that there is no Santa.
It is also my experience that 100% of the people who claimed they weren’t harmed were also irrationalists, in that they not only had no concern for rationality but actively embraced rationality-incompatible worldviews and methods.
Does that mean anything? I don’t really know. You likely already know my position of its effects on me.
One bit of advice, though: I think you’re really dealing with two questions: Should we tell our child that Santa is real? If not, should we tell our child that Santa isn’t real?
If your goal is to encourage inquiry and doubt, never mentioning anything about Santa until you’re asked is probably a good way to do so. Then when the kid is exposed to the idea, hopefully they’ll be doubtful and seek confirmation.