Yeah, the correct conclusion is probably to give me partial credit. First, to account for the fact that my intervention was only a part of a larger causal chain (some credit rightfully goes for buying the bricks, right?), some parts of which I don’t even know about (this becomes prominent now in kindergarten, where I have no idea about all the little things they do). Second, because that’s how one deals with probabilities (if you assume 20% chance you caused something, take 20% of the credit, it will work on average).
But I try to be humble, because I believe that people overestimate their impact. First, because they forget about many other influences (including the genes, and the child’s own work); second, because they assume 100% probability whenever there is a plausible story (and there usually is one). So, whenever I see an opportunity to impart some knowledge painlessly, I go for it, but in far mode I believe I deserve much less credit than it feels I do. (Not “less credit” as in “less than other parents”, but as in “parents in general deserve less credit than they feel they do”.)
Related: Bryan Caplan’s Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids.
Yeah, the correct conclusion is probably to give me partial credit. First, to account for the fact that my intervention was only a part of a larger causal chain (some credit rightfully goes for buying the bricks, right?), some parts of which I don’t even know about (this becomes prominent now in kindergarten, where I have no idea about all the little things they do). Second, because that’s how one deals with probabilities (if you assume 20% chance you caused something, take 20% of the credit, it will work on average).
But I try to be humble, because I believe that people overestimate their impact. First, because they forget about many other influences (including the genes, and the child’s own work); second, because they assume 100% probability whenever there is a plausible story (and there usually is one). So, whenever I see an opportunity to impart some knowledge painlessly, I go for it, but in far mode I believe I deserve much less credit than it feels I do. (Not “less credit” as in “less than other parents”, but as in “parents in general deserve less credit than they feel they do”.)
Related: Bryan Caplan’s Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids.