Thou Shalt Not Work

The science of Psychology occasionally lapses into promoting as grand theories expressions of the obvious. Behaviorism emerged as an approach to understanding human psychology as a reaction to the more mysterious schools of thought such as Psychoanalysis which depended heavily on the unseen dynamics of the subconscious and the inner workings of the mind. Behaviorism cared little about what you thought, or why you thought it; the chief concern of Behaviorists was what you did, your behavior. One of the foundational tenets of Behaviorism is that humans, as any other animal, tend to increase behavior they are rewarded for (positive reinforcement), and tend to decrease behavior they are punished for (negative reinforcement). Of course that’s something good parents have understood for awhile now.

While Behaviorism may have its limitations where the human psyche has been damaged and is not functioning in a “normal” fashion; for dealing with children, pets, and even adults it can prove to be a powerful tool for changing behavior. On a societal level, governments don’t have the resources to psychoanalyze all their citizens, but they do have the ability to determine how public policy positively and negatively reinforces behaviors of the governed, and modify those policies in pursuit of a better society.

Case in point; the story out of Oregon of eleven year old Madison Root. Madison needed braces, and braces are expensive, $4800. To try to help her father to pay for them, Madison picked some mistletoe from her uncle’s farm, packaged it attractively and started selling it next to the Skidmore fountain in downtown Portland. It is sad that I don’t need to tell you what happened next. You already know. You’ve heard all the stories about car washes and lemonade stands. Yes, she was shut down. Of course there are rules, and application processes, and, no doubt, fees for opening a business as a vendor in the market place, even for eleven year old girls who need braces. The same is not true for begging. Madison was informed by security that she was free to beg for money, but not allowed to work for it. Her reply was that she didn’t want to beg, she wanted to work! How quaint.

And this is where behaviorism enters in. From a strictly behavioral point of view, we as a society punish, restrict, and encumber the entrepreneurial spirit of our children and our citizens. As a society we reward and facilitate indigence and mooching. Understand that there are other factors that enter in to the formation of public policy besides behavior modification. It is good to care for the destitute among us even though it could encourage people to abuse the care. Regulation to some extent is necessary to protect the populace from unscrupulous or reckless businessmen, even if to some extent those regulations discourage industriousness. But understanding these necessities must ever be accompanied by an attempt by society to mitigate the damage done by its well meaning policy, lest society itself become the victim of its own beneficence. If government needs to restrict business with one hand, it needs to find a way to make those restrictions less burdensome with the other. If it seeks to give help to the needy, it needs to find ways to discourage complacency, lest it enable some to be comfortable in poverty, and choose to forsake working hard to escape it.

IMHO: Sometimes common sense does take a back seat to the letter of the law. To the security guard who stopped a little eleven year old from trying to make enough money to improve her already beautiful smile… would it have killed you to just look the other way? Having said that, it is kind of sad that he would have to. Sad that in his pity for her, his suggestion was that she beg for the money. When did Americans become people to be pitied for their poverty instead of envied for their diligence? Our governments have failed us. In their attempt to be our salvation, they are in danger of becoming our ruin. As in the old story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, sometimes from the mouths of babes comes the purest form of wisdom, free from agendas or complicated politics. Madison’s simple words express the natural and sacred state of mankind, “I don’t want to beg! I would rather work for something than beg!” As the adults in society, this attitude of self-reliance and independence is something we need to nurture, protect, and encourage in our children, and in ourselves. More than just the simple economics, and straying beyond the purview of strict behaviorism, a person derives more than just money when they earn their own living. They acquire a sense of self worth, pride, and independence; their spirit thrives. Entitlements without a clear pathway to self-reliance takes something very special from our people. Our government is killing us with kindness. We can pay for people’s food, but we can’t buy them self-respect. We can provide them shelter, health care, and even cell phones; but we can’t provide them honor and pride… those are things you earn, if you’re allowed to. Madison could beg for her braces. Why should she need to sell mistletoe? Yes, society can pay for her braces, but we can’t buy her smile.