Page 28 - Animals to Atlantis

These “gi s” are coopera on, politeness, language and grammar, cleanliness, and learning. These may seem like obvious quali es, which all of us would accept as valuable. But in our real human history some of these quali es were lacking through much of
our history or restricted to only a privileged few. Even in today’s society, some of these quali es are neglected or lacking in the lives of some children and the nega ve consequences of this absence are apparent.
Coopera on is doing things together that will bene t the group and is a necessary quality for modern society. But you can observe many children on the playground or in the classroom who seem
to have li le understanding of the concept of coopera on. They see coopera on as a sign of weakness. By the same token, you can read the daily newspaper of con icts within na ons and recognize the unwillingness of the combatants to cooperate for the good of the en re country.
Politeness is simply being nice to others or considerate of others and not always demanding to have it “your way.” This quality
is the “lubricant” that allows so many of us to live in such close proximity to each other. Without this quality con ict is inevitable.
Language and grammar are skills that allow us to be understood and appreciated. Our ability to express ourselves in a logical manner is a key to our success as an adult.The “dumbing down” of these skills is often sighted as one of the reasons for the slippage in the prominence of any culture.
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