Have you ever wondered about why so many of our youth come to violent ends? Many die in car accidents and others perish in needless social violence, often fuelled by drugs and alcohol.
As part of the growing process it seems certain that risk taking, particularly amongst young males but also to a much lesser extent among females, is here to stay. Why? It would appear that such behaviour, although undesirable, is a part of the human condition. After the Second World War there was much less deliberate risk taking by youth than is the case today. The reason is simple. The youth then had totally got this behaviour out of their system because they were exposed to massive risks during the war. Those that survived had moved past that stage of development.
The question today is “How do we accommodate this natural but undesirable behaviour in our current world?” I would suggest that teens who feel this primal urge be encouraged to undertake dangerous but socially beneficial work as charity workers in war zones or places that are simply too dangerous to attract most people. In that way the “danger urge” of youth is spent while improving the world rather than detracting from it.
cassandradoom 