sister. We’re anxious that if we don’t take the lead in shaping our children’s natures by disciplining them, making sure they share, and protecting them from bad influences, they will never develop a moral compass. In contrast, the Japanese have a more relaxed attitude toward misbehavior. Some researchers attribute10 the “often-observed public misbehavior of Japanese children” (who, it turns out, are famed for their carefree rambunctiousness) to a cultural belief that young children are semi-divine, still partly rooted in the spiritual world and thus too young for discipline. Another belief is
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