A07 · Injustice and Grievance
Blaming parents and upbringing
Attributing present stagnation or character flaws to childhood, family dysfunction or past conditions.
Cues
Showing 4 of 4 cues
Break the chain of family dysfunction
Rather than resent past mistreatment, Chekhov recognised his parents were themselves victims of a poor upbringing, and that someone eventually had to break the chain of the family's dysfunction.
“[Chekhov] made a vow to himself: no more bowing and apologising to people; no more complaining and blaming; no more disorderly living and wasting time. The answer to everything was work and love, work and love.”
“A man's shortcomings are taken from his epoch; his virtues and greatness belong to himself.”
“A child certainly allows himself to be impressed by the grand talk of his parents, but do they really imagine he is educated by it? Actually it is the parents’ lives that educate the child - what they add by word at best serves only to confuse him.”