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The Adults Have Forgotten How To Behave Like Grownups
Seven lessons on humanity from the late Fred Rogers
What began as a policy discussion on a community Facebook group ended when somebody commented, “You city people and your beliefs… I hate people like you.”
Some might call it a breakdown of civility or the endemic inhumanity of online discussions. Those are plausible reasons, but perhaps it’s simpler. Maybe we’ve just forgotten how to behave like mature adults.
Most of us learned the basics of civility (grownup behavior) from parents and role models when we were kids. During my formative years in the 1970s, I found my role model on the television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, hosted by Fred Rogers.
To the children of my generation, Mister Rogers served as the unofficial mentor in all things relating to self: accepting people, dealing with feelings, demonstrating kindness, and grappling with our imperfections. He taught us these crucial life skills in a way that little kids could understand with catchphrases such as, “I like you just the way you are.”
Much of the wisdom Rogers imparted has long since slipped from the public consciousness, but it’s every bit as valuable today as it was decades ago.
