If I ruled the world, I’d introduce a way of teaching kids to deal with real bullies, their own self-abusive emotions and how to cope with high stress levels. The competition in schools is pretty intense these days. Right now children are being hot-housed in preparation for exams. But no one’s asking how much they can take before they burn their little brains out from the pressure. I’d also teach them self-knowledge and a bit about how the brain works. Knowledge is power. They could be graded on self-awareness just as they are academically.
These days we’re always comparing ourselves to one another. We are all interconnected in some way, yet we still feel lonely. It’s a problem. Now, because of social media, we’re all living in extended groups which include models and celebrities. This is why so many kids feel inferior and have low self-esteem because they can never win against those odds.
Empathy is also a big part of this, but I don’t know if you can teach that—in many ways we’re always at war with each other. Our natural state is warmongering because we’re still partly animal (it’s not that hidden most of the time—look around you). So it’s hard to force people to be compassionate. I’d encourage it, but there’s no rulebook.