I Dare You!

Yesterday during dinner, while having a great family conversation, my son Gabriel did something imprudent, ‘a silly joke.’
 
I turned around annoyed and asked him “what are you doing?” he answered, “Isabela dared me to do it.” Isabela is his younger sister.
 
“Isabela dared you?” I responded mad.  Dinner was over and both were punished.
 
Why did I get mad?
 
To dare is to instigate. To dare can be negative or positive, depending on the source and the challenge. In this case it was to provoke another person to react and do something inappropriate, something that should not be done. It is to manipulate an individual while planning that his/her suggestions will actually make this individual act wrongly.
 
When somebody dares you, it’s really about testing you:
Do you really understand who you are?
How secure are you?
Are you willing to do anything, just to be accepted?
Do you have enough confidence in your own worth or abilities?
 
When I see my kids daring each other I get mad and question:
Are you going to do drugs because of a dare?
Are you going to get drunk because of a dare?
Are you going to hurt yourself because of a dare?
Are you going to do something illegal because of a dare?
Am I going to pick you up from a hospital or a jail because of a dare?
 
So, next time when somebody dares you to do something stupid, keep in mind that you do not have to prove anyone but yourself who you are. If you need to prove yourself to them to be accepted, just walk away, they do not matter!
 
You have a long healthy life to live ahead, act smart; live smart!
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