New York’s Ethical Culture Fieldston School’s recent announcement allowing students to skip classes the day after the 2024 presidential election if they feel emotionally distressed should ring alarm bells for parents and audiences alike. educators. The intention may be rooted in compassion, but it highlights a deeper cultural shift that favors avoidance rather than resilience. While I sympathize with all those who feel the anxiety and uncertainty of modern life, this policy illustrates complacency toward the perceived mental health crises that weaken, rather than strengthen, the character of our next generation.

While serving in the military during the Global War on Terrorism, I witnessed first-hand what true resilience and courage looks like. Soldiers who endured horrendous losses and fierce fighting did not have the luxury of walking away or taking a break when overwhelmed. In the army, we often quote: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create difficult times.” This truth is now playing out in real time within our culture. By promoting policies that protect children from discomfort, we cultivate a society unprepared for the challenges that adulthood inevitably brings.

Think of the men who stormed the beaches of Normandy or fought at Iwo Jima. They were met with a wave of violence, death, and chaos within seconds of landing. There was no safe space, no downtime, and certainly no opportunity to take the next day off. Despite the devastating loss and heartbreaking experiences, they persevered. We might think that using combat as a comparison is dramatic, but the reality is that life East difficult – and it requires people who can face these brutal moments with determination, without backing down.

Policies like the Fieldston School’s are disguised as compassion, but they have long-term consequences. They signal to students that when faced with anxiety or adversity, avoidance is acceptable. It’s a dangerous lesson that corrodes the mental toughness needed to overcome life’s volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and ambiguity (VUCA), a term we use in the military to describe the unpredictable and harsh nature operations and LIFE.

These policies fail to recognize that building resilience does not involve protecting young people from difficult experiences. It comes from persevering, learning to deal with discomfort, and coming out stronger on the other side. When my team lost a brother in arms during a mission, the loss was devastating, heartbreaking. However, we didn’t have the option of taking a break indefinitely. We cried, honored our fallen comrade, put our gear back on and went out the next night. We learned to carry that weight and keep moving forward. That’s resilience.

The notion of safe spaces and stress-free environments in schools is counterproductive at best and paralyzing at worst for our children. Life does not provide safe spaces in the face of job losses, relationship failures, financial difficulties or health crises. How can we expect our children to thrive in such conditions if we teach them to run at the first sign of stress? Instead of allowing students to miss school because they feel overwhelmed by the election results, we should guide them on how to confront and manage their feelings, learn from them, and develop their emotional and mental strength.

Character is not built in the absence of challenge; it is forged through shared trials and difficult times. A crucial part of growing up is experiencing setbacks, learning to deal with them, and developing the resilience to get back up. Yet as a nation, we foster the opposite by responding to a culture that prioritizes emotional fragility over strength.

Our role as parents, educators and leaders is clear: we must raise kind, empathetic, respectful and mentally tough children. They must be able to face adversity head on, learn from failures and pass these lessons on to future generations. Otherwise, these children will constitute a burden on future society, rather than a net benefit to their fellow citizens. We need to move away from these woke policies that condition children to avoid hardship and embrace a culture that values ​​resilience and perseverance.

To all schools considering policies tailored to perceived fragility, remember: we do not prepare our young people by letting them get through life’s difficult times. We prepare them by teaching them how to show up, how to deal with discomfort, and how to grow from it. This approach does not mean ignoring legitimate mental health issues, but rather fostering true strength that can coexist with vulnerability.

If we do not change course, we are heading down a path that will leave the next generation ill-equipped to deal with the realities of adult life. The world doesn’t care if you’re tired, overwhelmed, or anxious. It requires you to stand up to face it, and it will reward those who are ready. It’s time to start preparing our children to become these people.