Laying On The Couch, Thinking About Couch Surfing

I'm an armchair psychologist (without a remote control in-hand).

My thoughts and observations can be labeled 'non-scientific', although I consider them empirical in an anecdotal sort of way.

Through logic it is possible to share reasonable thoughts that another person may possibly relate to.

I've noticed, through personal relationships and contemplation, that mental health (or the lack of it) is likely inherited via behavioral patterns in the home. 

I think, for example, this is one manner racism / prejudices are forwarded generationally.

Notice how children are often a smaller mold of their parents.

A child's character, mannerisms, and speech is typically reflective of their parent / guardians.

So, children that grow up in a household where one or more of the adults are mentally disturbed, or having a particular immaturity, or displaying a certain depravity, such children are likely to also reflect such manners.

How a child deals with disappointment (or when things don't go their way), may reflect how the adults in their life dealt with disappointment.

Is it possible for a child to learn anything different than what they've learned from their primary teachers (their parents / guardians)?

Yes, but typically elsewhere... likely not in such a home.

What about when such manners are not so much purposely 'taught', but naturally absorbed through what is seen and heard at home on a daily basis?

When thinking about such things, perhaps reading this can help further some understanding:

The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. 

Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; 

He punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

- Numbers 14: 18

How is this punishment manifested, in the context of this article's subject?

What is the sin and rebellion?

One possible way punishment is continued: the child learns (and thus lives out) bad traits the parent(s) held.

One possible point of rebellion is failing to love others as God taught mankind to love.

I can precisely reflect this reality in my own life when considering the bad traits I learned from not only my parents, but almost every adult in my life when growing up.

To look at what is learned from the public perspective, let us consider the messages learned from the news and how they filter into the home.

What I infer is that those who hold public responsibility (looking at politicians and news reporters on television as two examples), notice how attitudes are often shameless.

I think many popular public personalities are doing a horrible job and fail to realize the impact their misbehavior has on the populace... and in turn in the home in both parents and children.

Or perhaps they do, and their irresponsibility is even more profound and arguably wicked.

Yet if they are absolutely ignorant and immune to their manners, consider how profound that ignorance is.

Consider how problematic the rebelliousness is.

When certain popular characters fail to be responsible, their instigations make further trouble on those already bothered.

Consider the damage that arrogance and ignorance has on the mentally ill, or socially unstable, or those with characters very frail and broken.

But for the strong, nothing their government does or says, or what some television personality says, is going to rock their boat.

For the strong, nothing rebellious will convince them to deviate in their mind and heart.

This strength is likewise taught to their children.

Strong meaning: an adult that is not swayed or steered into hating their neighbor, or hating someone who looks different from them, or someone having different ideas than themselves.

What is affirmed when acknowledging the great responsibility certain public positions have, is this:

Both government and television personalities are fallible human beings and are likely too full of themselves.

Their rebelliousness is very obvious to the strong.

These rebellious personalities likely strongly believe their prejudices are true, and thus the ignorance they learned at home when they were children is magnified and reinforced from a public platform.

These characters likely reflect the punishment mentioned; a punishment still persistent in a generation still afflicted by this sin: lack of love.

But the strong know it is up to them to keep their eyes heavenward.

The strong have the great responsibility to do what is right, and say what is right, no matter the political climate or popular sentiment in the news.

The strong are always responsible, and don't default to popular leadership for direction or to news personalities about what to opine.

The strong hold to Godly convictions, built upon the Word become flesh.

Imagine then, when someone who truly embodies the message of the Word, speaks from a public platform.

It should't be surprising when their message is interpreted as odd, or impractical, or beyond the popular narrative.

Why would it seem so odd and impractical?

Because love is not in the hearts of those stuck in rebellious patterns and rebellious manners.

Love is not learned in the hearts of the rebelliousness, and they likely have learned such rebelliousness at home.

Be careful not to follow too closely the wild opinions of those who are popularly deemed 'knowledgeable' or 'strong', for they are likely broken and very weak.

If by their words you cannot realize their frailty, perhaps their actions (lifestyle) will confirm their evident rebelliousness.