An author has revealed what the only sign of good parenting is, and it may come as a surprise to many moms and dads.
The revelation was made by Alain de Bottona London-based author who writes “essay books” that have been described on his website as a “philosophy of everyday life.”
Some of his titles include The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, The Architecture of Happiness, and Art as Therapy.
He shared this parenting advice during an appearance on the 20VC podcast with Harry Stebbings this week, from it was a clip published on Tik Tok.
“An indicator of good parenting is that your child does not want to be famous,” De Botton bluntly revealed.
When asked why this was the case, the author explained that it has everything to do with validation.
“It means they have an internal validation system, rather than an external validation system,” the documentary’s creator shared.
“They don’t seek to be known by strangers, they can be content with being known by a small circle of people they really know,” he continued.
The revelation was made by Alain de Botton, a London-based author who writes “essay books” that have been described on his website as a “philosophy of everyday life.”
“Therefore, it is a two-way system and not a broadcast system.”
In the comments section of TikTok, de Botton’s sentiment seemed to spark some debate among viewers.
Some seemed to think his opinion was true, while others disagreed.
“When all I wanted was to be an actress and in the pages of Us Weekly at age 12, yes, you can see the childhood abandonment,” one person wrote.
Another seconded: ‘I agree! “As an actress, people ask me why not do reality shows, because I’m not in this to be famous, I’m in this to act.”
‘It’s true, I would like to be famous for love and respect; that I have never received from anyone…’ someone else wrote.
Other TikTok users, however, did not believe that De Botton understood this concept so well.
‘What a broad statement. Sure some are looking for validation, but what about those who love making art? Act? Make music? Make fashion? Is there anything wrong with expressing yourself in front of the public? wrote one user.
“An indicator of good parenting is that your child does not want to be famous,” De Botton bluntly revealed (archive image)
In the comments section of TikTok, de Botton’s sentiment seemed to spark some debate among viewers.
Someone else agreed: ‘False! It’s not always about ego. You can be internally motivated but also want to help/heal as many people as possible, which will make you famous. It also applies to artists who want to share their art.
“I don’t want to be famous and I had a very abusive childhood so this doesn’t make sense,” a second person commented.
However, it seems that De Botton may be on to something here.
Singer Lily Allen, whose parents are actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, once said that the entertainment industry has its fair share of problems for both parents and children.
He claimed it is not a “parent-friendly” business and said these children may be “deprived” of “love.”
In 2022, he wrote in X: “In childhood we long for stability and love, honey, we still don’t care about money or proximity to power.
‘Many nepo babies are starved of these basic things in childhood because their parents are probably narcissistic.
‘And the entertainment business is not parent-friendly, for example. Tour/months of filming.
“It can be hard to see your own privilege when you’re still processing childhood trauma, and a lot of these kids haven’t realized that yet.”