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Does telling children fairytales make them irrational?

(81 Posts)
Elegran Fri 06-Jun-14 10:35:27

Or does it help them learn that some stories are not true and could not possible be true, but are just tales to be enjoyed? I'd say that most fairy tales are subtle lessons in life.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27715735

Mollygo Thu 16-Oct-25 23:45:17

penguinpaperback

R Dawkins is promoting a new book I believe so something 'controversial' helps perhaps? 🤣🤣

Or maybe this is his attempt at telling a fairy tale.
Most of us were told fairy tales as children or read them for ourselves when we could.
So has it made us irrational?
Stuff on television or screens is just as likely to have that impact, especially when many children have access to that, often without adult support, well before they understand what’s going on.

M0nica Fri 17-Oct-25 09:19:42

Mollygo

penguinpaperback

R Dawkins is promoting a new book I believe so something 'controversial' helps perhaps? 🤣🤣

Or maybe this is his attempt at telling a fairy tale.
Most of us were told fairy tales as children or read them for ourselves when we could.
So has it made us irrational?
Stuff on television or screens is just as likely to have that impact, especially when many children have access to that, often without adult support, well before they understand what’s going on.

The best way to find out whether fairy stories make us irrational is to take a sample of people who believe in conspiracy theories and another sample of people who do not, and check whether those who believe in conspiracy theories read more fairy stories when children than those who don't.

Athrawes Fri 17-Oct-25 11:51:41

My dad always read fairy stories to me at bedtime and a little later I began to make up my own. Needless to say I continued to read fairy stories to my own children - and I still read them occasionally to my grandchildren when I see them. The little people still seem to enjoy them. The Ladybird series still lingers in our sitting room - along with a few other tales

burrough Fri 24-Oct-25 00:12:42

i do not think so, in my opinion it makes them more creative you can also get some stories like heroes or things like you want that your children read and inspire there are many types of kid stories like one abibliophile.com/shaheen-by-umera-ahmed/ this is in urdu but you can use translation here the kids are detectives who fight with criminals

M0nica Sat 25-Oct-25 12:06:11

Where would pantomimes be without fairy stories?