I think the point is, here, that by having an informed, rationalised, correctly realised view of the world, doesn't prevent you from being upset or having fun, but it does help you cope with it.
Knowing that spiders (British ones, anyway) won't hurt you, doesn't stop the experience being unpleasant. But it does help you get over the anxiety quicker.
Equally, whilst for some children, the discovery that Father Christmas isn't real, may come as a crushing dissapointment. Whereas for Annabel, the fun of Christmas will last her entire life, because she never distinguished fun based solely on belief.
As I said on a post "elsewhere" my dad was a lot like you. Perhaps slightly more subtle but generally held the same principles as you do.
When I was little, we did the whole "Father Christmas" thing and it was always my Dad that placed the stocking next to my bed when I was asleep. (It was actually one of his old, long rugby socks!)
When I began doubting the existence of FC, my dad simply said, "If you are ready to find out the truth then you will find a way. Use your Scientific mind." So that Christmas, I left out a blackboard asking for Santa's autograph. "Santa" complied and I could easily see that it was my dad's signature.
The next day, Christmas morning, I said "I know he's not real... but is it OK to keep on pretending until I am a grown-up?"
And that is exactly what we did. I had my last stocking laid by my bed at the age of 24.
You know what? I really miss that stocking! As you say, pretend can be fun!
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Knowing that spiders (British ones, anyway) won't hurt you, doesn't stop the experience being unpleasant. But it does help you get over the anxiety quicker.
Equally, whilst for some children, the discovery that Father Christmas isn't real, may come as a crushing dissapointment. Whereas for Annabel, the fun of Christmas will last her entire life, because she never distinguished fun based solely on belief.
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Perhaps slightly more subtle but generally held the same principles as you do.
When I was little, we did the whole "Father Christmas" thing and it was always my Dad that placed the stocking next to my bed when I was asleep. (It was actually one of his old, long rugby socks!)
When I began doubting the existence of FC, my dad simply said, "If you are ready to find out the truth then you will find a way. Use your Scientific mind."
So that Christmas, I left out a blackboard asking for Santa's autograph.
"Santa" complied and I could easily see that it was my dad's signature.
The next day, Christmas morning, I said "I know he's not real... but is it OK to keep on pretending until I am a grown-up?"
And that is exactly what we did.
I had my last stocking laid by my bed at the age of 24.
You know what? I really miss that stocking!
As you say, pretend can be fun!
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