There is an increasing debate up here in Canada about whether we protect our children too much, whether the constant focus on safety (naturally excluding things like bike helmets and seatbelts) is not doing them any favours in terms of their ability to cope with the vagaries of life. And for a while, I've been thinking that this applies to adults, as well. There is so much focus on safety - or robber, on the dangers of everyday life (sterilize that! bubble wrap this!) And I honestly believe that it is impacting our ability to cope with what happens in life. There are so many warnings about unpleasant content, things that might challenge you to think or feel that we are completely unprepared when something bad happens in our lives. I read a article a few weeks ago that said that 10% of Americans are taking antidepressants. I wonder how many of those had been prescribed antidepressants for situations in which sadness is a natural, healthy response (getting a serious diagnosis, the death of a family member, divorce, etc.). So we medicate ourselves, numb the feelings and avoid facing the darker side of life. You do that long enough, you lose your ability to bounce back.