Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom,

and insights from parents just like you all over the world.

Thank you for listening, and we hope this helps.

This power corrupts.

It happens so often that you hardly even notice it anymore.

They said they weren't hungry and now, of course, they are.

You told them to go to the bathroom before you left.

They ignored you and now they want you to pull over the car so they can pee.

You knew they liked this movie.

You knew they'd have fun.

You knew that the other kid, the other kids were trouble.

And it makes sense, too. You only have a couple decades more experience. You're just like them

when you were a kid. You were just like them when you were a kid. You've tried all these things

before. So it becomes almost natural, this power we have as their parent, this authority you have

as the older, wiser one. But like all power, it corrupts. You get used to forcing. You don't listen.

You don't let them make their own mistakes. What you do is you become overbearing. You become

someone they resent, even though you're right. And by the way, you're not as right as you think you

are. It's like that use of Cat Steven songs we talked about, Cat Steven song we talked about.

You think it's them, you know, but it's really you. You're projecting. Your power makes you lazy.

Your power makes you entitled. Every situation is unique. You don't always know. You should be wary of

the false confidence that

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