In a TED talk, pediatric psychologist Kathryn Hecht argues that one of the best things parents can do is let their children struggle. Drawing on the science of exposure therapy, she says that gently encouraging kids to face discomfort — rather than rushing to remove it — is what builds real confidence and resilience. The instinct to smooth every path, she suggests, can quietly rob children of the chance to learn that they can cope.
Her message lands in a moment of growing unease about over-protective parenting and fragile young people. The argument is not about hardship for its own sake, but about exposure in manageable doses: small, repeated challenges that teach a child their fear is survivable. Handle hard things often enough, and hard things start to feel handleable.
So…:
Where could a little productive friction help your customers grow, rather than removing it all?
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