“Because I Said So!”

by Scott Noelle

You know the scene...

Child: “Why do I have to?”
Parent: “Because I said so!”

If your parents ever pulled that one on you, you probably vowed you’d never say it to your future kids.

But even the most repugnant acts of unkindness are rooted in life-positive impulses that have been distorted in some way, and there’s value in finding the good in such acts.

The good thing about “because I said so” is that it puts your personal power where it should be: in you. (And if you are pulling rank, it’s more honest to say so than to pretend you have no choice.)

Now suppose your child were to ask, “Why do you love me?” If you love your child unconditionally, there is no reasonable answer. But there is one good answer:

“I love you because I said so!

Originally published on 2006-07-25
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