The emotional component of parenthood is something we have to work on at all levels and groups of people. While adults may think parenthood is a bit of an option, as far as kids are concerned, good parenting is a biological necessity.

WDN: What are lifelong learners?

John Abbott: We’re not used to getting people to say we have to be lifelong learners. Not too many people realize what “lifelong learners” means, but they do realize we’ll never go through the rest of time without relearning something. Most of that relearning we’re going to have to do on our own. We’re not going to go off to college and do a Course 101 on some new skill. We’re just going to have to find things out for ourselves, which actually many adults very much enjoy doing.

WDN: When Abbott was a boy, he learned wood-carving, through an apprentice-like relationship, from a mast. He tells the story that contrasts that with standard education practice.

John Abbott: At the age of 13, I went away to a boarding school, where of course nothing like woodcarving was done. And I was getting close to final exams, and I was failing Latin, and I failed Latin three times in quick succession because I was bored and my teacher was bored. And just when I was about to take it for the final time, the school carpenter came after me and said: “Congratulations, you’ve just been chosen to represent Great Britain as a wood carver,” and my morale went rushing up to the ceiling, and then it crashed because I realized wood carving wouldn’t count on the curriculum.

And so I turned `round and said if I can be the world’s best wood carver, why can’t I pass Latin. It’s because I am not in charge. So at that moment I went to the Latin teacher and said: “Because I have to pass Latin, I’m not going to come to any more of your lessons. I’m going to teach myself.”

It really is as basic as that.

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