Austin Scholar #110: What your kid can learn from The Bachelor
& how I learned to be controversial
Hey, y'all!
This week from Austin Scholar...
Austin’s Anecdote: How I learned to be controversial
What your kid can learn from The Bachelor
Scholar’s Sources: What I’ve been up to…
I had the absolute most incredible birthday weekend last week, and I’m so grateful to all of my friends, my parents, and my sister for being a part of it. We went to Dallas, where we saw a Waterparks concert, ice skated at the Galleria Dallas in Christmas costumes, and watched a Rangers baseball game – my perfect weekend.
And of course, the weekend was made so much better by all of you. I deeply appreciate all of your messages. I wouldn’t be the person I am without you all. Thank you.
Austin’s Anecdote: How I learned to be controversial
I write some pretty controversial stuff.
From saying kids don’t need teachers to exposing the current state of our education system, a lot of people aren’t too happy with the things I write.
I have people in my comments really going after each other based on whether they agree or disagree with some of my statements.
(Most recently, under my post about interviewing JD Martinez, there is some intense debate on whether he is a good baseball player or not. Very controversial :) )
In all seriousness, it can be hard for me to post something that I know a lot of people will disagree with. I’m naturally a peaceful person and tend to stay away from starting arguments (in a non-regulated situation – I’m always down for a good debate with my friends).
But in case you haven’t noticed, my whole schtick is pretty much being controversial and polarizing about education. So how have I learned to push myself and share my truest, non-watered-down thoughts and experiences?
Confidence.
When I first started writing, I still wasn’t in the best mental headspace, I’d hedge all my statements and tone down my posts.
But as I continued to heal and receive positive feedback from y’all, my confidence started to grow. Every time I got an email from someone saying that something I wrote helped them, I felt more and more sure of myself and what I was doing.
Because of that, my posts got more confident, too.
And not only that, but I had so many people around me inspiring my courage – from my best friend’s insanely controversial takes on food and cancer to my own sister’s dominance on TikTok, I felt like I was supported in my endeavors.
Now, yes, there are people arguing in my comment section about whether or not I’m an idiot, but I have enough self-confidence in my ideas and writing to continue to post.
I’ve learned how to be polarizing – and that it’s not a bad thing to be.
What your kid can learn from The Bachelor
A great way to learn how to be controversial and polarizing is to study this last season of The Bachelor.
Before you roll your eyes, hear me out.
Kids love The Bachelor, so this is an easy example to relate to.
But more importantly, there are a lot of crazy social dynamics in The Bachelor – both during the season and with the viewers – that can make some great lessons for your kid, starting with the idea that being polarizing isn’t always a bad thing.