zlacker

>>jimbob+(OP)
I was just talking about this issue last night with a friend.

When I was six, my father burned me with a lesson. We were at a fairground, and I saw a pyramid of cans. The standard game: throw a ball and knock em down. At six years old, I was already a good throw. I knew I could win. My father made me an offer. He gave me the money for the game and told me that was my lunch money. If I won, I'd get both lunch and the win otherwise .....

Of course, even the best six-year-old has a very low chance of knocking over those weighted cans. The house wins. I went hungry that day.

Since then, I’ve had a terrible reaction to gambling. Casinos make me feel ill just walking through and seeing all the sad faces. I’ve never bought a lottery ticket in my life. I always feel that hungry belly when I think of gambling and it turns me right off.

>>injidu+222
Little did you know at the time that your father was also gambling. His bet was against you. His reward was that you would align to his views.

Had his gamble failed, you would’ve been addicted at a young age to that rush, and his authority on many life matters would’ve been diminished in your young eyes.

>>chesch+nR2
Not only is this baseless cynicism as another comment said (and, hey, I'm one hell of a cynic), but it also makes wild assumptions, based on absolutely nothing, about how the father would've handled the situation had he won.

That's not really an A/B scenario, there are a variety of outcomes there.