8 June 2015 - QA 16

Gurudev, can you please throw some light upon the competitive spirit that parents today are creating among children by pushing them to achieve higher scores in studies like 90-95% etc.?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You should tell such parents to relax. It is a natural tendency to be competitive but they should not put too much pressure on the kids. Whatever percentage the child secures in the school exams, they should encourage the child and tell the child not to worry too much about it. You should quote some of the top examples for this. Some of the greatest leaders across the world were quite mediocre and average in their school days. They would not get the top rank in school, yet they have excelled. Parents need to kindle talent in their child, and they should not put blame and pressure on the child.