How Children Adapt to Survival

People who are very funny often grew up

in circumstances that were not funny at

all.

>> That's interesting you say that because

I I remember Jimmy Carr saying, "People

always ask me if I'm depressed.

>> That's why I'm a comedian, but actually

you should ask if my parents were

depressed."

>> Exactly. Exactly. I mean, very often the

wit the wit of the child is there to

ward off the parents depression.

Children come into the world and all of

us are honed by nature to figure out

what do I need to do here to survive. In

some families, you need to excel

academically. In some families you need

to fail academically. In some families

you need to be very witty. In some

families you need to be invisible.

>> Why would you need to fail in some

families?

>> Oh well the classic one is parental

envy. Some parents are hugely envious of

their own children and they cannot bear

that their child who they've put on the

earth should be happier than they've

managed to be. Families are difficult

places and and dynamics occur that

really go way beyond what what we're

ordinarily prepared to tolerate. I am.