I believe that learning from our life experiences helps expand our knowledge base and serves as one of the main purposes of our lives. This was implied by Socrates, who purportedly said at his trial when he was sentenced to death, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Furthermore, using our knowledge to deal successfully with difficult times allows us to better appreciate subsequent happiness.

In contrast to Socrates, as English poet Thomas Gray suggested in a 1742 poem, “Ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise.” Sometimes, our children’s ignorance of real-world facts can help them live with the apparently happy and safe beliefs in the realities of Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. My son, who has dealt with permanent physical handicaps, was comforted a great deal during his elementary school years by his belief that he was a wizard from the Harry Potter world who would be able to learn how to overcome his challenges when he attended Hogwarts.

Many children feel let down when they grow older and find out that their beliefs are false. Nonetheless, in my opinion, such........

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