It's forbidden! Okay, but why?

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One of my favorite movie lines of all time is in the animated "Beauty and the Beast" where the Beast is showing Belle around the castle and he mentions that she can't go to a certain section of the place. When she asks why, he says only, "It's forbidden!" It's such a great delivery of a silly line that it permanently stuck in my memory. The thing is, why not just say what the actual issue is? Sometimes authority figures just stick out a big finger and say not to ask. It's frustrating for kids, and irritating for anyone older.

The thing is, there's few things as attractive as violating a forbidden rule. If you have small children, I'll bet you have imagined one day finding a slice of cheese in the DVD player, or a stuffed toy in the garbage disposal. Kids love to experiment, and if they don't know how something works they will still try anyway. Adults are the very same. When someone tells us not to do a thing, or go somewhere, we immediately wonder why not and then spend all our time figuring it out. It's an inherent quality in us, so there's nothing wrong with it, but it does need to be tempered and managed. As they say, "curiosity killed the mouse."

There is a solution to all this, but it may not be the most ideal. Take away the mystery by explaining and demonstrating. Why is a cliff forbidden? Show the dangers so people understand the risks. Why is the DVD player forbidden? Demonstrate proper use, so children know how to operate it without sticking grilled cheese sandwiches inside. Why's the Beast tell Belle the West Wing is forbidden? Well, there's a magic rose there ... wait, that's pretty interesting and enticing ... eh, never mind ... this doesn't always work.

IT'S FORBIDDEN!

- M