There has been a great deal of discussion about enabling and how it is “bad” to enable others and why it needs to stop if we are going to make a change in the state of the world. And while I understand the sentiment behind these words I find myself asking why is enabling someone an undesired behavior? I think the word is associated with bad connotations when in fact the word itself is not “bad” or “negative” or “unhealthy”.
Enable as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is to make (someone or something) able to do or to be something, to make something possible, practical, or easy. A synonym for enable is allow.
So with the definition of enabling in your mind, let me present you with a few questions to contemplate. Why is it “bad” to make someone able to do or be something they desire? How is it “unhealthy” to make something possible for someone? When did allowing someone to experience something that they desire or perhaps even need in order to become a better version of themself become a “negative” thing?
Enable as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is to make (someone or something) able to do or to be something, to make something possible, practical, or easy. A synonym for enable is allow.
So with the definition of enabling in your mind, let me present you with a few questions to contemplate. Why is it “bad” to make someone able to do or be something they desire? How is it “unhealthy” to make something possible for someone? When did allowing someone to experience something that they desire or perhaps even need in order to become a better version of themself become a “negative” thing?
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