The Behavior.

"The real question is not whether machines think but whether men do. The mystery which surrounds a thinking machine already surrounds a thinking man." ~B.F. Skinner.

     I'm not sure what's worse, that I'll inevitably begin rewarding and speaking to my daughter the same way I do with our dog, or that it will probably work. Positive reinforcement works really well with animals...and kids. Kids are (probably) smarter than animals and they should see right through those rewards. Shoot, I should be able to see through rewards, but when it comes down to it, the reason I do things is because I think good things will happen in return. That's why the idea of karma is so comforting. It's nice to believe the people that wronged will eventually get theirs, but what's more promising is that all the good stuff I do will bring me more good stuff. Or at the very least cancel out all the horrible things I did in high school. You know, theoretically. Instead of throwing my kid treats and teaching her to sit, stay, or speak I'll be smiling at her, talking in a really high voice, and teaching her to sit, read, and speak. Okay, so there are some disturbing similarities, but kids can take it so much further! Still, if people are so much smarter than animals, why does it take so long to potty train them?