There are so few self-regulated babies in the world that any at-
tempt to describe them must be tentative. The observed results
so far suggest the beginnings of a new civilization, more pro-
foundly changed in character than any new society promised by
any kind of political party.

Self-regulation implies a belief in the goodness of human na-
ture; a belief that there is not, and never was, original sin.

No one has ever seen a completely self-regulated child. Every
child living has been molded by parents, teachers, and society.
When my daughter Zoë was two, a magazine, Picture Post,
published an article about her with photographs, saying that in
their opinion, she of all the children of Britain had the best
chance of being free. It was not entirely true, for she lived, and
lives, in a school among many children who were not self-regu-
lated. These other children had been more or less conditioned;
and since character-molding must lead to fear and hate, Zoë
found herself in contact with some children who were anti-life.

She was brought up with no fear of animals. Yet one day,
when I stopped the car at a farm and said, "Come on, let's see
the moo cows," she suddenly looked afraid and said, "No, no,
moo cows eat you." A child of seven, who had not been brought
up with self-regulation, had told her so. True, the fear lasted
only for a week or two. A subsequent tale of tigers lurking in
the bushes also had only a short life of influence.

It would seem that a self-regulated child is capable of over-
coming the influences of conditioned children in a compara-
tively short time. Zoë's acquired fears and repressed interests
never lasted long; but no one can say what permanent harm, if

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