Kiss - A mothers love heals

Kiss! That is the invariable response to a child who falls and hurts herself. The loving mother kisses the affected area.

The mother knows it will not do anything. But to the child, it means everything. It was the magic kiss that healed the wound. 

Robin Hanson, in the book The Elephant in the Brain, talks about the phenomenon as it manifests in adults.

What is the equivalent among adults? 

I was surprised when I realized it was over-caring. 

Ask yourself or anyone around you. They will quickly admit that there is no such thing as "too much" when it comes to healing or fixing the body. 

It manifests as popping pills each time you think something has happened or even might happen. It means rushing to doctors or alternative healers. 

It manifests as the search for the ultimate elixir that will fix our problems. Superfoods. Magic pills. That magical spice that is a catch-all. 

But we all know that there is no magic pill. And yet, our need for mom's kiss never really goes away, does it? 

I don't judge, so do not get me wrong. The expression of a mother's love is easily the best cure for a child. 

But as we grow older, perhaps we need to be able to tell the difference between that which will heal and that which will comfort. 

Perhaps we need to be able to know when we are seeking comfort. 

Perhaps we need to recognize when we are tilting towards comfort, which will not heal. 

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