When a child is born, he or she has a blank outlook on life. The child is pure with complete innocence and no prejudices. As the newborn continues on life’s journey, parental and societal beliefs quickly intoxicate the child’s clear perspective. This clean slate immediately becomes polluted with opinions and theories about how life should look. The first influences in a baby’s life tend to be the most powerful and long lasting. Children have trust in humanity and believe what they are told without question. This fact is detrimental to the betterment of society where old ideals must be rejected to bring about change. The beliefs held by parents alongside those enforced by society regarding expected gender roles and characteristics are instilled…show more content… Society and parents provide guidelines based on the specific characteristics that are used to separate males from females. In the piece Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes written by Aaron Devor, he discusses the differences between masculinity and femininity. Specifically, Devor goes on to explain the many different traits that are expected of each gender including facial expression, voice, and place in society. Society follows these norms closely and it is generally looked down upon when gender lines are…show more content… Children are taught over and over again through various forms the distinct differences of what makes a male different from a female highlighting the masculine compared to feminine characteristics. These narrow-minded lessons presented to children make for hidebound beliefs later in life that rarely changes. When a child is told right from wrong regarding what toys or colors he or she is socially acceptable to favor, it is not surprising that society is not accepting and more open to people who may not completely fit one of the two accepted gender stereotypes. It is important for the parents of the future to be more open and less obsessed with what their children favors. They must allow their children to have personal exploration and choice based on inclinations, not based on what is acceptable. The future is in the hands of the next generation and if society wants to progress and become more accepting, the first and most crucial step is to stop teaching children how to live their lives and allow them to explore to come across their own beliefs. It’s a long way to go before humanity becomes completely accepting but every step closer creates a better and more unified community for all to feel comfortable living