What if everything we think we know about raising children is not just wrong, but actively harmful? Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin, authors of "The Sovereign Child," join Infinite Loops to make a case so compelling and radical that it challenges the very foundation of modern parenting and education.

From birth, we're told that children need rules, structure, and authority to thrive. But what if this approach is crushing their natural creativity, problem-solving abilities, and authentic self-development? Stupple and Chipkin argue that children are people—full stop. They have reasons, preferences, and the capacity to make decisions about their own lives, yet we systematically ignore this reality in favor of compliance and control.

We dive deep into their concept of the "foul four"—the four devastating ways that imposing non-consensual rules damages children's relationships with themselves, their parents, problem-solving itself, and their understanding of how to navigate the world. From the arbitrary nature of bedtimes to the deeper psychological damage of forcing gratitude and politeness, this conversation will make you question every "because I said so" moment in your childhood and parenting. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone interested in human flourishing, this episode offers a radically different lens through which to view childhood, autonomy, and what it means to raise great adults.

Important Links:

Show Notes:

Opening & The Radical Quote
The Childhood Inversion Problem
False Dichotomy: Control vs. Neglect
AI Steel-manning the Opposition
Edge Cases and Prohibition Parallels
Podcast Host Reactions & Food Wars
Evolutionary Food Arguments
Raising Great Adults
Scaling Challenges & Sleep Dilemmas
Market Opportunities & Historical Context
Why Alternative Schools Didn’t Scale
The Foul Four Explained
Game Rules vs. Imposed Rules
Etiquette, Manners & Sibling Conflicts
The Bully Problem & Popper’s Paradox
Class and Economics Arguments
Rules Built on Sand
Falsification & Moral Philosophy
Conformity, Culture & Progress
Emotional Intelligence & Propaganda
Self-Silencing & Social Dynamics
The School Persona Revelation
Emperor of the World
Matilda & Closing Thoughts

Books Mentioned:

The Sovereign Child: How a Forgotten Philosophy Can Liberate Kids and Their Parents (Aaron Stupple with Logan Chipkin)
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Dr. Robert Cialdini)
The Open Society and Its Enemies (Karl Popper)
What the Tortoise Said to Achilles (Lewis Carroll)
No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy)
One Summer: America 1927 (Bill Bryson)
Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
Matilda (Roald Dahl)

Authors Mentioned:

Jed McKenna
Jonathan Haidt
Edward Bernays
Robert Solomon
David Deutsch

Aaron Stupple & Logan Chipkin — The Sovereign Child: Liberating Kids from the Tyranny of Rules

Infinite Loops