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"Do fathers really make a difference in their children’s lives?"

It's sad that this question even needs to be asked.

But do they make a positive or a negative difference?

I would argue that my father had a negative influence. Mom wasn't really good or bad so I'd say she didn't make a difference.

I think Neil Tyson's observation that he experienced success in spite of his teachers, not because of them is worth pondering.

You could say the same thing about mothers or any sort of parent. Any parent can be a negative or a positive, but what is it in the general case of parents who care about their children?

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