The following expressions of wisdom have (apparently erroneously) been attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Wherever they originated from, they still have considerable relevancy for the current day. Governments in particular would do well to refer to these wise words at the time they become poised ready to compose policy/ legislation…
“You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot help small men up by tearing big men down.
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot lift the wage-earner up by pulling the wage-payer down.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish sound social security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.“
And I will add a further wisdom to this list: “The gains to be enjoyed by showing (TEACHING) people what the right things to do are, will always far outweigh those realised through authorities attempting to curtail/ restrict behaviour through hard-coded legislation/ regulation/ rules“.
If you want to set-up other people to maximise their chances of “winning” in life then SHOW THEM HOW TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT YOU EXPECT THEM TO DO; and then provide positive reinforcement along the way as they progressively show signs of a developing understanding of what they have been taught.
Attempts to “control” people through the use of hard-coded rules/ policy/ legislation/ regulation typically only gives rise to feelings of resentment and opposition. Whereas the provision of education sets people up to win !