The Art of Emulation: Lessons From the Past for Our Young People

From the stories of historical figures, our young can find reassurance and strength as they enter into adulthood.

Children and teens can find inspiration—and models—in the biographies of historical figures. Shutterstock

Recently, I asked my 4-year-old grandson what he wanted to be when he grows up.

“Spiderman,” he replied without hesitation, and launched into a description of Spiderman’s powers—shooting spider webs from his hands to climb buildings, wrapping the bad guys in webs, “and he’s really strong, Grandpa”—a narrative accompanied by dramatic leaps, flying fists, and fingers popping out imaginary sticky webs.