Seeking meaning from peers and institutions more than parents

Most people look sideways to peers rather than up to God and their parents. There is nothing in the commandments to look to your peers. It says to "honor your father and mother."

I have been listening to and reading about how the meaningful life is transmitted over time. Older texts credit family transmission from parents or grandparents to children as the primary method of acquiring a meaningful life.

In the past few decades, it can be supposed that the academy, as processed through universities, have tried to usurp that role, as society has taught people that parents are selfish and silly, where scholars hold the key to meaning. I think this is why figures like Jordan Peterson have become so influential. He is both academic God and Father figure all wrapped in one.

But the proper course is that meaning comes from God, the eternal and reliable Father, as channeled through parents that have on-the-ground knowledge of understanding and  application.

There are plenty of bad examples to find, but the great part is that any man or woman can, as they marry and have children, can start the process afresh, hopefully influential into several generations of pointing their children to God and Christ, often better than their own parents did.