The childhood of Adolph Hitler underscores how authoritarian child rearing can set the stage for violent acts in adulthood. Internalization of false narratives is a common mechanism by which repressed fear and anger from abusive child rearing become manifest in acts of violence. An antidote to the sequence of events leading to malevolent mindfulness is available. Evidence indicates that benevolent mindfulness can be fostered by instituting authoritative parenting and modeling caring behaviors inside and outside the family during growth and development.
