Grant says that when researchers studied "one of the most daring acts of nonconformity that we've seen in the past century" — individuals who rescued victims of the Holocaust — they found one key difference between those who stood by and did nothing and those who put their lives on the line: Holocaust rescuers' parents used reasoning as a disciplinary tactic more often than others.
Explanations can do a few important things, based on the research cited in Grant's book.
Another study of American architects found that parents of the most creative architects disciplined their kids by outlining their standards of conduct and explaining their reasoning behind these principles — and encouraging their kids to come up with their own values.
And, as with the study of Holocaust rescuers, researchers found discussions that encourage kids to consider the impact of their actions on others activate a desire to right wrongs and do better.
"When you help children think about the consequences of their action for others, they're much more likely to channel their originality in moral and creative directions, as opposed to saying, 'I'm going to break a bunch of rules,' or 'I'm going to do something that perhaps would harm a few people,'" Grant explains.