What we create is often an extension of ourselves, so
destroying a person's work could be seen almost as an act of violence against
them. This raises some odd questions, like does it count as a form of symbolic
cannibalism to eat a meal that somebody else cooked? (Not that this should ever
stop someone from eating. It's just food for thought.) This isn't meant to say
that property is on par with life, or that nothing that's been built should
ever be dismantled. But where do we end and our creations begin? I think this
is worth examining. Some people take the concept too far in viewing their
children, the people they've formed, as a part of themselves to a point where
they don't want their kids to have free will. Others define their own value
completely by what they've made, which can lead them to feel worthless if
they're unhappy with a project. There has to be a middle ground in which we
value our creations but are able to separate ourselves from them to a certain
degree and say, "This may be an extension of me, but it doesn't encompass
me." And in turn, we apply the same standards to others.
