So we know Cal never went to school, and that he was proselytizing even at age 5. What else do you think went into his upbringing?
Oh, look, a chance to indulge in more TragiCal head canons!
I imagine he was basically put on display, trotted out to be Steve’s special example of what the Movement could do for you - much like he did with Mary at the Friendraiser event.
So he was constantly reminded he came from a horrible background but now he was able to find The Light and paint flowers on his walls.
I feel like night we see where Richard was having his first trip on the Medicine was very typical of his life as a child - the only child in a sea of adults, no one really paying attention to him, told he was privileged but basically being neglected. Being a party to all sorts of secrets he shouldn’t know because no one really noticed he was there, and not having the maturity to understand how to process them.