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Immaturity Level Rising in Adults
Ant writes to tell us that a Discovery News article is exploring the old adage, "like a kid at heart", which may be closer to the truth than we would like to admit. New research is showing that grown-ups are more immature than ever. From the article: "Specifically, it seems a growing number of people are retaining the behaviors and attitudes associated with youth. As a consequence, many older people simply never achieve mental adulthood, according to a leading expert on evolutionary psychiatry."
If what it takes to be "responsible" or "mature" is starvation, child labour, and so on then please, sign me up for immaturity. I would also point out that in that "mature" environment we have more crimes against humanity than, well, proably anywhere in the modern world. Ethnic clensing, tribal warfare, brutal torture, etc. Seems that perhaps having the weight of the world thrust on your shoulders as a kid and haivng to mature fast is perhaps not the best method for a stable and successful future.
I think you are missing my point. It is not about the poverty but about the responsiblity. Socially here people have to be responsible from a young age but in the West they don't. Also, it is unfair to paint all of Africa with one brush. Africa is a massive place and has diverse cultures. To think that it is all "Ethnic clensing, tribal warfare and brutal tortue" shows a complete lack of understanding of what Africa is like. Sure these things do exist in Africa but not everywhere. They also exist in all other parts of the world. Some of the worst Ethnic cleansing the world has seen has been in Europe. Also horrific tortue is carried out in many parts of the world (including by the US) and is not something particular to Africa or even the norm. in Africa.
The point though is taking responsiblity. Having to be responsible for yourself and other makes you more mature at a younger age. It might not always be a good thing but it is a factor.
perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5, (41*2), sqrt(7056), (unpack(c,H)-2), oct(115), 10);'
Myspace started with a group of 20-somethings and 30-somethings from the California area(1). It was all adults when I joined around 3M. They didn't even allow kids on.
s er.viewprofile&friendid=2
(1) Change the friendID to see the first members:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=u
At 36 I think I'm starting to be an adult. Ten years ago I made a choice between investing some windfall profits and a sports car. The sports car won. Six months ago I had a similar choice between investments and another sports car. This time the investments won, even with the growing shadow of MIDDLE AGE fast approaching and the fact that as a percentage of income, the sports car is a lot more affordable now than it was ten years ago.
I think it all comes down to realizing that people depend on me. I forego immediate gratification because I'm putting away for my daughter and making her life easier. I think about her before I think about me. Almost every decision, major and minor, is changed by how it affects her. Sports car? No back seats so I can't drive her with me. New laptop? I could put the money in a bond and she'll have five times that in a few years. Even my choice in food is affected since she likes to eat what I eat.
If you're looking for folksy one-on-one's with buddy-prez, you should go back further to FDR's "Fireside chats." Reagan was the "Great Communicator," but he certainly didn't invent Presidential pandering to the lowest common denominator.
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