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When did you realize you were and adult?

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Leonards thread about the first interest in philosopy made me think about this. When was the first time you looked at your past and your present and decided you were no longer and child and it was time to start seriously thinking in what your life was gonna be like?

My first time was around the age of 15. I read a book about a mother desesperatly looking for her kidnaped son. The book made me realize that my feelings towards children were no longer those children hold for each other, wich is around the lines of "comrades", but more around the lines of what and adult and a child hold for each other, wich is around the lines of "student and teacher". Because I am not a very sociable person, and actually dont have (or had at the moment) considerable contact with children, the realization was not slow, but sudden like a bang. It was also one of the things that accelerated my evolution towards philosopy... all those new questions needing answers Smile

It also made me realize that adults didnt seem stupid because their ways were to complex for me to understand, they seemed stupid because they were and are Smile

@manored,

I remember when I was really young, I was very determined to be older, because then you could go to the movies, stay out later, and have a little more lead way and things like that. I even remeber I was counting down the days until I got to 16, 18, etc. But I think when people hit a nexus point in their mid 20's then they kinda want time to slow down a little. As soon as 21 passed, I just totally dismissed the whole notion of years... threw it out the window. As soon as 25 passed, you really start to get a grasp of how the years are passing by and how much you want them to stop.

So I think when you start realizing you are an adult is when you start realizing that the time you had as a kid is pretty much gone. You don't really enter adulthood as much as you exit childhood. No lie, its good to be a kid. Not because of the cliche youth and innocence crud, but because you have as a kid a real possibility to aspire to whatever you want. In some cases time reveals that your aspirations are not fully possible, but as a kid anything is totally doable. It's like a lottery ticket. You buy a lottery ticket with the hope of winning that jackpot and spending that money every which way you can. But as soon as those numbers are drawn, you find out the ticket is worthless. But the time between the purchase of the ticket and the draw is really worth its weight in gold. Ticket pre-drawing=childhood.

I don't subscribe to the fact that wisdom plays any part in adulthood though. There are a lot of adults... too many actually... that are just as childish and close minded as children (in the cliche sense of the term and not to make generalizations). To me, its a sense of time and the acceptance of limitations... namely possibilities and lifespan.

@manored,

all adults are just tall children...

@manored,

I am not a child... and neither is Chuck Norris. Remember... Chuck Norris doesn't play God, because playing is for children. LOL!

I would say that all tall children are adults.

@manored,

I realized I was an adult when I found out my first wife was pregnant... Now that my son has children, and my grand daughter does goofy things, making faces, striking posses, hoping and dancing around knowing I will follow so I can feel the way she feels when I do what she does, then I realize I am still a child, always was, and still am... We are all what we once were.. We do not escape the past, but incorporate the future into our being...

@manored,

I havent realized it. Im 20 years old and I am going to strect that realization out as long as humanly possible Wink

@VideCorSpoon,

VideCorSpoon wrote:

I don't subscribe to the fact that wisdom plays any part in adulthood though. There are a lot of adults... too many actually... that are just as childish and close minded as children (in the cliche sense of the term and not to make generalizations). To me, its a sense of time and the acceptance of limitations... namely possibilities and lifespan.

I agree, having an adult body doesnt means having an adult mind... so much that my realization, like I said, came in the form of noticing how my mind was operating, not how my body had changed. Im also under the constant impression that I am more mature than many adults out there Smile

Fido wrote:

I realized I was an adult when I found out my first wife was pregnant... Now that my son has children, and my grand daughter does goofy things, making faces, striking posses, hoping and dancing around knowing I will follow so I can feel the way she feels when I do what she does, then I realize I am still a child, always was, and still am... We are all what we once were.. We do not escape the past, but incorporate the future into our being...

True. Some people try to forsake the things they liked to do then children because they are adults. I think that is foolish, we should only stop doing things we lose interest on. Off course, such behavior is probally consequence of people worring about what others will think about em -_-

People shouldnt relate the means of entertainment to one's maturity level... I still like to watch cartoon network Smile

FatherDefiance wrote:

I havent realized it. Im 20 years old and I am going to strect that realization out as long as humanly possible

Sorry but that means you are way more mature than most people out there Smile

@manored,

manored wrote:

Sorry but that means you are way more mature than most people out there

How so? :Glasses:

@FatherDefiance,

FatherDefiance wrote:

How so? :Glasses:

To act in such a manner you must actually have already realized it and be "playing child".

@manored,

Hey Manored; If you want to know me; I am a cross between Pepi Le Pew, and Foghorn Leg Horn... "He's so stupid he thinks the Mexican Border pays rent.."

@manored,

manored wrote:

To act in such a manner you must actually have already realized it and be "playing child".

Its alot funnier "playing child" than being adult. Anyhow, Im going to give it atleast 10 more years before I start taking life' troubles into my conscious Very Happy

@FatherDefiance,

Probably sitting in a class and hearing my "peers" talk about their drama that was going to end in two weeks as if it were some kind of apocalyptic event, while simultaneously talking about other people at the school and how they were gonna "beat dey ass!".

Meaning, I realized I was an adult when I realized that I was one of a small number of people in my environment who possess critical thinking skills to speak of at my age.

I probably seem really self-righteous right now, but I have a feeling alot of people would be when surrounded by people who say things like "You saw brokeback mountain! Nigga you gay!" or "Bro, if you don't believe in God, then you must be an idiot".

I attempt to talk to everyone and find at least some sort of common ground with them, but I know who to refrain having philosophical discussions with, and it's the kind of people I just quoted.

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

Hey Manored; If you want to know me; I am a cross between Pepi Le Pew, and Foghorn Leg Horn... "He's so stupid he thinks the Mexican Border pays rent.."

Sorry, I didnt get it Smile

FatherDefiance wrote:

Its alot funnier "playing child" than being adult. Anyhow, Im going to give it atleast 10 more years before I start taking life' troubles into my conscious

True. why dont take the opportunity and give it 100 more years? maybe 1000? Smile

@manored,

manored wrote:

To act in such a manner you must actually have already realized it and be "playing child".

What makes you think children are not playing the child?? My Grandaughter Sophia acts goofy on purpose...She knows I'll be goofy back at her....Since she knows what she is doing, and I know what I am doing, why do we do it... I don't ask for her love, her respect, or her maturity... I want her to be herself, and to let others correct her...And it shows...She just finished a year of preschool, and for her graduation pictures she was the only one who refused to behave as prescribe, and instead pushed a forfinger into her cheek, and laid her tongue out and looked up and to the left... This, after a year when the teacher asked her if there was some subject she did not know something about... Sheee's heeeere... Get ready for her, world...

---------- Post added at 04:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------

manored wrote:

True. why dont take the opportunity and give it 100 more years? maybe 1000?

It is the great gift of children to teach us to sense the world, to put it in our mouths and see how it tastes and feels, to get down on hands and knees and really look at it... It is new to them, and old to us, and we forget to look because we think we know what it looks like... What does it look like??? How does it feel??? How does it taste... Some day we are all going to die... Are we going to go so stoned we can't say how much it hurts...I'm not dying, as far as I know, but it already hurts, and if I jump around on one leg, and spin, and make a face, and affect a pose because she does, then I know for a moment how she feels, and I know I am supposed to feel stupid because it is stupid for adults to act thus-ly... So I am stupid, but for a moment I share something of the same sensation of life as a four year old, give or take 180 pounds, and fifty years...

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

What makes you think children are not playing the child?? My Grandaughter Sophia acts goofy on purpose...She knows I'll be goofy back at her....Since she knows what she is doing, and I know what I am doing, why do we do it... I don't ask for her love, her respect, or her maturity... I want her to be herself, and to let others correct her...And it shows...She just finished a year of preschool, and for her graduation pictures she was the only one who refused to behave as prescribe, and instead pushed a forfinger into her cheek, and laid her tongue out and looked up and to the left... This, after a year when the teacher asked her if there was some subject she did not know something about... Sheee's heeeere... Get ready for her, world...

It is the great gift of children to teach us to sense the world, to put it in our mouths and see how it tastes and feels, to get down on hands and knees and really look at it... It is new to them, and old to us, and we forget to look because we think we know what it looks like... What does it look like??? How does it feel??? How does it taste... Some day we are all going to die... Are we going to go so stoned we can't say how much it hurts...I'm not dying, as far as I know, but it already hurts, and if I jump around on one leg, and spin, and make a face, and affect a pose because she does, then I know for a moment how she feels, and I know I am supposed to feel stupid because it is stupid for adults to act thus-ly... So I am stupid, but for a moment I share something of the same sensation of life as a four year old, give or take 180 pounds, and fifty years...

maybe they are, I dont recall saying they cant.

I dont think its vital to know what ground tastes like at any point if life, but I agree that it is not bad to do so Smile

I would say between a child and a very mature adult there is just a difference in knowledge and, therefore, curiosity levels. A child wants to know what ground tastes like, a very mature adult wants to remember what it tastes like but might not taste it because its not going to eat it anyway.

@manored,

manored wrote:

maybe they are, I dont recall saying they cant.

I dont think its vital to know what ground tastes like at any point if life, but I agree that it is not bad to do so I would say between a child and a very mature adult there is just a difference in knowledge and, therefore, curiosity levels. A child wants to know what ground tastes like, a very mature adult wants to remember what it tastes like but might not taste it because its not going to eat it anyway.

How do you know the value of tasting ground???I have seen people taste earth to know what their gardens would grow...I have heard of oil prospectors tasting the earth, perhaps for salt to know if oil was below... I have had to eat a lot of dirt in the course of my life, and if I did not eat it I would have had to breath it... Usually we take it on faith that it is not the smart or right thing to do, and some of us have to figure it out on our own, so how do we say who is ahead... I knew a little kid in my old neighborhood that was put up to eating a piece of dog crap by the older idiots... The guy grew up to be huge, strong, and none too smart... I don't know if the crap can account for any of it...I will never say we are blank slates, but in most respect we are the sum of our experiences, so do you want that to be a small or large sum???It seems funny to me that when my son was young, I had to carry him to the water where he could play, but the thought of dirt on his feet freaked him...Now my youngest grandaughter is the same way...Sure, let's play, (it safe)...Forget the sand and the creepy crawlies... She does not know what to do with them yet, but she sure gives them the evil eye...

@Fido,

Fido wrote:

How do you know the value of tasting ground???

I have tasted already, and decided it was not something worth tasting again.

Try starting a mud war with your granddaughter

@manored,

manored wrote:

I have tasted already, and decided it was not something worth tasting again.

Try starting a mud war with your granddaughter

Everybody eats over tons of dirt in their life times... Some times over tons of dirt a day, everyday... It's a good way to get worms..

@Fido,

I guess I am an adult. Which is fine with me - it's just that my conception of what a (adult) person should do is radically different than the concept society generally seems to embrace.

@Didymos Thomas,

I've had an aversion to growing old since I was about eight. When I was seven or eight I experienced my first real fear of death. I don't know why, it was a while before anyone important to me had died, but it just hit me, the fear of the unknown. This volleyed into an interest in astronomy and imponderables, for instance I remember very distinctly being ten or eleven and thinking for long periods of time about the concept of infinity. One thing that always bugged me as a kid was the concept of space or time being in anyway limited, that is; the concept of not living in a continuum, but I digress.

Now I am nineteen, I am a mathematics major at my university and I will be taking my first graduate course next semester. My thoughts are often focused on mathematics, as it is a passion of mine, but I have doubts about how much I would actually like an academic position.

The most overwhelming aspect of my life at this point is an underlying felling of uncertainty, the question of whether I am pursuing the correct path.

The second most overwhelming aspect of my life is the realization that my life will likely be quite different in a few short years. The good friends that I have made in college will be elsewhere, and I will be need to meet a new level of responsibility as a fairly independent human being.

It seems like what would make me happiest is to live, in a sense, a bachelors life, study on my own/work, hang out with friends, smoke and drink on occasion, and enjoy life.

I am very much unsure of the merits of the sort of life successful adults are expected to live. I wouldn't trust the adults in my suburb as far as I could throw them. Everyone in the 'adult world' seems to be expected to be driven to 'succeed' in the least fulfilling manner imaginable.

So I would say that in some ways I am an adult. I feel that I am more emotionally mature that many of the adults I have met. I believe that I am more rational than many adults I have met. I also, however, believe that I have some inexorable immaturity in me, and I am happy that I do.

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