tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post1058576305834912615..comments2024-03-28T21:32:26.550+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: How the notion of 'psychological neoteny' led me to an interest in human fertility, which led me to GodBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-42484615499125610332014-08-13T14:53:49.405+01:002014-08-13T14:53:49.405+01:00I agree that maturation in a social sense is retar...I agree that maturation in a social sense is retarded by childhood-extended. <br /><br />There is a tendency to avoid manning-up if it is possible, and now it is even encouraged. Many young people do not acquire the basic skills required for life and are so sheltered from *real life* until it can no longer be avoided. Man-boys in-particular seem to be a problem with their virtual digital distractions in immersive gaming environments. <br /><br />For a liberal, I am about to sound dreadfully conservative. <br /><br />A stint in a paramilitary organization during or after high school and before university has something to commend it. I was in the military reserves from late high school to my second year in university. I learned that there are things that others in authority actual can do to you if you don't adapt and socialize in the ways that are expected. It forced me to get into decent physical shape, and to both rely upon and be relied upon by others to do difficult jobs that I previously did not think I could do. It forced me to learn certain real life skills, and to suppress inappropriate behaviours.<br /><br />In conjunction with this, high school needs to offer some practical life skill courses, since having youth that are ill equipped to perform the daily tasks of life is a clear problem.<br /><br />And people need to be allowed to fail, not coddled through the system. To fail is not the same as being a failure, and sometimes failing teaches in ways that being allowed through does not. <br /><br />In the not too distant past, life was a sufficient teacher because the family had to cooperate to get through. Hardship enforced the acquisition of life skills and the need for familial and communal cooperation. <br /><br />Once manned-up and socialized, there is no reason not to rediscover some of the unfettered and creative joys that we associate with youth.<br /><br />Fetishizing youth - which our society does - is extremely foolish. <br />Nicholas Fulfordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-72949759432067511832014-08-13T14:26:06.723+01:002014-08-13T14:26:06.723+01:00I've sometimes thought that the Mormon advanta...I've sometimes thought that the Mormon advantage might just be the early missions they send us on, since it makes you grow up in a hurry.<br /><br />We were having a discussion on marriage in my Elders' Quorum yesterday. My brother-in-law was visiting. He's an adult convert. He said that the difference in attitude between most Mormons and his gentile friends and family is that most folks these days think of marriage as something that happens to you after you discover that maturity has happened to you, whereas Mormons see marriage as part of maturing. He said it was refreshing to discover that being grown-up was something you could just choose to do. Adam G.http://www.jrganymede.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-9695697347207513442014-08-13T09:25:50.001+01:002014-08-13T09:25:50.001+01:00@JLC - Yes. And it isn't the half!
I have pre...@JLC - Yes. And it isn't the half!<br /><br />I have previously written other - almost completely different, almost non-overlapping - accounts of my conversion:<br /><br />http://charltonteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/science-truth-and-revelation.html<br /><br />http://charltonteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/psychology-of-atheist.html<br /><br />They are all true - but all grossly incomplete.Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-33509681885442297232014-08-13T08:16:00.063+01:002014-08-13T08:16:00.063+01:00I love long trains of thought like this. I often ...I love long trains of thought like this. I often say things that seem out of place in conversation and have to explain how one thing reminded me of another, which reminded me of another and so on until something reminded me of the apparently out of place comment I made.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com