| Surely it is self-evident that in the way we raise our | | | | Not long ago, during an economic recession in America, |
| children, we should lead them somewhere. Where, | | | | many hundreds of workers in the city of Detroit, |
| then, should we lead them?Is not the simple, obvious | | | | Michigan lost their jobs. A considerable number were |
| answer: from immaturity to maturity? What, then, is | | | | given psychiatric counseling to help them adjust. There |
| maturity? Let me propose a definition: Maturity is the | | | | were too many cases, however, to make this counsel |
| ability to relate appropriately to other realities than | | | | ling available to everyone. Interestingly, those who |
| one's own. Immaturity is a child throwing a tantrum | | | | were given counseling had a notably more difficult |
| because he can not get what he wants. Children | | | | times adjusting to their new circumstances. |
| discover as they grow up that life is not always | | | | How to explain these result? The report said that the |
| disposed to comply with their wishes. The process of | | | | "beneficiaries" of counseling were encouraged to dwell |
| growing up is one of learning to "play the odds" - to | | | | on their predicament, and to consider various |
| adapt to situations as they are, and not as one wishes | | | | theoretical means of coping with it. Those who missed |
| they were. Immature people typically decry such | | | | the opportunity for counseling wasted no time in |
| adaptation as "compromise." | | | | theorizing. They accepted reality as it presented itself |
| Many people mature a little, but not much, beyond the | | | | to them, and set themselves to rebuilding their lives. |
| child with his temper tantrums. Much might have been | | | | Maturity is not a finishing line reached automatically at a |
| accomplished during the time they were growing up to | | | | certain age. It is a never ending-process. We sail |
| cure them of this infantilism. Instead, the very dogmas | | | | towards expansive horizons of awareness until we |
| of our times feed their immaturity instead of curing it. | | | | find infinity. |