For the past week, we've been talking about how there are some certain requirements or rites of passage to move out of childhood and into adulthood. In general, we've identified that there is more to becoming an adult in our society than just meeting one goal and moving on into manhood/womanhood. I ask this, then: what becomes of the transitory state?
This transitory state is usually called adolescence. We may have touched on it briefly at some point during our discussions (it's not coming to me at the moment), but most of what I've heard involve the difference between the innocence of childhood straight into the responsibilities of adulthood. Adolescence falls somewhere in the middle, but how do we define it? Is it that there are some responsibilities available to us that were not available as children, yet we retain some of that innocent spirit? And if this is how it is, are responsibilities apportioned differently amongst those in this transitory state? Would this make it more difficult to define, or does it seem like this muddied line would be easy to see since there would be a clear mixture of childhood and adulthood for the most part?
To answer all of your questions Tanner, I feel that adolescence is definately a gaining of responsibilities, but that is also entails increased decision making which is a large part. It is a basic question of maturity. All people will physically grow more mature, but the transitory state defines adulthood as when a person is capable of making mature and individual decisions. These could be anything that we talked about in class like avoiding drunk driving, etc. Most of the information that we recieve during life is misleading, and it is about choosing for yourself what you thing is correct compared to what truly is that makes you an adult (if that makes any sense -- you do a better job of making the right choices based on past, experience). All in all, there is a mixture, but it has to be defined somehow, and that's the best I can think of at the moment. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Steven's response of "It is a basic question of maturity." When I think about adolescence I think about finally taking on responsibilities, learning to be less ignorant, and not becoming so oblivious to the life around us. In Psychology, adolescence is defined as at time to find your "identity." I think that makes sense as well. We're learning who we are! And we have to do that before we can go out into the real world as adults and take on a job and a family.
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