Last time, I said that despite most teenagers having little more on their list of 'things I want' than a good looking counterpart who's willing to spend large amounts of time naked, they are also more likely to be idealists than others. Why? Lets start by looking at a timeline of human ages.
Child -> Strong sense of Justice based on equality (as long as I am more equal than others). However, a child seldom sees more than what is in the backyard at home
Teenager -> Strong sense of Justice based on equality. Now however, they can see more, they have been exposed to things beyond their immediate location.
Adult -> Strong sense of Justice based on how much you've done to deserve it. At this stage the person has decided that they have to attempt to get what they can. This may be in order to set a better life for their offspring (so you don't think that I'm saying that all adults are bastards) but it's still a protection of their own self as it were rather than a sense of giving to others. You may give to charities or sponsor a child in order to 'do the right thing'.
Elderly -> You have realised that it's too late to do anything now. You may give to charities in order to leave at least a bit of a legacy.
Yes I have over simplified it. No I don't think it's particularly wrong.
Teenagers are simply at the stage when they want things to be equal but can't make a huge difference on their own. As they develop the ability to do things on their own, they become caught up in thinking that 'I can't do anything big enough'. This means two things. One, that they recognise that the problems are big. Two that they underestimate the power of little people doing little things.
Micah Sifry put it this way, "Nobody feels your pain, Nobody wants to give peace a chance, Nobody will stand up for what is right, Nobody will tell the truth. Nobody, but you, that is Never forget a small group of people an change the world. Nobody else ever has."
Teenagers can see that the world is screwed up, usually by looking first at themselves, and then looking at other people and seeing massive inequalities. However the perception of teenagers is that they are small people incapable of tidying their room, let alone doing anything properly good or major. And this perception is carried on by teenagers. And so they can't do anything.
P.S: over the next week I'll be doing something a bit different. 5 posts on a subject. Stay tuned
Child -> Strong sense of Justice based on equality (as long as I am more equal than others). However, a child seldom sees more than what is in the backyard at home
Teenager -> Strong sense of Justice based on equality. Now however, they can see more, they have been exposed to things beyond their immediate location.
Adult -> Strong sense of Justice based on how much you've done to deserve it. At this stage the person has decided that they have to attempt to get what they can. This may be in order to set a better life for their offspring (so you don't think that I'm saying that all adults are bastards) but it's still a protection of their own self as it were rather than a sense of giving to others. You may give to charities or sponsor a child in order to 'do the right thing'.
Elderly -> You have realised that it's too late to do anything now. You may give to charities in order to leave at least a bit of a legacy.
Yes I have over simplified it. No I don't think it's particularly wrong.
Teenagers are simply at the stage when they want things to be equal but can't make a huge difference on their own. As they develop the ability to do things on their own, they become caught up in thinking that 'I can't do anything big enough'. This means two things. One, that they recognise that the problems are big. Two that they underestimate the power of little people doing little things.
Micah Sifry put it this way, "Nobody feels your pain, Nobody wants to give peace a chance, Nobody will stand up for what is right, Nobody will tell the truth. Nobody, but you, that is Never forget a small group of people an change the world. Nobody else ever has."
Teenagers can see that the world is screwed up, usually by looking first at themselves, and then looking at other people and seeing massive inequalities. However the perception of teenagers is that they are small people incapable of tidying their room, let alone doing anything properly good or major. And this perception is carried on by teenagers. And so they can't do anything.
P.S: over the next week I'll be doing something a bit different. 5 posts on a subject. Stay tuned
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