3 ms·

I think a lot of it is a fear of failure. A fear of looking dumb or silly. Kids don't have an issue with that. We learn to be afraid.

pbhjpbhj 9y ago
I think you're close. My observation suggests that kids are used to it, everything they do is new, they're inexpert at everything. They don't expect to be good. Adults think that they should be capable simply because one tends to get better at things as an adult. The weight of expectation makes them often worse. My field is pottery, some adults think they can just throw a vase on their first go, kids just enjoy the experience (on the whole) and don't expect to be good at it. Kids, once they've learnt some fine motor control, don't make kid-pictures because they're kids, they do it because they haven't practiced. Adults try, and their observation can get them a little further, but they still make the same sort of pictures and are embarrassed because it's "childish". I recently started a sports class where I'm ranked along with 7 & 8 yo kids, an interesting and humbling experience.
- projektir 9y ago
  Another thing that happens is you can get hit by someone next to you, that has just as little experience, doing it a lot better than you on their first try. It doesn't help if this person is way younger than you to boot. Kids generally get more slack for not being good at things, as well, whereas with adults, since there are many adults who've done X since they were young, being an adult who just started X makes you extra bad and sometimes a minority. I have gotten the "why are you so bad at this?" reaction from people before when doing new things. Especially with anything physical, I improve rather slowly.
- pmoriarty 9y ago
  "some adults think they can just throw a vase on their first go, kids just enjoy the experience (on the whole) and don't expect to be good at it." If they're young enough, they don't even have an opinion on what "good" is (or what art is, for that matter). They just do, and are happy doing it. Judgement, of their own and others' work comes later. That may be when their inhibition starts.

pbhjpbhj 9y ago

I think you're close. My observation suggests that kids are used to it, everything they do is new, they're inexpert at everything. They don't expect to be good. Adults think that they should be capable simply because one tends to get better at things as an adult. The weight of expectation makes them often worse. My field is pottery, some adults think they can just throw a vase on their first go, kids just enjoy the experience (on the whole) and don't expect to be good at it. Kids, once they've learnt some fine motor control, don't make kid-pictures because they're kids, they do it because they haven't practiced. Adults try, and their observation can get them a little further, but they still make the same sort of pictures and are embarrassed because it's "childish". I recently started a sports class where I'm ranked along with 7 & 8 yo kids, an interesting and humbling experience.

projektir 9y ago
Another thing that happens is you can get hit by someone next to you, that has just as little experience, doing it a lot better than you on their first try. It doesn't help if this person is way younger than you to boot. Kids generally get more slack for not being good at things, as well, whereas with adults, since there are many adults who've done X since they were young, being an adult who just started X makes you extra bad and sometimes a minority. I have gotten the "why are you so bad at this?" reaction from people before when doing new things. Especially with anything physical, I improve rather slowly.
pmoriarty 9y ago
"some adults think they can just throw a vase on their first go, kids just enjoy the experience (on the whole) and don't expect to be good at it." If they're young enough, they don't even have an opinion on what "good" is (or what art is, for that matter). They just do, and are happy doing it. Judgement, of their own and others' work comes later. That may be when their inhibition starts.