4 ms·

And they are usually right. As we grow up we are taught to lie, to not say the truth, and and worst to say “you look fine girl!”

stephen_g 5y ago
I don't know, my experience of toddlers is that while they are good judges of character (as the article says), they are often hypocrites themselves! Lying seems to come pretty naturally, as well as selfishness. Of course, their judgement of moral character is often distorted if it affects themselves. Deny them anything they want to do (like, no, we can't eat candy for dinner, or no, you can't touch the hot stove), and it can be basically as bad as the end of the world!
- bryanrasmussen 5y ago
  >Lying seems to come pretty naturally, they tend not to be very good at it though (they may lie effortlessly but not believably), so not sure how natural something is if you suck at it.
  - moonchrome 5y ago
    They also suck at walking and talking so by that logic that's not natural as well ?
    - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
      I've never heard the phrase a natural walker or natural talker, but I have heard the phrase natural athlete, and for someone to be a natural athlete they have to be sort of good at athletic type things.
      - AussieWog93 5y ago
        >I've never heard the phrase a natural walker or natural talker You should spend more time around parents with young kids, then!
        bryanrasmussen 5y ago
        having spent time around my own, and having had a mormon step-family I would think I had spent a reasonable amount and should not be required to sacrifice any more of my life in that regard.
        AussieWog93 5y ago
        Hahaha, I don't blame you mate.
  - stephen_g 5y ago
    I'm not using the word in quite that sense, just that young kids will start to lie pretty quickly after they learn to talk without being taught to. It's true that they're not very good at it (like, "no, the dog didn't draw on the wall"). Don't get me wrong, I love kids, I'm just pushing back on the idea that they're perfect little angels until we corrupt them by teaching them to lie or anything like that.
tsimionescu 5y ago
Children start lying almost as soon as they are born (they often learn to mimic cries of distress even when they only want attention). Toddlers are even worse, and will often indiscriminately lie to fit their ends. Telling the truth is a value we actually have to very consciously impart to children, especially when it's an unpleasant truth (such as admitting guilt). Sure, toddler lies are laughably naive, but they learn how to tell more convincing lies all on their own (well, by judging others' reactions, but without explicit "here's how you can lie better" wisdom). And toddlers admitting guilt without prodding and overwhelming evidence is quite rare - rarer than even in adults, I would say.

stephen_g 5y ago

I don't know, my experience of toddlers is that while they are good judges of character (as the article says), they are often hypocrites themselves! Lying seems to come pretty naturally, as well as selfishness. Of course, their judgement of moral character is often distorted if it affects themselves. Deny them anything they want to do (like, no, we can't eat candy for dinner, or no, you can't touch the hot stove), and it can be basically as bad as the end of the world!

bryanrasmussen 5y ago
>Lying seems to come pretty naturally, they tend not to be very good at it though (they may lie effortlessly but not believably), so not sure how natural something is if you suck at it.
- moonchrome 5y ago
  They also suck at walking and talking so by that logic that's not natural as well ?
  - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
    I've never heard the phrase a natural walker or natural talker, but I have heard the phrase natural athlete, and for someone to be a natural athlete they have to be sort of good at athletic type things.
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      >I've never heard the phrase a natural walker or natural talker You should spend more time around parents with young kids, then!
      - bryanrasmussen 5y ago
        having spent time around my own, and having had a mormon step-family I would think I had spent a reasonable amount and should not be required to sacrifice any more of my life in that regard.
        AussieWog93 5y ago
        Hahaha, I don't blame you mate.
- stephen_g 5y ago
  I'm not using the word in quite that sense, just that young kids will start to lie pretty quickly after they learn to talk without being taught to. It's true that they're not very good at it (like, "no, the dog didn't draw on the wall"). Don't get me wrong, I love kids, I'm just pushing back on the idea that they're perfect little angels until we corrupt them by teaching them to lie or anything like that.

tsimionescu 5y ago

Children start lying almost as soon as they are born (they often learn to mimic cries of distress even when they only want attention). Toddlers are even worse, and will often indiscriminately lie to fit their ends. Telling the truth is a value we actually have to very consciously impart to children, especially when it's an unpleasant truth (such as admitting guilt). Sure, toddler lies are laughably naive, but they learn how to tell more convincing lies all on their own (well, by judging others' reactions, but without explicit "here's how you can lie better" wisdom). And toddlers admitting guilt without prodding and overwhelming evidence is quite rare - rarer than even in adults, I would say.