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I think this has it backwards: Why are adults today more like children? Adults, including myself to some extent if I'm honest, in multiple ways act much more l

I think this has it backwards: Why are adults today more like children? Adults, including myself to some extent if I'm honest, in multiple ways act much more like children than any other age in history. This is a very recent phenomena, and I'm continually shocked by how unquestioned it is by most "adults" I know. My suspicions is that our culture of neoteny is a byproduct of late capitalism. The ideal consumer is a mental and emotional toddler with the income of an adult professional: constantly wanting a new shiny toy or tasty treat to occupy their time, without the need for parental supervision to limit their ability to mean those desires. When I look around I increasingly see the definition of "adult" being pushed back further and further in age (in another post people are going on about the myth that "mental maturity" starts at 25!)."Adults" that refuse to outgrow the wants of a child leads us to a world where we have dessert with every meal and Christmas is everyday (Amazon makes that possible). It also means a world were individuals refuse to take any responsibility for the reality they participate in.

elzbardico 3y ago
Late empire issues.
- throwaway6734 3y ago
  Can you give some examples of other late empires?
jrek 3y ago
I’m not entirely unsympathetic to this line of thinking but “dessert with every meal” as an example of late capitalist degeneracy seems cartoonishly austere.
piuantiderp 3y ago
Neoteny is a product of the safety-oriented culture and single parent-families and low-fertility rate. If you're having 1 kid vs 10, you'll be way more protective. A 100 years ago, if a horse kicked and killed a 8yo in the village, no one would bat an eye. Today, no chance the kid would be allowed anywhere close or without constant supervision. From Admiral David Farragut's life: "Farragut was warranted a midshipman in the U.S. Navy on December 17, 1810, at the age of 9. [...]Farragut was 11 years old when, during the War of 1812, he was given the assignment to bring a ship captured by the Essex safely to port." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut

elzbardico 3y ago

Late empire issues.

throwaway6734 3y ago
Can you give some examples of other late empires?

jrek 3y ago

I’m not entirely unsympathetic to this line of thinking but “dessert with every meal” as an example of late capitalist degeneracy seems cartoonishly austere.

piuantiderp 3y ago

Neoteny is a product of the safety-oriented culture and single parent-families and low-fertility rate. If you're having 1 kid vs 10, you'll be way more protective. A 100 years ago, if a horse kicked and killed a 8yo in the village, no one would bat an eye. Today, no chance the kid would be allowed anywhere close or without constant supervision. From Admiral David Farragut's life: "Farragut was warranted a midshipman in the U.S. Navy on December 17, 1810, at the age of 9. [...]Farragut was 11 years old when, during the War of 1812, he was given the assignment to bring a ship captured by the Essex safely to port." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut