Why is it that the youngest and least experienced adults in life think they are the smartest and wisest?

Question

It seems this was most common in the 1960's but also today. I see teenagers and 20ish kids, still living with Mom & Dad, haven't paid a rent bill, electric bill or water bill, whose biggest concern is the latest Pip-Diddy CD and they're trying to educate those such as former armed forces veterans and others twice their age (not to mention experience!) about the politics or George Bush, Al Gore or John Kerry and life in general. Their brassiness really astounds me. Just want some clues to where this comes from.

Answer 1

I think this could be answered with the saying "the more you know, the less you know". As soon as you start to learn about something, you realize how much you DON'T know, and it is an unbelievable amount! It humbles you. When you don't learn about anything at all, it seems simple. That's why dumb kids think they know everything.

Answer 2

I think the youngest think they are smartest and wisest, because if the young didn't think they could do everything they would risk nothing and never really learn anything. Think about it, as we get older we get more cautious (generally,. but not adreline junkies) even though we have the money, experience and smarts to do bold things. It's not that we don't do them, we just think about it longer and try to minimize the risks more.

When I was 15 I was a chaperone to 11 students in France for six weeks (our real chaperone didn't show up) , At 30 I lost a couple of nights sleep to anxiety because I was going to Puerto Vaharta without booking a hotel room first -- even though I spoke Spanish and had credit cards. Go figure.

If the young started out timid and anxious they would never accomplish anything and our society would stagnate and die. Yes, they are obnoxious and you want to give them a good swift kick; but the it wasn't the old ones who pioneered, or went to the moon. I think it's our way; and we just have to remember that as hard it is to tolerate the attitude, that their energy and confidence can bring great things.

Answer 3

Youth doesn't necessarily mean ignorance, and age and life experience certianly doesn't equate to wisdom. (You do have some people that just keep repeating the same life mistakes over and over.) Maybe some of those youths have done their research, being more proficient with the internet. Yes I am young too, but I certainly accede to someone who is more versed in a certain subject whether or not they are older or younger than me. Just recently I had my twelve year old cousin show me how to work a complicated software.

Answer 4

hmm i am 22 and i dont claim to know it all, but i certainally have given a lot of advice to people much older than me. I have a lot of life experience, and if you talked to people my age instead of judging them you might actually see that most of us out here do have some sense and a lot of life experience. i have been living on my own since the age of 16. i have an identical twin sister with a blood clotting disorder, and mental illnesses. my father died when i was four of a drug overdose, i was sexually abused by 5 diff people 4 of whom close male relatives. i have sciatica, scoleosis, osteoporosis, asthma, firbomyalgia, ibs, gerd, hyatal hernia,and iron deficient anemia as well as endometreosis. i have been homeless, i have had a landlord that is an asshole, i have been in bad relationships and now a very good relationship for about two years. i have endured more things than most people over the age of fifty. i can go on and on. i dont claim to know it all but i can certainally say i know something. So dont judge a book by its cover.

Answer 5

It's called arrogance or hubris or immaturity.

Their mothers never taught them the advantages of fake piety.