Why must we give up inocence to grow?

Question

What is it about adulthood that makes us willingly give up the things of youth? Are we forced to do so by others or do we shed it like an old skin.

Why must we be corupted by cinisim and hate as we grow? Why must we give up the wide eyed youthful wonder, the belief in the impossible, the hope for 'something better' as it were just because we hit a certain age?

What is it about ourselves or our society that makes this something to long for instead of shy away from?

Please don't just give a two word answer, this may require some thought to explain.

Thanks in advance.

I must add that people must not mistake inocence for changing habits.

Answer 1

It's because children get no respect. They can not claim maturity if they continue to act like children. They attempt to mimic the authority figures in their life, and so put aside their childish ways. It's part of the passage into manhood / womanhood, and of growing up.

I am not saying this is a good thing. I am just addressing the question.

Answer 2

Oftentimes, it depends on what you expose yourself to. It says in Philipians that we are to dwell on what is good and lovely etc. Theoretically, if we dwell on these things, we will be good.
It's kind of tough. I would never want to be completely oblivious to the realities of life.... yet I feel I am disobeying a direct Biblical order if I do face and accept the **** of this world as reality- if I think enough about it to pray and formulate an action.
I think in theory, growing shouldn't require being exposed to ****. But the reality is what it is...
Even simple responsibility is a loss of innocence. When I was a child, I was oblivious to the woes of managing money and having a job, paying off bills, etc. Sometimes those responsibility issues are overwhelming and all there is in the world.... and sometimes, I wish for the simplicity of those problems in the face of much huger hell.

Answer 3

I have only traded innocence for naivety. The things I am willing to give up from youth, gracefully, are what I can no longer do as I could when I was younger, I am still full of wonder and will be until I die. I can hopefully contribute something of value to those I leave behind, that they will grow stronger, wiser and more compassionate then those in my era. There is nothing wrong with getting older, it is frustrating when you finally get it, no one listens.

Answer 4

The realities of the world can be harsh and cruel. The young remain innocent until circumstances knock the sweetness right out of them. Not everyone becomes corrupted by cynicism and hatred, but it is inevitable that the school of hard knocks leaves some noogies on everybody's head at some point.

Answer 5

The world is full of challenges and battles. It is not a place for a child. You have to fight in order to survive and receive the things you want. People grow because they have to learn from their mistakes. Without mistakes you will never discover the insights and the knowledge that enables you to live in this world. Like I said, it is not a place for a child, in other words, if you wanna make it in this world, you have to fight and be a man.

Answer 6

we should never give up our innocence for any1....why we say kids are Innocent but cant say the same about adults...when we are child we don't know about truth or lie we say what we see or we feel....now innocence is not lost by habits its the action or thinking that makes us....this world has become corrupted with people so if we are innocent it will eat us up and we wont be able to survive in it for a second..from my personal experience i have been misused alot because of innocence people have taken advantage of me if i was not innocent it would have never happen....what to do i still have it in me....its not age factor that counts but the way you are bought up,your society and surrounding matter the most....

Answer 7

I feel fairly confident that I can answer your intricate question in one sentence and one sentence only.

Try and imagine how boring & tiresome a seventy-year lifespan (on average) would be if all we did and liked the exact same things the entire time we are on this earth. i.e., from the cradle to the grave, without ever having the immense pleasure, chance and opportunity to experience self-growth & change, in other words, the joys of maturing, developing and evolving!!!

Therefore, shedding our inner innocence in order to grow is paramount!



Does this answer your question?

Let me know!

Answer 8

To me Society is largely based for adults. They see the wild parties, the drinking, the atmosphere. And mostly, it's the materials. Cellphones, laptops, etc. Those things do draw away the child. Me, I grew up fast, but I managed to squeeze in the childhood. Playing "war games" in the woods. Being crammed up with your boys holding a huge wrestling "Main Event." Grabbing your bikes and riding everywhere. And the greatest thing in childhood. The mischief. We once went on a "Great Halloween Raid." There was this putz who had cases of twinkies sitting on his porch.(This was the 80's) Well, being "Boys" we just grabbed all of them and booked. Man, we spent the night being chased by Cops, Helicopters, and even the "Hostess Truck" itself. (Oh and a off-duty Cop with a Bulldog, which my brother "Borrowed" his pumkins. Cops have good memory.) We got away and hid the cases in my dresser drawers. Oh, and have you ever rode a bike down a slide? Don't do it, unless it's YOUR bike... That's why childhood is good for you!

Answer 9

We only become cynical and hateful when we are so self centered that we think disappointments mean the end of hope. If we try, we can use the same disappointments to develop compassion and gratitude. Who we are is a matter of both consequence and choice.

Answer 10

just think how ridiculous it would seem to you if a 50 year old acted like a 10 year old. our interests change as we grow.
a 2-year old probably thinks you are ridiculous to not want the toy he loves. the things younger people like (sesame street, chucky-cheese etc) are not interesting to a teen. the things a teen likes are not interesting to a twenty-something and so on. growth continues. things of youth have no interest to me.
some realities, yes, like supporting ourselves, mean we cannot have the freedom that youths generally have. responsibility of adulthood is significant.