My 19-year old son tells me that I am immature. At his age, my eldest daughter – now 38 - said the same thing. That was nineteen years ago. I have had nineteen years to mature and now appear to have passed up the opportunity. So either my kids misunderstand me or I am an incorrigibly immature 63-year old.
Let’s look at the first option: misunderstanding. I tend to be somewhat playful by nature – you know, fooling around and more than occasionally being childish. Is that really a sign of immaturity? Perhaps, but didn’t Jesus tell us that unless we come to him as children….? Unfortunately, this does not readily translate into ‘unless we come to him as immature…’. So nice try! ‘Immature’ cannot readily be upgraded to ‘child-like’. OK, so on to the second option: simultaneously mature (63 years old) and immature. But what is immaturity anyway? The word has a teleological feel to it that measures one’s distance from some desired end-state that we all strive for called maturity. The question immediately comes to mind: desired and striven for by whom? By me? By my friends? By society? Maturity is clearly a social construct. You may be viewed as irretrievably mature in one culture – ie, as good as dead – and, with exactly the same symptoms of mortal decay, thought to be fast regressing towards your second childhood in another. Same data, different construals.
One construal that would salvage some of my self-respect would have immaturity as a pre-condition for creativity, the positive spin that is put on the phenomenon of non-predictability. Mature people go for the obvious, socially agreed upon and predictable behavioural and cognitive strategies. Immature people, by contrast, in their naivety, go for the non-obvious ones. Most of the time they either look ridiculous or misguided and will deliver little more than comic relief – my kids clearly have me in that category. But occasionally, some will stumble across useful new insights. To be sure, the hit rate is low; this comes with the territory.
Conclusion? Society needs immature people and I proudly volunteer my services.
Comments (4)
Hi Max
By the way I thouroughly enjoyed your book Knowledge Assets, which was prescibed reading for a B Phil honours course in Knowledge Management that I am completing this year. I refer back to it constantly.....actually I am rather amazed that I am now communicating with you directly....nice...
Max, on your post on maturity, I do believe that 'being childlike' (and I am not sure that this is a synonym for immaturity) is a great attribute to have in order to firstly learn, but also to be able to come up with new ideas and explore 'unchartered territory'. I find it refreshing dealing with people at work, who are 'childlike' in their approach.....versus trying to prove how clever they are and how much they know.
It certainly enhances creativity and innovation. However, sadly it is not something which is encouarged and supported in the work place.....and when it is, it is usually with some trepidation. Pity.
Don't change, Max!!
Posted by Rob Weare | October 3, 2007 1:27 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 13:27
Hi Max
By the way I thoroughly enjoyed your book Knowledge Assets, which was prescibed reading for a B Phil honours course in Knowledge Management that I am completing this year. I refer back to it constantly.....actually I am rather amazed that I am now communicating with you directly....nice...
Max, on your post on maturity, I do believe that 'being childlike' (and I am not sure that this is a synonym for immaturity) is a great attribute to have in order to firstly learn, but also to be able to come up with new ideas and explore 'unchartered territory'. I find it refreshing dealing with people at work, who are 'childlike' in their approach.....versus trying to prove how clever they are and how much they know.
It certainly enhances creativity and innovation. However, sadly it is not something which is encouarged and supported in the work place.....and when it is, it is usually with some trepidation. Pity.
Don't change, Max!!
Posted by Rob Weare | October 3, 2007 1:32 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 13:32
A spiritual thinker who I respect, Richard Rohr, once said we will all become old fools. The choice you have a choice to make as you progress past the age of the 35 is whether or not you'll become a grumpy old fool, or a wise old fool.
I guess, I'd rather be a touch immature rather than grumpy.
Posted by Aiden Choles | October 3, 2007 2:26 PM
Posted on October 3, 2007 14:26
Max
There is much talk by the gurus on gen X and gen y - such as they don't want to work, like to do new things etc etc.
Sitting in these talks I get depressed - being of 50's vintage [age and birthdate] why should I be so unlucky.
So I came up with my own generations. Gen M [Mixing] with the experience of a 50 year old and attitude of an 18 year old, and its bad twin Gen W with the experience of an 18 year old and the attitude of a 50 year old.
If you are immature (Gen M) then go for it, if you are Gen W then I would worry
Roger
Posted by Roger James | November 9, 2007 6:13 PM
Posted on November 9, 2007 18:13