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Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
 Posted - 02/03/2002 : 08:09:47 [Permalink]
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The reason for the divisions was related to what is usually going on at those stages in your life. High School, College, Marriage, Careers, Children, Debts such as owning a house, having teenagers who can argue with you, hopefully becoming more financially stable and closing in on retirement. I just know where I was and what I was doing at each point in my life during those ages and where I was in my thinking.
It has nothing to do with skeptisism as I was already a skeptic at age 7. At 18 I thought I knew everything then married at 18 while still in college and had a child at 19. I thought that I was mature because I was now taking care of a family but at 21 in most states you are now officially an adult, you can drink and no longer are protected by Juvinal Authorities in any form. At 25 I was in Med School and responsible for my career and the lives of the patients I was experimenting on. At 35 my kids were old enough to begin to argue back and they could logically argue back with my beliefs forcing me to reevaluate myself. A good thing to have happen because it pointed out I had raised thinking human beings with educated opinions of their own. Because I had thought of myself as a good parent I knew I had raised intelligent children and I could not close my mind to their opinions. When you hit the peak of debt in your(hopefully) life between 35-50 with morgages, college tuition then you see no matter where you thought you were going to be at 50 when you were 25 you have missed the mark. Hopefully after living long enough to have seen the world and the curve balls it can throw you you see that you never have all the answers, that all you can do is to have learned that life is an always changing evolving process that you can never be fully grown up. That you never have all the answers and what you believe today can and should change tomorrow.
Without growth there is death and no matter how certain you are now of your ideas if they do not at some point change as you age then you have not grown and are essentially dead as a person. So for you kids at 17 who think your ideas are mature and you hit on something early in life wait because all the other things that come along change you.As they should.
Death: The High Cost of Living
It is easier to get forgiveness then to get permission! |
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 02/03/2002 : 18:38:09 [Permalink]
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quote:
Without growth there is death and no matter how certain you are now of your ideas if they do not at some point change as you age then you have not grown and are essentially dead as a person. So for you kids at 17 who think your ideas are mature and you hit on something early in life wait because all the other things that come along change you.As they should.
Things change. Ideas change. But ways of thinking that WORK have no need to change. Why change simply for the sake of change. If there are good ideas present at the beginning, changing them would be somewhat stupid, as far as I am concerned.
I can learn from the mistakes of others. For that reason I have no reason to suffer from making their mistakes. I learn from my own mistakes, as well. In addition, it is important to be a nice person. Nasty people live with nasty people (themselves) 24 hours a day, because they are unable to escape from themselves. Therefore one of the best ideas to maintain is to observe others and not make their same mistakes. I tend to keep a safe distance from those who have the appearance of severe psychological problems which have been left untreated. Minor aspects of one's life may change, but the basic techniques for living a good life should not be thrown away for the sake of change for its own sake. The greatest idea which should not change is the importance of observation.
ljbrs   
"Nothing is more damaging to a new truth than an old error." Goethe |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2002 : 01:48:58 [Permalink]
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quote:
The reason for the divisions was related to what is usually going on at those stages in your life.
Just goes to show that even though people have some things in common they are not always compatable. I am a skeptic as most of us fellow posters here, but none of the things in your outline of 'life' happened to me in that order. I never felt I needed to change my views of life for those life changes either.
I just don't think one can say there are norms or standards when it comes to the things and times lines people do things in their life or the reasons people might change their views.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2002 : 04:31:06 [Permalink]
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I think the question as to why I chose those divisions is irrelevnt. It was a simple question that got over analyzed. How old you were in years was just to see what age groups made up this forum.
There were no judgements made or implied. The number of years we live can effect our view of life. We can be very mature in your thinking at 15 or 75 or we can be very immature. Don't look for anything other then the question of how many years we have lived.
I know I change everyday I live. At one level or another I can become more or less of a Skeptic but usually I don't. Hopefully we gain knowledge as we live. I want everyone to know that terminal cancer has made me more aware of who I am but neither more nor less of a skeptic. Age is not a contest in maturity.
Death: The High Cost of Living
It is easier to get forgiveness then to get permission! |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2002 : 13:19:59 [Permalink]
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I think the question as to why I chose those divisions is irrelevnt. It was a simple question that got over analyzed. How old you were in years was just to see what age groups made up this forum.
Ok, Doc, now I see. BTW, that happens to me a lot....I make a statement or comment and people go off on a tangent sometimes getting all upset when it was mearly an observation, not meant for a long debate.
quote:
I know I change everyday I live. At one level or another I can become more or less of a Skeptic but usually I don't. Hopefully we gain knowledge as we live. I want everyone to know that terminal cancer has made me more aware of who I am but neither more nor less of a skeptic. Age is not a contest in maturity.
Many years ago I was in a car accident, I was told it was a miricle I was not paralized. Back was broken. All these years later I still don't live my live as if that changed anything. We hear so many people who almost lost their lifes talk about how they are doing things differently, supposedely living a better more thankful life. I do sometimes think about what could have happened but the everyday problems of life get too much in the way to be that philosophical about the what if's. Having lost some family members at a fairly young age I also think about 'what would I do if I knew I was not going to be around as long as I'd like'. For some unknown reason, I can't get into the mood to do anything more then what's going on at the moment.
Maybe that makes the point about age!
Chronological age means nothing. In my case I will always be very childish and nothing's going to change that. LOL, guess I'm the 1% + or - on surveys.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2002 : 14:23:24 [Permalink]
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As far as mental age, why stick with one age group? When pondering the bills, mortgage, etc, I'm very much the adult. However, if the question is "how shall I have fun tonight", the years are a little lighter.
Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room. |
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Red_Machine
New Member
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/04/2002 : 20:34:48 [Permalink]
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quote:
Hmm.. I must have been unclear. What I am wondering is, why were those particular age ranges chosen: 26-35, for example, rather than 26 to, say, 40. This is purely idle curiosity on my part, and I believe that I would have picked similar (if not the same) ranges.
Actually, it makes quite a difference in how we view the data. Notice that some groups (e.g. 18-25) span only a few years, while others (e.g. 36-50) cover a greater range. This can skew the results.
Looking at the chart, the 36-50 age group looks to be quite large, especially when compared to the 18-25 group. At first glance, one might say "wow-- young people are much into skeptic issues". But look again-- the 36-50 group covers twice as many years. If we broke it down into, say, 36-42 and 42-50, would we find an even distribution among those, or would the number tip more towards one group or the other?
All of this is to say that the choice of range for the groups above is interesting, but without an explanation for the ultimate reason for the poll, we should view the results with caution, lest we think that the 36-50 year olds are superior to the under-30 crowd!
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Dr Shari
Skeptic Friend
135 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2002 : 17:22:38 [Permalink]
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I am unclear why so many people read the poll but so few decided to answer it. 46 out 320! I am also glad to see that the majority of people who did answer are in my age group.
I almost feel that by answereing the question people are afraid they will be classified, objectified and villiafied. I was just curious as to the general age of this community of Skeptics. Next I will ask how much money everyone makes to see if income effects Skepticism or how about a poll on education or maybe what field your in or.....you get my point.
Death: The High Cost of Living
It is easier to get forgiveness then to get permission!
Edited by - dr shari on 02/06/2002 17:25:17
Edited by - dr shari on 02/06/2002 17:26:23 |
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PhDreamer
SFN Regular
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2002 : 17:42:49 [Permalink]
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I am unclear why so many people read the poll but so few decided to answer it. 46 out 320! I am also glad to see that the majority of people who did answer are in my age group.
Well, when you consider total membership, that does seem rather slight, but realize that significantly fewer than 46 post here regularly and your poll has actually done pretty well in comparison with some of the others.
Adventure? Excitement? A Jedi craves not these things. - Silent Bob |
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Snake
SFN Addict
USA
2511 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2002 : 23:34:05 [Permalink]
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quote:
I am unclear why so many people read the poll but so few decided to answer it. 46 out 320! I am also glad to see that the majority of people who did answer are in my age group.
You can count about 1/3 of the hits for this folder to me, ha ha. I often read the posts then come back later to write. Many times I open a page not remembering if I've seen it already. Hope that explains some of the non-replies to the poll.
*
Earth is the insane asylum for the universe.
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Stygma
New Member
36 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2002 : 21:54:55 [Permalink]
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So, Dr. Shari, you say it'll change the way you look at someone's posts if they declare that they're, say, fourteen years old?
I find that a bit hard to believe.
Always remember that you're unique--just like everyone else. |
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 02/26/2002 : 19:50:34 [Permalink]
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As far as mental age, why stick with one age group? When pondering the bills, mortgage, etc, I'm very much the adult. However, if the question is "how shall I have fun tonight", the years are a little lighter.
One should always retain a bit of one's *child* within throughout life. It always helps to take things in stride and adopt a fresh approach in the face of difficulties. I never plan to *grow up* -- absolutely NEVER...
That is, I shall be a child, EXCEPT until I finish working on my income tax forms...
Ugh!!!
ljbrs  
"Nothing is more damaging to a new truth than an old error." Goethe |
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Mr. Spock
Skeptic Friend
USA
99 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2002 : 18:34:47 [Permalink]
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It's funny (though not synchronistic or any of that nonsense)that this topic should come up on my 32nd birthday. One relative asked me after my 30th birthday how it felt to be "old." I said that while the number itself didn't mean anything to me, I felt almost as if I had "graduated," in the sense that significantly fewer people would still see me as a "kid."
That is, older people often dismiss the perspectives of younger people simply because they view young thinking as foolish. Unfortunately, they are often right--I think that I've always had a good attitude about thinking in that I like to try ideas on for size before evaluating them and don't accept a point of view just because it is accepted by an arbitrary authority or receieves popular endorsement. However, I have found that the older I get, the more I develop my QC with regards to the whole process--skepticism has greatly helped in this respect.
I have also found that the older I get, the less impetuous I am; I think more about the long-term consequences of my actions; I have actually become more tolerant and less confrontational and have become much more practical in my pursuits. (I know that at least half of you must be saying to yourselves--DAMN! is this guy boring or what?)
In short, I feel that one's chronological age is unimportant (for instance, I work with a 55 year old woman who behaves and thinks like a spoiled 14 year old). The ability to adapt and learn from experience, however, is. Contrary to the old saying, hindsight isn't always 20/20--many people keep on making the same mistakes over and over again, and can't evaluate their own lives with any sense of perspective. If you don't at least try to improve with age, you are missing something.
"3 out of 4 people now believe in angels. Whaddaya #*!! stupid?!"
--George Carlin |
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Wolfgang_faust
Skeptic Friend
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2002 : 14:57:25 [Permalink]
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It was once said "a woman is only as old as she looks, a man isn't old until he stops looking." I have always believed that you are only as old as you feel. I think alot of people look in the mirror and are defeated by the visible signs of age. But like Lisa said when we think of how we are going to enjoy our lives, lets play like children for as long as the body holds out. And continue to dream as long as the mind holds out.
Add value to every day, Sharpen your skills, your understanding |
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 03/26/2002 : 10:10:24 [Permalink]
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I dunno.
I was looking in the bathroom mirror this morning while I Ultrasoniced my choppers and thought 'Gee, I don't look so bad for a guy of my age.' Then I realized that I looked so good only because my vision had faded.
sigh
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It will sometimes be necessary to use falsehood for the benefit of those who need such a mode of treatment.
----Eusebius of Nicomedia,
The Preparation of the Gospel |
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