Older I Get the Less I Know

¶ … Older I Get the Less I Know

The quote, "The older I get, the less I know" by Will Durant exemplifies the statement that learning is eternal. Life, from birth to death, is a learning process. Just when a person thinks that he/she has it all figured out, the learning begins again. It is a life long process of happiness, heartache, learning, experiencing and wonder.

Babies are born with natural instinct but most learning comes from parents or adult role models. Babies often learn by imitation, by trial and error and also by instruction. Babies are taught how to talk, walk and often learn by being told, "yes" and "no." During childhood, teachers influence scholastic learning, socialization and life learning as well. As children develop, the words "yes" and "no" take on a variety of meanings. "Yes, you may do that," "No, you may not do that." The words "good" and "bad" often serve to identify boundaries for children as well. Children come to learn what behaviors are acceptable and appropriate for particular situations. Children learn about dangerous situations and how to avoid pain. Children have social relationships with friends in playgroups, sports, school and other activities. Children often learn from each other. What one child experiences often gets shared with the others. At this stage of socialization, children are forced to rely upon their self-identity. By the time a child reaches school age, this identity will have been formed by family and by their own sense of well being in the world. This information is generally the foundation for all life learning.

It is often the life lesson of identifying oneself that is a precursor to the teenage years. The teenage years are a time when children become independent to a point. Teenagers still have the reassurance of home life and school life, however, they are often placed in situations where they has to make decisions for themselves. Often, teenagers believe that they know everything. However, what they come to find out is that they know far less than everything. These lessons are often found out within the context of a difficult life lesson. Children at this stage are exposed to dating, peer pressure and the need to feel accepted. It is during this stage that teenagers are called on to rely on past lessons in order to move forward in life. More often than not, they are placed in a situation that they cannot handle and are forced to rely on parents and adult role models for help.

As the teenagers move into adulthood they often approach this stage with the eagerness of being "on their own" without having to answer to parents, teachers, etc. However, they generally end up finding themselves to be all alone in a very big world. Relying on parents and adult role models for help becomes socially unacceptable. At this stage, adults are supposed to know what to do in situations. Society views adulthood as a time of breaking away from the family unit and being independent. Adults are supposed to have all of the necessary tools to enable them to be independent. This independence can be a very scary time. Not only are adults faced with a tremendous amount of responsibility but they are also expected to handle this responsibility alone. Adults are faced with more life lessons including lessons involving romantic relationships, career, finances, health issues and death. Adults are expected to handle these situations utilizing their previous lessons. What adults generally find out at this stage is that although all of the previous learning has taken place, they still do not have the answers. They no longer have the family cushion of parents and role models to guide them through the process. Life loses its fun and becomes work. Adults have a whole new set of people in their lives that have placed various expectations upon them. These expectations are often the onset for more lessons learned. Adults now find themselves experiencing the joys of life along with the pain that often occurs in life without the cushion of the family unit behind them.