The Grass is Always Greener

The quote "the grass is always greener on the other side" has always haunted me. Growing up, I was a content child and yet as I have grown older I have become more aware of the things that I don't have. Why is it that we loose our child-like mindset. We always say, "be mature", but do we really mean what we say? What if we had the mindset of children? What if our maturity took the form of immediate forgiveness. What if it meant that we would completely trust our authorities? What if it meant that everyone could be friends, no matter our race, color, language or social standing?
To be young is more of a blessing than a burden. While we are young we forgive and forget. We make friends simply by smiling or asking to play. We tell the honest truth, sometimes harsh and rude, but nevertheless the truth. As we "mature" we learn to be jealous, to hate, to discriminate and to gossip.
There is always someone who has a better house, car, or technology. We learn to be discontent with our surroundings and look up to the people that we can never be and envy those who have more than we do.
So my question to you is; Is it so bad to be young? Is it so bad to be naive?
Sure this is an unrealistic utopia, but for some reason it comforts me because I realize that there is such a world. The world of young children is simple but ideal, even in all their mistakes. I re-learn the beauty of the innocent, uncorrupted mind and it amazing perception of the world and how it should be.

Yes, children are nice and remind us that we could be better. Since we can't grow younger, we just have to grow up more and hope to improve.

Although trusting authorities is find for a child, as one gets older one often realizes that some authorities should not be trusted, at least, not all the time.

I agree with YesNo. Although, I think that growing out of being so naive, as you put it, is better. Theoretically, if everyone on the plant was like and didn't grow out of it then I suppose it wouldn't be all that bad, but remember: Because children are so young and 'naive' they ask plenty of questions. Eventually things would come up concerning some of the things we could very well do without. "As we "mature" we learn to be jealous, to hate, to discriminate and to gossip." is because we are young.

Telling the truth, harsh or not wouldn't be a bad aspect, possibly hurtful, but not bad. That as well though, teaches from itself to guard our words carefully, it is what proves misanthropes wrong every time. It is a testament to humankind's inherently good nature.

As for the instantaneous forgiveness, I don't think that's a good thing. Law was born out of not having that. The ability to hold a grudge is what puts a hold on chaos in the form of law. This being so (in my opinion) is also why it would be bad to trust our authorities. We give them power on the sole basis that they know we can take it away from them if we please it so (as a majority).

Being young is nice, but there is no possible way it would ever last through someone's whole life, even if it everyone on the planet was like that. (I don't know if I covered it all or not, but that's good for now, I think.)

Try working with young children for a day, you'll quick stop idealizing childhood. Children are not nice to each other and often hold grudges. On the other hand, as an adult, I can be naive and demonstrate being overly flexible or child-like. When I am contend, I tend to be more child-like and happier.

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Originally Posted by Buh4Bee

Try working with young children for a day, you'll quick stop idealizing childhood. Children are not nice to each other and often hold grudges. On the other hand, as an adult, I can be naive and demonstrate being overly flexible or child-like. When I am contend, I tend to be more child-like and happier.

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Try not being around children for a long while. Only being around the round-about ways that other adults have. Then you meet one child who just happens to say something a little too honest in a very blunt way. It's not about a group of children who are 'not nice to each other and often hold grudges.' That's a given, they're still human after all. It's about the single or few characteristics that astound adults who aren't used to that kind of bluntness, or blissful ignorance.