Whoever first gave the advice to act your age had no clue what they were talking about. I have seen mature seven-year-olds and immature seventy-year-olds. Who really sets up how someone should act at a certain age anyway?
Generally, when someone gives this advice, they are telling the person to stop acting silly. Either that or a person is failing to take responsibility for their actions. There is a big difference between being childish and childlike.
Childishness and Responsibility
When I worked for an Arizona call center, I found it remarkable when young women would complain that their boyfriends or husbands were home all day playing video games while they worked. I believe that sort of immaturity has to be addressed with tough love. Any able-bodied person should work in whatever way they are able to.
That said, I knew how it felt to look for work and not find something that complimented my abilities. Here I was a guy with a graduate degree and working in a call center. Before that, I had worked at a grocery to pay bills while I looked for something that aligned with my skills.
I knew the responsible thing to do was work in some way while I found something better. Every adult can do something while they work to improve their situation. Video games and surfing the web do not count.
On the contrary, workers can be quite immature too. This article on bad habits that make you look immature at work is helpful. Gossiping and being unhelpful are two key bad qualities. Let’s be professional when we’re on the job!
Childish vs. Childlike
To be creative, we need to be childlike. A sense of wonder combined with playfulness and a willingness to look at things differently is essential. We all need to be a little childlike to embrace change and encourage innovation.
Also, to have fun, we need to be a little childlike. The best times on vacation is when adults let go with their kids and have a blast. That is why the commercials when kids are acting like adults while the parents are being silly are so effective.
This Advice can be quite subjective. I have often wondered if I’ve given the correct advice to my kids. What is the correct advice anyway? Yelling “Boogerhead!” and running away rarely works. How would I know? Don’t ask.
Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog on October 6, 2015. I revamped and updated it for timeliness and comprehensiveness.
