Difference Between Childish And Child-Like
Tagged as: Jun 18I, for one, am very amused by children. Of course, I’m also amused by a lot of other things. So I guess simply because I’m amused by something doesn’t make it noteworthy. And yet here I go writing about what I’m amused by.
Child-Like
Courtesy of Flickr user Kristi-sanWith children, I think that I can break down my amusement to the fact that they are new to the world. They haven’t lived in society for the years and years that adults have. (Of course, that relates to this comment on a previous post.) So for lack of all of those years of social influence, they are new to the world. They aren’t jaded because everything is fresh. The ocean is huge, the mountains so tall, and everything is worthy of a question. And in addition to that, they are much more free about doing and saying things. That is, they aren’t inhibited because they don’t even know that they should be inhibited. So they’ll run and have fun, pick their nose when they feel a booger, and say what they think about people. Even when it’s inappropriate.
While I’m amused by all of this, it’s also likely because I don’t have to deal with my own children. Because…I don’t have any. Yet. Haha but really I’m positive that it can get old to parents when their kid(s) are acting up endlessly. Oh boy I can’t even imagine!
Courtesy of Flickr user blondie478Childish
And while I enjoy this child-like charm, (as the title suggests) I don’t actually like it when people are acting childish. What’s the difference? Well in my terms, childish usually applies to those traits of children that are very undesirable. I think of things like throwing temper tantrums, being self-centered, not knowing when to be serious, and other such pleasant attributes. And while children obviously do this, I think that I’m even more turned off when I see it in people that should know better: adults.
In them, I find it to be such a turn-off. And I’m not just talking about in girls. When I meet a guy that acts childish, I’m almost immediately turned off to ever wanting to be friends with him. Childishness just shows (to me) a lack of maturity that is more and more exaggerated the more I’d expect them to be mature. They say that with age comes wisdom, but that, unfortunately, isn’t true for everyone.
So it all comes down to this: I want to continually be child-like and grow to never be childish!
Well, people who act childlike are usually people who are happy people who are secure in themselves, who trust the universe and everyone in it. In this safe, happy notion they are innocent and joyful.
People who we feel are childish, are the same folks, but in a different frame of mind. The are unsecure and/or hurt, they fear the future and others. Their response of aggression, passive aggression or whining are mere defense mechanisms that they have found work for them or that they hope work for them.
The best way to deal with others, and ourselves at selfish moments, is to respond to their ‘inner child’ with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
Try it, you’ll be amazed!
Interesting thoughts. Perhaps the question that I have is where this unconditional love originates from. Within the strength of our own mind?
I agree with the “unconditional love” comment by A Lee and wonderfully expressed about how people who act childlike are secure in themselves.
Where does this unconditional love come from? Hmm. I think it takes some strength of mind in that you have to first begin thinking about love and what it is about and finding ways to “feel” this love or discover it.
From there you may meditate but my thoughts are you need to use your mind to figure out a way to get in touch with your feelings to move outside yourself to some awareness of something greater. While I haven’t quite gotten to the “unconditional love” type of love, I think of getting there as a bit of inside-out..work on the inside, become aware of the outside and bring the outside in and at some point, there is not inside or out…just one, a wholeness.
I like to think of myself as just plain immature…KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously though I think there’s a lot to be said for being easily amused - childlike or childish as it may be.
I think you’re maybe talking about retaining the sense of wonder while taking other people’s comfort/feelings into account, which seems like a good goal in my mind. 
Yeah, I definitely am all for being easily amused! So I take it that you think that you’re pretty easily amused? Are you able to be like that with both adults and with children?