Don't Give Up the Spirit Child 6 comments

11 Feb 2007 @ 22:34, by Gerald Vest "Much of our aging, in the negative sense of reduced capacity , is a result of conditioning rather than actual limitation. It is our evolutionary destiny, Montagu says, to lengthen childhood and rescue ourselves from our "mature" ways--before it is too late." (Ashley Montagu, Growing Young). Growing Young should be required reading for adults, social workers, teachers, parents, elders and other health related professionals. Dr. Montagu describes our development and evolution as human beings as growing in phases rather than of stages as Erickson and others claim. He makes a good case for this, as in stages, as Erickson suggests, one stage has specific challenges that must be met before the child can grow effectively into the next stage. For example, he identifies "Basic Trust" as the first developmental stage related to the quality of nourishment the infant receives from mother and if frustrated or neglected during this early stage, the infant psychologically becomes mistrustful and begins to doubt his/her relations in the world. On first or second glance, this so called "crisis approach" appears to make sense. However, I believe this crisis is more analytical and built around a psychology model that is limiting in its observations and enlarged with a labeling characteristic that psychiatrists and other clinical professions have adopted to make human development or lack there of, a disease model. In other words, if you don't make it through the stages of development successfully, you are ill, stuck and in need of repair. [link] Dr. Montagu's thesis in this book is that, "as a consequence of the unique evolutionary history of our species, we are designed to fulfill the bountiful promise of the child; to grow and develop as children, rather than into the kind of adults we have been taught to believe we ought to become." So many of our adult models today are played out in competetive sports and aggressive dramas on tv and in media ads. By this it is not intended to mean that we are programmed to remain arrested at childhood stages of development, but that we are, by every confirmable measure, designed to continue, throughout our lives, to grow and develop in the traits so conspicuously exhibited by the child. p.121, (Montagu, Growing Young) Furthermore, it is evident by many observers that we are driven to achieve our best possibilities from birth through all of the phases of becoming a complete and healthy human being. (Professor Montagu defines health as our ability to love, to work, to play, and to think soundly.) "It is the frustration of the child's needs by his incompetent socializers that is principally responsible for the behavior attributed to innate depravity." And, he clearly points out that all the terms related to child development -- fetus, baby, infant, child, adolescent, maturity and old age--are arbitrary concepts with loosely related definitions. Dr. Montagu is a remarkable and astute observer of human development and has a message for us as adults, especially for those of us identified as old, retired, and stuck in our 'ways.' He reminds us of the healthy attributes that are supposed to be given up as we mature and 'grow older.' In other words, stop enjoying life, laughter, play, learning and adventuring--leave your curiosity and love for life in your playpen. For me, in addition to learning about "neotaneous drives or needs," he provides us with a more complete description of healthy development. Each of these needs is described so beautifully that we can appreciate the child within us rather than desiring to eliminate this spirit being. I suspect our schools and other institutions that are engaged in teaching and learning programs for children are not familiar with these drives and basic needs. Or, perhaps the adults have failed to "make the equal" with the kids so their relationships are maintained at a superficial level. Why else would our young people (and teachers) be so unhappy in these prison like systems and feel like just ..."Another Brick in the Wall?" (Pink Floyd) Beyond the usual basic human requirements for living are introduced to us (food, clothing, shelter, touch or physical interaction, sex , fresh air, water, etc) these 26 additional needs will nourish us throughout our lives: 1. The need for love (The child is born not only with the need to be beloved, but with the need to love others) 2. Friendship 3. Sensitivity 4. The need to think soundly 5. The need to know 6. The need to learn 7. The need to work 8. The need to organize 9. Curiosity 10.The sense of wonder 11.Playfulness 12.Imagination 13.Creativity 14.Openmindedness 15.Flexibility 16.Experimental-mindedness 17.Explorativeness 18.Resiliency 19.The sense of humor 20.Joyfulness 21.Laughter and tears 22.Optimism 23.Honesty and trust 24.Compassionate intelligence 25.Dance 26.Song Finally, as I started this brief discussion on human development and the development of our spirit child, I want to close by reminding us: "To 'Grow Young' means to grow in our youthful traits, not to grow out of or to abandon them." We don't have many examples of healthy aging and healthy adults in our society, perhaps because of the forced requirements, beliefs and rules imposed by caregivers, teachers and parents. These impositions of adult related goals to "grow up" and become like them or like other conventional adults who arrived before us, has only worked against the healthy development of children and adults. As my grandkids would remind us: boring, boring, and boring. If you wish to learn more about this outstanding scientist and remarkable human being, read this two part synopsis on all of his books, his philosophy, his discoveries and his love for humanity and our relationships, inside and out. [link]

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Category: Articles 

12 Feb 2007 @ 17:46 by blueboy : Go get'em, Jerry! : )
THANK you -once again- for posting something so Life affirming as daring to question the sick "Western Culture" ( which is NOT -just- the American Way, but rather the mental/social inheritance from the Old Babylon via..... Already Moses faught this nonsense way of being.... as did Jesus!.... and so many more!)

I know in my Heart, that we are in the biggest mode of Change -as in Transformation, that this Planet has seen since before the Fall out of Grace (of the Atlantis' Elders) and all the pervertions of REAL Life, that began to take over the Society from there on ,will now -all- be challenged and indeed seen for what they truly are: PERVERTIONS of Divine Truth (about us).The Mainstream Psychology -just like Mainstream "Science" and "Religion" becoming the first ones to be thrown out as such; pervertions, together with the sick monetary SYSTEM. ( there are better as in more JUST and Life affirming Systems to be applied!)

"Grow Young" = go back to where you came from; the State (of Mind) of true Magic, in/to which you (= we all) were born into -and forced out from = all those character qualities in your list, plus the Inborn Life skills (which the perverted soul/mind does not acknowledge at all -or if it does, it only does it as Lip-service/Rhetorics)! From there the step is not that far to FULL Life Mastery as ordained for us (at this particular part of our Cosmic Journey)! This will indeed be/come the next "evolutionary stage" of our entire Society/Consciousness. A step in that direction is to be found here: [link] and then scroll down to "Disclaimer" . I "promise"; you won't be disappointed!

How our Psyche functions determines how we treat Life in our Social "Everyday-Life": [link]

Happy Days to You, Jerry, & your Lovely Family! /// Astrid
( I just HAD to respond to you! : )... )

The kind of people your article describes, tend to be -to whatever degree- victims to Narcissism: [link], the perverted self.  

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