The phrase "childish" thinking has been a phrase long used to demean and indicate a lack of maturity for those of a younger nature. I have never given that much thought to the phrase until watching a Ted Talk by Adora Svitak, a child prodigy who has written full length novels such as Yang in Disguise and Dancing Fingers. Her speech focused primarily on how adults needed to have a childlike mentality: a hopefulness for the future, regardless of boundaries or obstacles. She felt that children had very little say in the rules established by adults in society. She advocated the need for a reciprocal teaching by adults and children that would take into account both needs of the population. Her speech included a variety of historical examples as well as personal background about the topic.
Overall, I was really impressed by the presentation. Her personal achievements gives credibility and persuades you to take action, on what seemed like an innocent expression. Being a college student, I begin to see the harshness of reality and the burden, as Svitak explained, of failures by modern day society. As children, we are exposed to many of life's obstacles but we maintain this by creating our own perfect little world. We see the optimistic side of things, which Svitak wants adults to learn from. Instead of seeing children as unequal, adults should give children the attention they deserve. After all, adults were once children too and it would be undeniable that long ago they too had that mentality. I agree with Adora Svitak's message, "You must lend an ear today, because we are the leader's of tomorrow", because we indeed will lead the future of this nation.
I highly recommend watching this video because it applies to all ages and promotes an equality for both the young and old alike. That's all for tonight, this is Leonard Yalong, signing off!
Wow is all I have to say about this girl, she speaks so eloquently and she's so young. As an adult, I have such a hard time talking in front of a large crowd. I also agree with her when she says that you must trust children and expect more from them because they're going to be the next generation.
ReplyDeleteI think this video is real interesting. Like you said sometimes thinking like a child can benefit greatly. First off, it make you have fun and erase the reality for a moment. Second, you tend to see things brighter, meaning your worst problem isn't so bad in a kid mind. They think that tomorrow is a new day.
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