Why Do Kids Have Funny Misconceptions About Adulthood?

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The discussion revolves around misconceptions children have about adulthood, highlighting a range of beliefs that often turn out to be false. Key points include the idea that adults do not have bedtimes, that independence is entirely liberating, and that driving is always enjoyable. Participants reflect on the reality of turning 18, which legally marks adulthood but doesn't necessarily equate to maturity. The conversation touches on the challenges of adult responsibilities, such as managing finances and the burdens of work, contrasting childhood fantasies with adult realities. Many contributors share personal anecdotes that illustrate the disillusionment with these childhood beliefs, emphasizing the complexities of adult life that are often overlooked by children. Overall, the thread captures a nostalgic yet humorous examination of the gap between childhood expectations and adult experiences.
Pengwuino
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Follow my lead, let's make a list of things you thought as a kid or kids think about when they imagine being older that are sooooo not true. You'll get the hang of it.

100. Adults don't have bed times.
99. Being independent and on your own is awesome
98. Driving is fun
97. Turning 18 means you're an adult.
96. Having a girlfriend/boyfriend is awesome (giggle)
95. Credit cards make you happy
94. Wrestling is not silly.

i had a million ideas earlier but i apparently dropped them from my brain. So I call on YOU PEOPLE to continue the list. GO!
 
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Adults actually don't have bed times.

Being independent and on your own is awesome.

Driving definitely can be fun (I mean they have sports and games that revolve around it don't they?).

Turning 18 does mean you are an adult, some people just forget to actually become one.

Have a gf/bf is pretty awesome.

I'll agree that this one is silly.

Yeah this one too.
 
Stop destroying my dreams. I have a bed time now. If I don't get to sleep at a certain time to get my 8 hours before classes and labs I teach, I feel like my body is trying to destroy itself. A friend of mine agreed with me with the driving thing as well. We try to get other people to drive us places whenever possible. Plus she lives at home again after living on her home and she says she loves not having the bills and home maintenance and crap. Maybe only my friends should comment on this thread...
 
I remember telling my uncle that he was over the hill [old] on his 25th birthday. Later, I realized that 20 something was still young but mid 30s seemed old. Then, anything over 40 seemed old and 30 something didn't seem so bad... Now, it would be nice to be 40 again.

I also thought ellemmennoh was a letter.
 
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Pengwuino said:
Stop destroying my dreams. I have a bed time now. If I don't get to sleep at a certain time to get my 8 hours before classes and labs I teach, I feel like my body is trying to destroy itself. A friend of mine agreed with me with the driving thing as well. We try to get other people to drive us places whenever possible. Plus she lives at home again after living on her home and she says she loves not having the bills and home maintenance and crap. Maybe only my friends should comment on this thread...

I must live up to my contrarian reputation damn it.
 
TheStatutoryApe said:
I must live up to my contrarian reputation damn it.

You Cyrus'ed all over my thread.
 
93. when you grow up you become strong o:)
 
92. When you're a grown-up, you can eat whatever you want without repercussion.
 
91. Smoking has even 1 benefit. Even socially.
 
  • #10
90. jinni is real :biggrin:
 
  • #11
89. Girls have "it" in front, just like we do.
 
  • #12
88. it’s scary to stay awake till 1:15 am :rolleyes:
 
  • #13
87. That it's cool to shave
 
  • #14
86. If Einstein said it, it must be true.
 
  • #15
86. Going to work was better than going to school.
85. Not working and not going to school would be the greatest thing. (I had quit my job 3 months ago... I couldn't find a job until like last week... in a damn fast-food place. But let me tell you, not working and being home ALLL THE TIMMMME was just driving me insane.)
 
  • #16
84. Adults are more experienced with the coolness.
 
  • #17
83. staying awake till 2:00 am is fun
82. money grows on trees
81. ghosts are real
80. god can help me do my homework only if i pray hard
 
  • #18
A child thinks 20 shillings and 20 years can scarce ever be spent.

- Benjamin Franklin
 
  • #19
79. The boss is like the schoolmaster: he's always right, and will like it when I'm right too.
 
  • #20
72. Parents know everything
71. Life's one big party when you grow up
70. You are smarter than your parents


My teenage daughter informs me that anyone over 18 is "old." I remember thinking the same thing when I was her age.

I WISH I was 18 =(
 
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  • #21
78. It would be cool to be a farmer. I could live off the land and never have to rely on other humans.
77. My dog was as smart as Lassie and I should follow him anywhere whenever he whined as if he had something important to say. (Actually, while this never turned out quite as cool as Lassie, it wasn't that bad.)
76. Tieing yourself to the seat of a swing is exactly like wearing seatbelts. You just start swinging, yell "Watch this!", and let go. Yea! No hands! (This probably could turn out pretty cool with a simple addition of a shoulder harness. As it was, it wound up being my daughter's first broken arm. Her second came from the monkey bars.)
 
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  • #22
75. After noticing that the prices of items tend to get lower over time, I thought it would be prudent to wait until the price of a gameboy dropped to 1 penny before buying it.
74. The best way to get a girlfriend is to confess your love up front
73. It is possible to build a working airplane out of materials found in the woods
 
  • #23
72. It's time to rule the house. Parent must obey you because you have ultimate weapon...tears !
 
  • #24
69. It's ok if someone dies at the age of 40 or above, because they are too old and lived their life.
 
  • #25
Ivan Seeking said:
I also thought ellemmennoh was a letter.

Haha. When I was very young I didn't understand why the alphabet contained two n's. "l m n o, and w x y n z!"
 
  • #26
206PiruBlood said:
Haha. When I was very young I didn't understand why the alphabet contained two n's. "l m n o, and w x y n z!"

hahahaha:smile:
 
  • #27
68. Because they look up to a world full of morons. Proof of this? See #72. This one works in WAY too many cases.

67. Wondering how people fit in those teeny little airplanes that fly over my house. I guess I didn't quite have distance vs. size of object relationship down at 3 years of age.
 
  • #28
71.) It's ok, mom and dad will drive us here/there/everywhere.

70.) If I buy it (meaning I told mom to buy it) - then it's mine and nobody can have any unless I say so.
 
  • #29
69.) Once I'm finally done with school I never have to read, study, and write ever again.
 
  • #30
redargon said:
87. That it's cool to shave

Oh my god I've gotten sooooooooooo tired of shaving! Even my dad said one day that he's sick of shaving.
 
  • #31
I never enjoyed shaving. I certainly don't miss it.
 
  • #32
Astronuc said:
I never enjoyed shaving. I certainly don't miss it.

I have to shave every day for work... It sucks mostly because I have pretty sensitive skin... so it burns like a mother f------. Sucks.
 
  • #33
68.) I would have it made if I made $25,000 per year.
 
  • #34
66) (or 67, I'm so confused) Counting is so easy that a person can even do it backwards.
 
  • #35
TheStatutoryApe said:
Adults actually don't have bed times.

You must still be somewhat young. I remember when I was in my early 20's and I told my boyfriend that I would know I was ready to settle down and get married when I had a bed time...because I'd be too old to go out partying all night to find new people to date.

Lately, I've had a very early bedtime. I can't keep myself awake past 9 PM most nights, 11 PM at the very latest. My young students are sapping the energy out of me!

Edit: And if it wasn't so close to my bedtime, I'd have noticed there were two more pages of this thread before bothering to reply to something at the beginning of the first page. :redface:
 
  • #36
65?) If a person of clearly superior intelligence posts their opinions anonymously on the internet, the world will be awed and immediately elect them to be world dictator.
 
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  • #37
The real 65) When my generation finally starts running things, we'll have an end to wars, bigotry, and sexism.
 
  • #38
Redbelly98 said:
The real 65) When my generation finally starts running things, we'll have an end to wars, bigotry, and sexism.

Make it so, RB. You have the PF warriors behind you! :devil:

Oops :redface:
 
  • #39
Redbelly98 said:
The real 65) When my generation finally starts running things, we'll have an end to wars, bigotry, and sexism.

Actually when I was younger I thought much along the same lines... mostly to do with famine though... I never understood why it's necessary for me to go to a grocery store and see enough food to last me a year but some people in the world wake up wondering if there will be enough food for that day
 
  • #40
Sorry! said:
Actually when I was younger I thought much along the same lines... mostly to do with famine though... I never understood why it's necessary for me to go to a grocery store and see enough food to last me a year but some people in the world wake up wondering if there will be enough food for that day

Along those lines...

64) If I eat less, a child in Africa will have a meal.
63) Not paying a bill means your future is over.
62) Life can't go on without your friends. (Hell, I couldn't believe how quickly I got over not talking to some of my best friends from high school when the time came to move on)
 
  • #41
BobG said:
65?) If a person of clearly superior intelligence posts their opinions anonymously on the internet, the world will be awed and immediately elect them to be world dictator.

Haha...right, like Ender's Game!
 
  • #42
junglebeast said:
Haha...right, like Ender's Game!

I know! As a kid I always planned that my night job when I grew up would be writing deep and meaningful essays and posting it online like Valentine and Peter did, receiving fame and influence. And then blogs became commonplace. It's a good thing the world isn't that easily manipulated.
 
  • #43
61) As being a child I tough i discovered a combination in roulette so i would always win. It was a moment in my life i though for real i will be stinky rich, had dollar bills in my eyes. Stupidity can sometimes be a blessedness.

60) As a child i tough people grow taller all their life. Old people must be really tall.
 
  • #44
59.
100$ is no better than 1$...you can buy an icecream with the later!

- wise child :biggrin:
 
  • #45
whoever said driving is fun don't know what its like to drive from city to cities... I don't drive (not old enough) but it really is boring watching your dad get bored driving from calgary to jasper...
 
  • #46
shredder666 said:
whoever said driving is fun don't know what its like to drive from city to cities... I don't drive (not old enough) but it really is boring watching your dad get bored driving from calgary to jasper...

Driving is fun! He just needs to drive in more exciting places.



 
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  • #47
58) Only a doofus would buy a car based primarily on the comfort of the seats. A car must be able to smoke the tires, be really loud, and look really cool.
 
  • #48
57) Who else would actually look forward to, and like commercials - - - things that are trying to get us to do what we don't want to do.

KM
 
  • #49
Pengwuino said:
64) If I eat less, a child in Africa will have a meal.

I remember as a child, having my mother use that argument on me, when I was balking at eating something.

I simply suggested that she wrap it up and send it to them.

KM
 
  • #50
Kenneth Mann said:
I remember as a child, having my mother use that argument on me, when I was balking at eating something.

She knew you didn't want the African kid to eat it, and used that argument to make you eat it? :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 

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