Children in rural Northeast much more mature than their counterparts

"I can do whatever you grown-ups can!" shrieks the little one…

Don't you often see that in the rural societies of North-East India? Indeed, a heart-warming scene, if you're asking me about it. It is apparent that children consider themselves no less than grown-ups—equally strong, mature, and able. It might not be wrong for one to state that certain genetic, environmental and social circumstances allow the development of such strong mental stance in most if not all of the children in these parts of the country.

If one must look through the universal perspective of Developmental Psychology, no infant, child, or adolescent realizes, or rather we say accepts that his/her mental ability or psychological maturity is inferior to that of an older individual, under general circumstances. (Well, of course in the case of that 'Super-IQ-Kid',he/she might actually have a mental ability equal to or even more than that of an adult!)

Try and ignore as we may,but the unsavory fact stands that the self-esteem, zeal and confidence a young individual harbors gradually fade out in a number of cases as he/she develops in age and knowledge of prevailing circumstances, especially during his/her adolescence. Perhaps it is the lack of proper conditioning, and due to overlooking certain developmental tasks, or the somewhat compromised state of the learning endeavor.

The focus of growing children and teenagers is alarmingly misguided towards what they fail or even tend to make prior assumption that they will fail to achieve. I'm not implying that everyone can be the next Albert Einstein, or the next Ludwig Van Beethoven. But might I say that one should consider concentrating more on the possibilities than on the limitations.

By Bruce Momin