From The Washington Post via Dissecting Leftism:
About as thick and wide as a silver dollar, [the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex, just behind the brow] distinguishes humans from other animals. From it, scientists believe, come judgments and values, long-term goals, the weighing of risks and consequences -- what parents call wisdom or common sense and what science calls "executive functions." While society and tradition have placed the point of intellectual maturity, the "age of reason," years earlier, the study -- an international effort led by NIH's Institute of Mental Health and UCLA's Laboratory of Neuro Imaging -- shows it comes at about age 25.This is an absolutely fascinating find. My wife and I both attest to the fact that our twenty fifth year was very important to us. It was a turning point on which we are still building. I don't mean religious conversion - that happened much later. What seems to have happened is that our ability to critically evaluate things went up tremendously. Amazing that there might be some science to back our claims up. I've heard similar stories from others as well. The article spends a lot of time talking about teens and driving, which is a very immediate and practical consideration. What really interests me, however, is that these finding seem to squash an entire mode of parenting, the kind that wants to be a kid's friend, the kind that refuses to offer solid and critical leadership when doing so is unpleasant. "Who am I to judge?" "It's what he wants." Well, you're the adult, aren't you? They may not say it until much later, but I think kids want and value adult leadership. Their questioning is a way of learning and internalizing. Laissez faire parenting is too close to indifference, which is what strangers give. Parents are supposed to care and criticsize. Last thought. During ancient times, and into the early middle ages, most of the population did not live much past thirty. That might explain some of the violence and difficulty we associate with the period. Of course, not everyone kicked off at thirty. There is very good literature and philosophy found right back into the furthest reaches of history.
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