Is it possible to be childlike without being childish?

a reply to: Profusion

We are just kids playing at being grown-ups.

This reminded me of the following anecdote taken from the Simon Barnes book “How to be Wild”, where the author goes badger hunting with his twelve year old son.

“Joe’s response to these wonders was extraordinary, too. He flung himself into the holes with the same unstoppable compulsion with which the badgers did the digging. It seemed he had to be part of this: that his experience in learning badgers required some kind of participation, some kind of communion.”

Is that not the same childlike sense of wonder that brought people here in the first place? Flinging themselves headfirst down the rabbit hole.

“The fact is that most people strive, from time to time and in different ways, to experience at least some kind of oneness, even if it is only by playing golf. At the badger setts, Joe went for oneness without an instant’s self-consciousness. Most of us know very well the feeling that prompted this even if we don't express it quite as unrestrainedly as Joe did with the badger sett.”

In the words of David Attenborough:

"A sense of the fragility of the world is ­intimately connected to an appreciation of its ­wonders. This sense of wonder can be called childlike, but that doesn’t make it childish. In maturity, wonder develops into a perpetually life-renewing thing."

a reply to: Profusion

Originally posted by Profusion
I want to briefly discuss why someone would want to be childlike. The following quote is supposedly a quote from Jesus.

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

I believe that quote is essentially true. In my view, we must have an open mind the way children are in order to see a lot of truth.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here…it is about being able to see truth…I believe Jesus was focusing on the specific positive aspects of a child, in that verse…

Becoming like a child in context of entering the Kingdom and finding truth is about letting go of preconceived ideas. It’s very difficult for new and different truths to enter in, when people cling to fixed ideas about how they believe/imagine things to be…But for these truths to enter in, one must also open up to hearing Gods truth…which brings me onto my next point…

I believe there is also a more direct yet subtle point behind the verse too, which although simple, is often overlooked; It’s to do with recognizing that we are a child of the living Father…i.e. that we are a son of God.

When we become aware of our spiritual connection to the Father, we will also realize our own son ship and that we are all children…which is in turn directly related to entering the Kingdom of God…


- JC

originally posted by: Profusion

The following quote is supposedly a quote from Jesus.

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

I can only agree.

We are all children of God.
If you do not recognize your complete dependance on God, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Thats for a Reason: In truth God made you to be completely dependant on you.

Body was made by your wish to be independent of God, which is not possibile. God is giving you live each and every second. And he is unwilling to stop it.

So the body dies, but you in your essence or soul cannot die. This is the child of God.

So you, as human, have to attain the attitude that children have, (the ones which haven't been conditioned yet)
which is

Nonjudgemental - in this world you cannot judge and be fair, only God's judgement is fair.
Silent (as in quiet - listening to GOD. not as in silent as being feared which is how world loves to look at it)
Trusting ( that God is caring over you and leading you into happiness.Actually, you are living in paradise, but believe that you have exchanged it for something else.)
Joyfull ( as joy without reason. the world is apt to teach you that you need a reason for happiness and joy, which is not true.Try to avoid the jokes on cost of others, especially the one of which you know to make them feel bad. The 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' view is made by this world and need to be forgiven and forgotten)

Or simply: Be yourself (the worldly child) before conditioning took place. Maybe the world will not aggree, but there is no world outside.
The world you see is a hologram, driven by your beliefs (as to explain it plainly as possibile). It is a movie which you choose to watch.

originally posted by: Hombre
We are all children of God.
If you do not recognize your complete dependance on God, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I think what you have said above is the belief of an individual who has very little self control, so you place all accountability for your existance in the hands of something that cannot be proven. Not the logic of an intelligent "grown up".

Also, do you accept that you could be wrong?

originally posted by: HarryJoy
Another aspect that I find important regarding child likeness. Children are touched by the pain of others to a higher degree than adults. ..generally speaking. It is hard. ..almost impossible to retain that level of sympathy and sensitivity into adulthood.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite bible verses. "I will take away your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And will cause you to walk in my statutes. Eze 36:26

I have been told to grow up because of how much I sympathize with the homeless and poor, to the point that I will even go sleep next to them.

Many many many people call me stupid and dangerous for doing things like that.

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: Hombre
We are all children of God.
If you do not recognize your complete dependance on God, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I think what you have said above is the belief of an individual who has very little self control, so you place all accountability for your existance in the hands of something that cannot be proven. Not the logic of an intelligent "grown up".

Also, do you accept that you could be wrong?

Load of garbage.

Reliance on God requires more self-control than one can even muster.

Try it. When you're hurting, pray to God and reject a pill. Then tell me that praying isn't very much harder than taking a pill.

Try it.

a reply to: TarzanBeta

That's a very commendable thing for you to do....I'm sure the homeless appreciate your concern for them.

a reply to: Profusion

My conclusion is that while being childlike is a strength, it is also a weakness because childishness comes with it.

Let kids be, why do you want children to mature faster than natural?

Does being innocent go hand in hand with being foolish? I believe it does

Foolishness is a trait observed in adults. If you decide to call a child a fool thats a grown up pejorative that you would never hear from a child.

a reply to: khnum

Well at 53 I still get the same enjoyment out of road runner cartoons that I did when I was four

You are evil...(joking) Wile E. Coyote never got the prize even after spending a fortune on Acme products



I wanted the coyote to win at least once - that scarred me for life...but maybe then I wouldn't be what I am today...believing in conspiracies

a reply to: Galadriel

particularly in a romantic partner

I am in love with Galadriel the Elf...too bad I'm married

originally posted by: nerbot

originally posted by: Hombre
We are all children of God.
If you do not recognize your complete dependance on God, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I think what you have said above is the belief of an individual who has very little self control, so you place all accountability for your existance in the hands of something that cannot be proven. Not the logic of an intelligent "grown up".

Also, do you accept that you could be wrong?

Ahem, the proof you can experience, if you would like to. It takes practice in undoing the Ego and Conditioning, but the rewards are Great.

Of course i can accept that what i said could be wrong because Only God is right.

If you do not recognize your complete dependance on God, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

God is giving you life, in truth. You are completly dependant of him to live. The best comparison is like Sun is giving live to the sunray.
And even Jesus/Bible said something like "You are the light of the world".
Thats because your true identity is this Light, and not the Body.

From the body's point of view you can deny this, but thats one of the reasons why the body exists as such.
Considering that body's eye cannot see God, because they were made to see everything else but God, you will find very little evidences of Him, unless you experience Guidance from, what i call, unseen force.

You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven as long as you are listening to the Ego. Because you can Listen either to God or to the Ego (as such were you created in truth, by God)

Kingdom of Heaven is you. But not as the Humanoid Body.

Most adults employ shields to protect them from outside world. Remove the shields and you will find a child within.

originally posted by: HarryJoy
a reply to: TarzanBeta

That's a very commendable thing for you to do....I'm sure the homeless appreciate your concern for them.

Started out like that. Now we're friends that can tell eachother to screw off when we're annoyed at eachother.

The only difference is that where I go can be warmer than where they go.

I also have wealthy acquaintances.

I have found that there is a more fine line between the attitudes of the rich and poor than there is between the middle class and each of the other.

That's the real reason the middle-class is dying.

There is much more entitlement mentality in that group than in any other.

Many claim it's the rich... No. Actually get to know everyone and care about everyone. When you do, you want to strangle the middle-class people the most.

The poor are hated and the rich are hated. The poor suffer wildly to live, and so do many rich people.

The middle class hit buttons for a living, but say they work the hardest - but they ignore their families the most.

This is indeed all generalization, but years worth of experience getting to the truth of it all.

There are bad eggs in every group.

There are many ignorant in rural areas.

If you're from a rural area and you end up at the Port Authority in NYC, your money will go to a bunch of different army veterans named, "Will" on the same night. That's their game.

But I actually demand their attention. I say, "Get booze, you need it. But don't be a prick."

Then they always share real life with me.

It doesn't take much effort... You just have to realize that you're no more a man or woman than they are.

But I warn the women who have no self-defense capabilities to not "try this at home". There ARE bad eggs.

I think that most people here on ATS are possessed with a child like sense of wonder from time to time.

People on this site are open to possibilities of realities that do not conform to the "Normal"

All you have to do is read some posts about UFOs or 911 to understand that some people are open to things that most people won't even consider

Just my 2 cents

a reply to: TarzanBeta

Well...it sounds like you are gaining a perspective that most people will never experience.

It seems that all of the people that I have been friends with in life are the ones that are on the edge of functioning society. ..Not quite homeless but just a step away. I often see strengths in them that I myself do not possess and find myself in admiration of them for one reason or another.

originally posted by: TheConstruKctionofLight
a reply to: Galadriel

particularly in a romantic partner

I am in love with Galadriel the Elf...too bad I'm married

Ha! Well, I am just seeing this now, and it made me smile.

On this magical vernal equinox, everything is possible with elvin magick

a reply to: Galadriel

Haha....And imagine if you were Cate Blanchett incognito....