Thank you. If we deny 24 year olds agency we’re just stunting them. At a certain point inability to make mistakes just prevents growth. Little kids need to learn that physics doesn’t care that it hurt them. Teenagers need to relearn that lesson alongside lessons of how to interact among their peers and tired hold their burgeoning freedom. People in their early 20s need the full freedom of adults who can suffer long term consequences because even if they still had maturing to do that’s part of it. Rather than denying them agency maybe we should be building safety nets and saying “hey I get it I did stupid shit in my early 20s too”, but also those should extend to all ages because I’m still doing stupid shit in my 30s and I don’t expect to ever look back 5-10 years back and think I would make all the same choices.
So I agree it shouldn’t be used as an excuse, but in a perfect world it would definitely be grounds for diminished responsibility. If your brain hasn’t fully developed its decision making centre then you aren’t on a level playing field with those whose have. And it’s a fact that full development of the prefontal cortex doesn’t occur until mid to late twenties.
They’re just not at the you-ought-to-know-better endgame, neurologically.
Although neurons of the PFC are generated before birth, the differentiation of its neurons and development of synaptic connections in humans extend to the 3rd decade of life.
I think that was a good read. I think the problem I have is that if I look back at my 20 year old self or my 23-year-old self, I see someone that was extremely self assured but had almost 0 real world experience or context for decision-making about very important things.
I think it is disingenuous to absolve them of all blame, but I don’t think it’s inappropriate to say that it’s not surprising that they are young men given how easy it would be for someone who should be a role model to influence them. Elon Musk’s team is young so he can control them
That’s just growing and maturing as a person. You’re never supposed to stop.
I agree it’s insane to put people that young in charge of the government, but it’s not biology, it’s inexperience. It’s the same reason you don’t put someone who just graduated college in charge of projects with life or death consequences regardless of whether they’re 22 or 52.
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Thank you. If we deny 24 year olds agency we’re just stunting them. At a certain point inability to make mistakes just prevents growth. Little kids need to learn that physics doesn’t care that it hurt them. Teenagers need to relearn that lesson alongside lessons of how to interact among their peers and tired hold their burgeoning freedom. People in their early 20s need the full freedom of adults who can suffer long term consequences because even if they still had maturing to do that’s part of it. Rather than denying them agency maybe we should be building safety nets and saying “hey I get it I did stupid shit in my early 20s too”, but also those should extend to all ages because I’m still doing stupid shit in my 30s and I don’t expect to ever look back 5-10 years back and think I would make all the same choices.
So I agree it shouldn’t be used as an excuse, but in a perfect world it would definitely be grounds for diminished responsibility. If your brain hasn’t fully developed its decision making centre then you aren’t on a level playing field with those whose have. And it’s a fact that full development of the prefontal cortex doesn’t occur until mid to late twenties. They’re just not at the you-ought-to-know-better endgame, neurologically.
No, it’s not a fact. That’s the whole point.
So what kind of source would you accept?
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-021-01137-9
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3621648/#%3A~%3Atext=The+development+and+maturation+of+the+prefrontal+cortex+occurs+primarily%2Cthe+age+of+25+years.
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-teen-brain-7-things-to-know
It seems to me that there is a scientific consensus on the subject.
Maybe read the link I posted? All the research on “25 years” stems from that being the cutoff year. The same developments continue throughout life.
I think that was a good read. I think the problem I have is that if I look back at my 20 year old self or my 23-year-old self, I see someone that was extremely self assured but had almost 0 real world experience or context for decision-making about very important things.
I think it is disingenuous to absolve them of all blame, but I don’t think it’s inappropriate to say that it’s not surprising that they are young men given how easy it would be for someone who should be a role model to influence them. Elon Musk’s team is young so he can control them
That’s just growing and maturing as a person. You’re never supposed to stop.
I agree it’s insane to put people that young in charge of the government, but it’s not biology, it’s inexperience. It’s the same reason you don’t put someone who just graduated college in charge of projects with life or death consequences regardless of whether they’re 22 or 52.
That feeling never goes away. I’m 50 and consider the 40yo me to have lacked plenty.
Any line thus becomes quite arbitrary. The point is that there really isn’t anything that supports the trope about “not grown until 25”.
I do not give weight to words spelled wrong.