ture adult makes decisions based on what the right thing to do is. Mature elders show a genuine care for others, go out of their way to help them, are less reckless, and have a better sense of reality. In short, mature adults think about how they can help the world around them. When people are immature in the company of their peers, they are often shunned. Throughout most of written history, there have been people who have been educated in some form and people who have not been enlightened. The immature are stereotyped by many as belonging to the latter category. The educated people formed a list of essential cultural knowledge that one ought to know in order to communicate common concepts to other educated people. It is like an education club. In the same way a tennis player knows about the history, rules, and tournaments of the sport, educated people know the popular plays, novels, and music of the society they live in. How do individuals come to know what the essential cultural knowledge is in their society? This essential cultural knowledge changes with the maturity group. What is essential for children is not essential for adults and vice versa. Children could not care less about the news or the opera or some new play in town. Heaven forbid a twelve year old watches the news when pro wrestling is on the other channel. Similarly, adults have little use for knowing what the newest Nike shoes look like, what Tom Green did on comedy central the night before, or what the new candy by Willy Wonka tastes like. For children, essential cultural knowledge has more to do with material things or name brands. Educated adults would prefer to discuss more global issues like politics. This is the reason why it is difficult for adults and children to communicate and understand the point of view of the other. The point is what makes certain cultural knowledge essential depends on the age and maturity group one ...
