The phenomenon of adults who reject their condition as such has increased in the last years. It looks as if adolescence is not a life’s stage anymore but a lifestyle choice. People from 35 to 60 years old behave like teenagers with unsatisfactory consequences for them and society.First of all, this new type of adults try to look like teenagers as much as possible. Like youngsters, they lack long term projects. Their major concerns are their plans for next weekend. They do not want to settle down and tend to get involved into short or non-committed relationships. They speak tenagers’ poor and rude jargon, and sort out their problems with violence.
For instance, it is very common to here about mothers who want to be just like their teenaged daughters; they date men who half their age, go to the same clubs as their daughters and dress inapropiately.They try to defy life fineteness, that is to say, death. Since the beginning of humanity, death has represented the greatest source of fear and panic. Nowadays culture hides death, and thus, older people because they announce it. Adults mistakenly think they can avoid it and start off a desperate attempt to stop time and take plastic surgeries and beauty treatments. Instead, they should look for a more profound reason which truly gives meaning to their lives. Death will no be avoided but the very idea of it will turn less distressing.
These people may try to make time stand still because they believe that adolescence was the happiest period they will ever experience. But happiness is going beyond time. They, like teenagers, may confuse elusive pleasure with happiness. Happiness is not living in an individualistic way but building strong and lasting relationships, guiding children in their paths and achiving accomplishments.If a fifty year-old woman does not take plastic surgeries she can still be a beautiful fifty year-old lady. We are all conditioned by the ageing process.
To choose how to deal with those age constraints will give life some meaning. That teenagers confuse their wishes with their rights is wrong, but acceptable. But an adult cannot deceive himself and fall in such a trap.
