I’m sure you’ve noticed that little kids do some dumb stuff; they haven’t figured out how the world works, and they’re not good at figuring out the consequence of their actions. They sulk when things don’t go their way, they hate to lose, and they don’t know how to take care of themselves. That’s okay when you’re eight, but not when you’re eighteen or worse, 38. Some adults need to grow up and stop acting like dumb little kids.
Here’s a few dumb things that kids do. Are you guilty of any of these? How about your co-workers?
- Whining
Things aren’t going your way? Don’t whine and whinge about it. If you constantly complain how much life sucks, your friends are going to feel miserable too. When something is making you unhappy, figure out a way to fix it. If you really don’t have any control over it (like the weather), grow up: you need to just accept it.
- Having a tantrum
Even worse than whining is losing your temper in public. If you want to lose the respect of your colleagues or subordinates at work, throw a tantrum; not only will you make everyone uncomfortable, you’ll make yourself look like a dumb little kid who doesn’t know how to control himself. If you’re prone to flaring up in anger, then learn how to calm yourself down (walk away from a situation, or count silently to ten before reacting).
- Demanding “fair” rules
Frankly, life can never be perfectly fair. From the minute we’re born, we have different opportunities and advantages in life. Have you ever noticed how little kids kick up a fuss if you alter the rules of a game to help out the smallest one, or to give a disabled kid a chance? Don’t be like that in life. If you’re a white male, maybe you feel that positive discrimination by employers is totally unreasonable – but remember that life starts off unfair.
- Shirking chores
Okay, no-one loves chores, not even adults. And when you were a little kid, you probably tried to weasel out of the tasks your mom gave you. But now it’s up to you to keep your home in good order, and to make sure life runs smoothly. That means giving regular time to cleaning, grocery shopping, paying bills, and keeping stuff in order. Yes, it’s a hassle, but suck it up and just do it!
- Eating too much sugar
Little kids love sugar – cookies, donuts, cakes, candy … But most parents have rules on how much they’re allowed to eat. Why? Because left to their own devices, kids don’t realize that eating five candy bars in a row will make them sick, or at the very least, horrendously hyperactive! You’re an adult, so don’t stuff yourself with foods that you know will make you feel bad.
- Wanting everything now
Kids don’t have much impulse control. They’re impatient, and they hate to wait for something. They can’t look at the long-term picture. Have you grown out of this yet? Or do you still get frustrated when your blog isn’t in the Technorati Top 100 in your first month, when you don’t land a 6-figure job straight out of college, or when you have to save up money towards a big goal?
- Spending every last dollar
Ever watched a kid open their piggy-bank and head to the toy store? Chances are, they’ll spend every penny they have. Little kids don’t have much concept of saving money – it’s all about instant gratification. But adults shouldn’t act in the same way. Don’t spend your whole paycheck every month; put some into savings, even if it’s just $50.
Do you act like a dumb little kid? Which of the above are you guilty of – or do you have some other way of being childish? And how are you going to change it?
Ali
译文:
你的行为让你看起来像一个笨小孩吗？
你的行为让你看起来像一个笨小孩吗？
载自2008年9月8日阿里海尔Ali Hale的《饮食厅》The Office Diet，阿里Ali Hale在自己博客上写作关于繁忙的人健康饮食的文章。
摄影：雷蒙德布朗Raymond Brown
我相信你已经注意到小孩子会做些傻事。他们不明白世界如何运转，他们也不擅长弄清楚他们的行为会带来的后果。当事情不顺意的时候他们会生闷气，他们不愿意失去，而且他们不懂得如何照顾自己。当你8岁时这样做没关系，但当你18岁或者更糟38岁时，那情况就不妙了。有一些成年人需要更成熟一点，并停止像小孩子一样做事情。
以下是小孩子会做的几件傻事。你会为有其中某项行为感到惭愧吗？看看你的同事们反应又会如何？
1 哭哭啼啼
事情不尽人意？不要为此哭哭啼啼和絮絮叨叨地抱怨。如果你不断抱怨生活带走了你多少快乐，你的朋友也会觉得难受的。当某件事让你不开心时，想办法去解决它。如果你真的没有能力去改变（例如天气），成熟一点：你只需要接受现实。
2 耍脾气
比哭哭啼啼更糟的是在公众面前耍脾气。如果你不想失去你同事或单位下属对你的尊重，就不要乱发脾气。不然不仅将使你让大家不舒服，也会使你看起来像一个不知道如何控制自己的小孩。如果你容易发怒，那么请学会如何使自己平静下来（离开某个环境或在发作前默数到十）。
3 要求“公平”原则
坦率地说，生活永远不能完全公平。从我们出生的那分钟起，我们在生活中就存在着不同的机遇和优势。假如你为了帮助最小的一个小孩，或为了给残疾小孩一个机会而改变了游戏规则，你是否注意过其他小孩是如何大吵大闹的。在生活中不该是这样。如果你是一名 白人男子，也许你会觉得雇主的善意的偏心是完全没道理的，但请记住，生活从一开始就不公平。
4 做家务偷懒
当然，没有人喜欢做家务，甚至大人们也一样。当你是一个小孩，你可能会试图逃避妈妈给你的任务。但现在就只能靠你保持内务整洁，以确保生活正常。这意味着你要给予定期的时间去清洗，购买日用品，支付账单，并保持物品整齐有序。是的，这是一件麻烦事，但你只能忍气吞声，然后行动。
5 吃过多糖
小孩子喜欢糖——饼干，甜甜圈，蛋糕，糖果…但大部分家长会规定允许他们吃多少。这是为什么？因为放任他们的话，小孩子不知道吃太多糖会使他们生病，至少是肚子疼。你是个成年人的话，就不要用食物塞满你的肚皮，你能意识到那会使自己不舒服。
6即时索取
孩子们没有太多对冲动的控制力。他们是不耐烦的，他们不愿为某件事情等待。他们不能看的长远。你摆脱这些状况了吗？当你的博客不是在第一个月登上Technorati的前100名，当大学毕业后不能立即找到一份工资有6位数的工作，或当你必须为实现大目标而省钱时你仍会感到沮丧吗？
7 花光每一分钱
以往都见过小孩子打开小猪存钱罐然后直奔玩具店。一旦有机会，他们会花光他们有的每一分钱。小孩子没有太多省钱的概念——这是所有的即时满足。但大人们不应当采取相同的方式。不要花光你每个月的全部工资，存一些起来，哪怕只是50美元…
你的行为让你看起来像一个笨小孩吗？你为有上述行为而感到惭愧吗——或你还有其他幼稚的行为？你打算去改变它吗？
阿里