be a wise child

I want to always live as a child does.

• Always curious
• Always in awe
• Always learning
• Always open-minded
• Always trusting by default
• Always excitable
• Always seeking adventure
• Always filled with imagination
• Always boisterous

Children are malleable and have not experienced enough of life to obtain strong beliefs. That is why most children seem unburdened and can bounce back more easily from negative experience.

I want to be a wise child; not naive and inexperienced, but not burdened by strong beliefs.

Strong beliefs (or unquestioned beliefs) generate strong expectations (or unquestioned expectations). Children don't tend to expect much and rely heavily on guidance from a trusted adult.

Adults have many expectations, generally stemming from subconscious beliefs that are rarely consciously thought about, or perhaps even hidden from our consciousness. For instance, we all hold the belief and expectation that the sun will rise tomorrow, but we almost never consciously consider this belief.

Perhaps, too, more insidious beliefs hide in the depths of our subconscious, rarely considered but influencing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours every day.

It is these that I fear haunt me, unchecked, and will influence me poorly if I leave them unchecked. It is these that I must uncover, inspect, and slaughter (if I deem them to limiting or not useful) if I am to become a wise child.