INFANTILES
The Beginners. Ever notice in a day's journey how many people walk passed you without realizing you exist? They look through you as if you are not there— preoccupied—their own issues clouded from within—due to the jumble of worries, judgments, fantasies, and perceived insults—and the personal grandeurs that consume them.
These people will cut you off when you are speaking—will cut you off when you are walking, driving, jogging, biking, surfing, or skating, will knock into you without so much as a grunt—and never even notice your abrupt and sudden reaction when you are compelled to quickly stop your flow. For their immediate needs, they will go about the rest of their way—as if they are the only ones on earth.
You, of course, are nothing more than an obstacle, something that, fortunately, knows how to cease motion instantly. Shutting your mouth at their vocal interruption would be far more intelligent than competing for the sound spectrum, with a louder voice than they have.
Slamming on your brakes is a hell of a lot more painless than slamming into their bumper to make a point.
Going around them rather than into them is much saner than colliding with their bodies to expose them—though I must confess, on occasion I’ve been known to stiffen my shoulder like a wall and let them ricochet off it. The sharp stab in their arm or shoulder forces their consciousness to sudden alertness, while they foolishly think it was I who ran into them. (At least they are finally put into a position to notice that a thoughtless impact has just occurred, bringing their consciousness to attention—if only for a moment—to view others in their proximity. Give them a wake-up call now and then!)
I call these people the Infantiles—a slight distortion of the language for a purpose.
The Infantiles never grew passed the age of four years, emotionally. Their entire range goes no further than their immediate needs. Me-me-me-me-me-me-me.
They are stuck on themselves, lost in themselves, and blind to the world around them—unless it is a shiny object, or a movement that zooms really fast.
The four year olds. I consider them to be the Beginners. It’s as if they are still in kindergarten, learning the basics of proper behavior in the company of their peers, but their teacher is missing.
In the theory of past lives, the Beginners have had very little experience in the material world—their soul’s journey has not been born on earth more than a few times. They are out of practice with the handling of their five senses—with awareness of their five senses—and are overwhelmed by their own presence and individuality.
Hence, they could be as old as sixty or seventy and still have the conduct of a four year old.
They barge into things with their spirit by announcing their needs with the noises they make. Four year olds are incredibly needy. Attention is what they are looking for, and constant validation is their goal.
When they are in public, the Infantiles becomes agitated, because when there are other four-year-olds competing for an audience, not enough direct attention is coming their way. How, in a crowd is one supposed to stand out? But of course…by making a loud and flamboyant show of oneself, the way the four-year-olds do.
She can’t stop talking—the four-year-old chatter-box knows how to get all eyes on her incredible uniqueness. She is cutesy or pushy, and quick to make a fuss when things do not go the way she desires.
Infantiles have very little sense of Time, and a chronic late problem. Walking through the door after everyone else has arrived, ensures the four-year-old that all eyes will turn in his or her direction, giving the Infantile the attention he or she so enthusiastically covets.
The four-year-old is looking for an adult to lean on, an adult to hold his hand, a steady person who knows how to unravel the child’s con. The Infantile wants someone he can respect, a person who has the will and confidence to put his or her foot down and say that’s enough!
But the Infantile angers easily, and at the first sign of conflicting views—when the Adult cuts into the four-year-old’s attention-getting-tricks—the Infantile will probably have a sulk, or worse yet, a temper tantrum. In which case, the Infantile will never learn better behavior.
The lucky thing here is that most Infantiles—and most four-year-olds—are usually very caring people who love others, animals, learning new things, and being part of a team. The Infantiles are not without sincerity, in general—they are not out to hurt or destroy. They smile happily in kindness and like to help. And if one can get them to stop talking and listen, they will show great compassion.
The only time an Infantile is truly dangerous, is when he or she is narcissistic—when he believes he has some godly power over others, and that the rest of us were put here to prove his superiority over our incompetence.
The four-year-old who thinks he is smarter than the Adults—an Infantile believing he is better than the composed ones who have more experience, more self awareness, and more grace—is a complete fool. He is an idiot, really, for his consciousness is so very vague and narrow—the word consciousness has no place in his vocabulary.
Because the human race is made up of mainly Infantiles—most people here on earth have very little control over their senses, becoming blinded by shiny things and ecstatic over fast things—we’re in trouble, for it is the Infantiles who rule the politics of the planet.
They need guidance, but before electing yourself to be their truth serum, learn how to sweet-talk them into listening—it is a tactic they use readily, and a "weapon" that can be turned against them. Be sincere and careful. Lead them into believing your visions and ideas are really theirs, and that wisdom can be intertwined within their narrow view. Teach them to give respect, by giving respect. They are desperate for attention and need constant elevation. So elevate them. Do it with grace—no falseness here, please—and give them your most honorable attention.
Do not give up. Your strength is the Patience and Endurance of an Adult. Watch them squirm and display the truth of their emotional child's state. Remain calm, and be gentle. Do not let them fluster you. They are four years old—infantile—and break easily.
Smile.
addiction
Pain