They are / you are old enough to know better? really, I am?

I see your point, however, at a certain age, it can be assumed that someone has had enough life experience to know better. That is really the issue, not the age but the life experience. Really what is needed is wisdom to learn from you own mistakes and others, but some people shun wisdom. Some people just don't learn or don't care. So about them I say "NEXT!" Shrimp.

Omg you are so right I know and have met so many older people that act like there still in high school there gossiper's, and rude they also don't seem to know much more then I do, I was taught to respect my elders and I do, but sometimes they make it hard Just because someones older does not always mean that there smarter or better I could tell you some true stories about some older people I met, and believe it's not pretty lol, I think people who say act your age or your old enough to know better don't know how to act and in most cases don't know any better then the next person I respect my elders but I think if you give respect you'll get respect back.

Well I seem to have a different perspective than everyone else. The saying "old enough to know better" to me means knowing right from wrong. I just said those words less than a week ago to a 14 year old teenager who was watching my daughter, for the first and last time. I had left and told her I would be gone for an hour to an hour an a half, which I was, and came home to find that she had taken upon herself to cut my daughters hair. Yes she gave her a haircut. Not a trim, but, a haircut, my daughter now has bangs and a blunt haircut, she cut 3 inches off the back. I feel that at the age of 14 "you are old enough to know better" than to cut someone else's hair, especially without permission from a parent. Maybe I just don't understand the phrase, but that is how I was raised that knowing better meant knowing right from wrong. As always just my 2 cents worth!!

Well, regardless the differences of maturity, the reason why they came up with 18 and above to be seen as 'mature' means that there's a expected attitude or maturity achieved by then. Is it justified? Perhaps, else there would be a lot of trouble in the world when we'd rather measure it with actual maturity (if there's a mode for measuring that one). If it wasn't justified, then why did we come up with it? Yes, we might never really be 'old enough' for something, but I think we shouldn't have gotten smarter with things as compared to those who are younger than us. Maturity isn't about something we want or don't want to do, it's just about the choice of doing so. I think the statement is actually true. I think we are old enough to know things more than those who are younger than us or more than kids. I guess it's talking about our judgement or mis-judgement of things that are expected of us. Experiences guide us with our judgement and perhaps that time (when someone told you that) you just didn't act as expected and there's somehow a disbelief that you didn't act the right way as expected of your perceived maturity. Have a great MyLot experience today!

My good friend used to say this quite often, only he put a spin on it that I really liked. When he did something that people would frown on, because they thought that he was not acting in an appropriate manner for someone of his age, they would tell him he was old enough to know better than to do it. He would laugh and reply "Yes, I am old enough to know better, but I am young enough not to care!" I loved that response.

Me, the shrimp: Although I may pose as somebody responsible, and authoratative especially at work, I am actually just a teenager! In heart, at least. I always surprise myself that how I act without people around, is just like a teenager. So, I also laugh within if somebody says 'I should know better'.

I think this phrase is really better used to make youngsters think. You would think that most people are their own people, but, when trying to raise a child you do need something to say when you are just beside yourself and the kid should know better. Sure we should be able to make our own decisions and do in most instenses. I totally agree with what you say. I just think this is for younger kids to make them think. Hopefully. Yes, I like shrimp.

yes i do agree , to the statement which says that age does not have any thign to do with the decision making and experiences .Everyone thinks and does know some thing or the other.A young can teach the old and may be sometimes an elderly person can show a right way to the young.

I think by talking to different people will get you to understand yourself better. For example, a fact about me: I am too shy to talk to boys that I like. Two different conclusions:A senior person thought I was mature enough to cope but just lack of confidence while a young man who was 5 years older than me said I was so little girl to avoid these kinda conversatons. Anyway you can understand yourself from various aspects. What is important is your feeling not any others' feeling. From 12 years old,every year I considered myself mature. But always the year after I found I was not actually. Maybe it's nothing to do with mature, it's about mind changing, cuz our enviornment changed. And I discovered once I show my heartfelt opinions people would respect me and think I'm mature.

Well, you'll never know. Young kids like to act older so that they feel that sense of authority. While old people like to act younger so that they feel that sense of youth. I think that even at the age of consent, some people still stay immature as ever. Hopefully in the near future some body would create a maturity level test and you only get to make your own decisions and sign documents when you are mature enough. Then the world will be forced to act maturely before they get their drivers license