We don’t treat children like they’re stupid, we treat children like they’re children. A stupid adult is treated very differently than any child.

Adults are expected to have their world models approximately correct in terms of physical environment so they won’t accidentally kill themselves by falling off a cliff; then there are the social norms which adults are expected to conform to so everyone is kinda predictable to everyone else so adults don’t kill each other too often over food or mates. Understanding of neither is expected from children.

You may have been raised properly since you don’t get what I mean. I really envy kids with “Chinese parents” that had them learn math early on and not some bullshit like that if you put your tooth under your pillow, then a tooth fairy will come.

I think those 2 are orthogonal. Math still works with Santa or the tooth fairy.

Maybe math works but critical thinking doesn’t. There are people who have lived for many decades without ever questioning insane b.s. they were taught as kids.

It is possible to have learned both things you know.

I had to learn maths early (not chinese or asian) and also a bunch of scary stories to make me behave. I would have been glad to learn about fairies.

Another example, my parents taught me to read at about 4 years old. When I started kindergarten (the year before 1st grade in the US), the teachers and principal didn't believe I could read and I had to prove it by reading a book to them I'd never seen before.

I think they're right that kids (at least in the US) are generally treated as less capable than they are, and it ends up slightly delaying their development.

Because god forbid that childhood, the one time in your life when you don't have any responsibilities, should be fun.

Waste 22 years of life without learning anything and then slave away at a 9-5 job you hate. Brilliant strategy. At least you had “fun”. Then blame billionaires or something.

Childhood only lasts 13 to 15 years where I am. By the time you’re in high school, you can be expected to be responsible in some matters. By 22 you have 7 years of experience in making decisions for yourself.

They aren't stupid, but they aren't quite ready to handle the full responsibilities of the world and worry about things they don't need to worry about.

My son is very worried about black holes lately when he learned anything that goes into one can't get out. He's pretty concerned astronauts could get stuck in one some day. So I explained to him that Hawking radiation does actually mean you can eventually get out; it just takes some time.

I didn't think it pertinent to mention spaghettification, the fact anywhere near a black hole will be really hot, or that cosmic censorship means whatever Hawking-radiates from a black hole wouldn't be an astronaut anymore.

It was also fun to hear Hawking speak. He wanted to know if Hawking was a robot. I said no, but he has a robot talk for him. Not quite true, but close enough.