Reply #97: You're making an unwarranted assumption [View All]

I only commented on the girl's situation. I neither said nor implied that the young man involved should be punished. I don't feel I know enough about the situation to have an opinion on that. I haven't seen her or seen the way she acts - which is as it should be - and have no idea how mature she might actually seem to him. If a reasonable person would have thought she was 18, it would be unreasonable to punish him for thinking so. If she's obviously a good deal younger than that, it's a different story.

Wisdom and rationality exist on a continuum. I really don't see the point in arguing around the edges, bringing in people who are unusually mature or immature for their age. While you're right that there are foolish 30 year olds, yes, in fact, I would expect in general that a 30 year old would make wiser and more rational choices than a 14 year old would. And - again, in general - that a 50 year old would make wiser choices than a 30 year old.

This only makes sense when you think about it. At what point do you plan to stop learning? It's a sad case when someone just stops and gets fixed in cement at one point. (I'm not talking about you, personally, here.)