The rise of the boy-genius: psychological-neoteny, science and modern life.
The mid-twentieth century saw the rise of the boy-genius, probably because a personality type characterized by prolonged youthfulness is advantageous both in science and modern life generally. This is the evolution of ‘psychological-neoteny’, in which ever-more people retain for ever-longer the characteristic behaviours and attitudes of earlier developmental stages.
Psychological neoteny.
See also: http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/08/why_teenagers_are_mo.html
0If growing up means
It would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree,
I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up
Not me!