Kids can be a lot of things.
One of the best is that they’re honest.
They haven’t learned the fine art of lying until they get older. They’re also really good judges of character and of what’s right and what’s wrong.
They’re examples of the purest form of human action. They feel slighted when something isn’t right. They see the good in the world.
If you’re ever struggling with your judgment, which happens to a lot of adults, spend time with kids to recalibrate.
Is Your Judgment A Bit Off?
As we get older we can let the influences of others kind of get into our heads. We lose track of ourselves and our values. People tell us how “things are” and after awhile we believe them.
Or we just get into poor habits. We listen and follow. We maybe start mimicking the things that our bosses did to us when we become the boss. But it doesn’t mean that it’s the right thing to do.
You can tell if your judgment is off by the way people react. Not necessarily what they say because people don’t always express their frustration. But pay attention to how they act.
If you’re a boss and you’re getting out of line you might notice a dip in performance. You might notice more mistakes. People getting overworked and maybe feeling down because they’re not being compensated correctly.
If you’re noticing that people seem awkward around you and that you’re not getting the results you want it could be time to recalibrate how you view the world.
Spending Time With Kids
Have you ever seen two kids playing together. One might be playing with their favorite toy. They’re playing and the other kid tries to take the toy away. This usually brings out some defensive acts from the first child.
The parents in the situation might step in and tell the first child that they have to share. And the child might listen for fear of getting into even more trouble, but their instinct is telling them to protect what’s theirs.
Property rights seem to be human nature. We want to protect the things that are ours. We will certainly share them, but only if we have control over the circumstances. A parent telling us to share doesn’t feel right to a child.
Here’s another situation with an older child.
Say that parents want to go out for the evening. They tell the older sibling to babysit the younger sibling. Not ask. Tell.
The older sibling may respond just fine, but in many cases you’ll find the older sibling being very frustrated. Even older kids know what is right and wrong at basic human levels. They’re probably thinking, “This kid is your responsibility. Not mine.”
And they’re right. People don’t like being told what to do unless they opt into a certain situation. They like being asked.
Anyway, kids and young people have a very good understanding of right and wrong. As we get older we kind of lose that sense in a way. We get into habits. We listen to others instead of listening to our inner belief system.
Sometimes it’s good to get back to the way we thought as kids.
You don’t have to be a parent to recalibrate. Find a way to spend time with younger folks. Talk to them. Play with them. See how they view the world. Then try to relate it to your own life and business. There is often a lot to learn.