Also, why do we act like 18 is the magic minimum age when someone should know better? I remember being 15, 16, 17 and having a solid understanding of morals and how to participate in society. I wasn’t special.
It’s not “You’re 18 now, so you should know better.” It’s “For fucks sake, you’re 18. You should have figured this shit out years ago.”
The point I’m making is we set 18 as the age when you’re responsible for your own actions, but it’s not because just in that moment you become responsible.
We set the age at 18 because it’s a really generous guess. Most people understand how to interact with others years before their 18th birthday. If someone is still fucking up at 18 then consequences are appropriate.
The point I’m making is we set 18 as the age when you’re responsible for your own actions, but it’s not because just in that moment you become responsible.
Legally… yes. it is where you become responsible.
Mentally, emotionally, and any other way? you’re right. there is no single age. But the law can’t really make fluid distinctions like that without becoming an unweildly mess. So we get one age, everyone younger than that (*) is not a legal adult and everyone older is. that’s how it is, and yes, its pretty much an arbitrary decision that was made ages ago.
(* there is a process where children can become emancipated and have no guardians, taking legal responsibility for themselves. but it’s extremely rare for courts to grant it. usually they just dump the kid into the system if there’s cause.)
