[HoneyBadger]

The pervading highschool culture of our society is embarassing enough to deal with (especially every time I turn on a tv or read the news), but some people never got out of kindergarten, honestly.

Some of us still expect the tallest person in the room to hand them a cookie and make everything better, no matter how badly we've fouled our pants. Well, the truth of the matter is, those tall people expect to get paid. If they're your parents, they expect to get paid with the coin of immortality. If they're a teacher, a babysitter, what have you, they expect to get paid in cold hard cash, and respect. If they're just a random, good-hearted person, handing out free stuff that you want, they expect-and deserve-courtesy, manners, and grateful thanks. And if you don't give it to them, they'll start demanding cash and respect.

See, there are two types of people in our society: adults and children. Adults work hard in order to provide for children and the society at large. Those members of our society who don't understand the concept of hard work, responsibility, and sacrifice (and for that matter, manners, courtesy, and independence) are children.

Children come in all ages-and adults would too, but it takes a few years to get the brain up and running and to iron out the hormones. Let me restate this-The respective ages of said adults and children are immaterial. It's not how the world views you-atleast it won't be in the long run, because in the long run-perhaps to your shock and awe-the world doesn't give half a damn about you. It's really (really, really-really) nothing personal. It's simply a matter of how you choose to view the world.

Now, you can choose to be a weeping, stinking, snotty little midget your entire life, and contribute significantly to the hardships that we suffer in this world--and you might even get away with it, but you'll only get away with it because the adults have decided-individually, and as a group-not to drown your *** in the nearest river.

And the only reason we don't-the reason we have laws, the reason we have society and civilization and everything that makes us human beings-is because we *respect ourselves*.