I believe we segment the world simply to see what we want to see. When developmental researchers butcher the human lifespan into discrete “stages,” it may be less about the reality of growth and more about the limitations of a human intellect that cannot endure complex continuity. As noted in our discussions, the act of…

The moment we define growth as a process of continuous, quantitative change, a chilling fear inevitably creeps in. The absence of “stages”—distinct knots in time—means that every single moment of development becomes the raw material for the next. Like a misplaced first button ruining the entire silhouette of a garment, there is an anxiety that…

Developmental researchers often attach grand narratives to the way humans change. When a child suddenly begins to think abstractly or speaks in fluent, complex sentences, we celebrate it as a “qualitative leap.” We speak as if they have been reborn as an entirely different being. However, I find myself questioning this dramatic, staircase-like theory of…

We often believe that all of life’s problems would be solved if only we knew what we were good at. Thus, we harbor a fantasy that if genetic analysis technology could provide us with a “talent list,” we would finally enjoy optimized happiness. However, we already know the truth. Even at this very moment, countless…

We live in an era of “efficiency.” We believe that knowing one’s genotype in advance and providing the optimal environment to let talent blossom is the shortcut to self-actualization. However, a fatal premise is missing here: the question, “Are humans beings who only want to do what they are talented at?” If my genes say,…