Quote Originally Posted by Giselle

However, you can't force maturity or wisdom into a child. S/he has to learn for him/herself. It's a part of growing up. Drinking, cheating, stealing? I admit I'm not angel and I cannot say I haven't done any of that. Yet, it's the ability to make a mistake, to feel guilt, and to learn from that mistake that makes you more than a petty teenager. Unfortunately, many kids and adults are still living in that nebulous stage.

You learn from personal experience and you create wisdom and maturity from your experiences. Nobody can ever instill that in you.

I hope you are not saying that a child must experience all bad behavior
in order to gain maturity? There are some young people who seem to avoid
the pitfalls of growning up without damaging themselves in the process.