"Can’t you grow up a little?" "Such a kid!" etc. – Are there still any gifted individuals who haven’t heard this?

Gifted people are often perceived as overly emotional, as if they never grew up, too idealistic, unwilling to accept rules, norms, or what is considered acceptable to question—you name it. It all boils down to the classic issue of conformity. Maybe.

But what if we took a closer look at the typical schoolyard interaction patterns of Homo Normatus? Wouldn’t that tell us who is actually more immature?

But then, what standards and value scales are being used for this specific evaluation?
None exist. It’s all subjective.

However, we can rely on observable behaviors—certain typical patterns that are far less common among gifted individuals. I say this without hard proof, but rather from the strikingly consistent complaints and denunciations of these behaviors (which, interestingly, do not seem to contradict their own actions).

Yes, it’s a small thing. I’ll let you be the judge. Worst case, you’ll have a laugh.

The list could go on forever, and many comparative analyses could be made, but I’ve chosen to focus on some behaviors that seem particularly emblematic of immaturity.

Here’s a parallel between Homo Normatus in school and later in adulthood.

1. Hierarchical & Status-Based Relationships

• The authoritarian boss (Adult) / The gang leader (Child) – Rules by fear rather than legitimacy.
• The one who always wants to be right (Adult) / The one who shouts "I decide!" (Child) – Rejects any challenge and imposes their views without justification.
• Promotion through favoritism (Adult) / Choosing teammates based on friendship, not skill (Child) – Prioritizes their inner circle even when more competent people are available.

2. Influence & Conformity

• Fear of contradiction (Adult) / Need for belonging (Child) – Follows the group to avoid exclusion.
• Social masks (Adult) / Strategic spontaneity (Child) – Adapts their discourse depending on the audience.
• Conformity (Adult) / Trend-following (Child) – Follows the crowd without critical thinking.
• Social hypocrisy (Adult) / The friend who changes behavior depending on the person (Child) – Puts on a mask to be accepted.
• Mimicking opinions (Adult) / The kid who repeats what the popular ones say (Child) – Expresses unexamined views to fit in.
• Excessive political correctness (Adult) / The child who avoids getting scolded (Child) – Avoids friction at the cost of authenticity.

3. Rivalry & Power Struggles

• Hidden competition (Adult) / Jealousy among students (Child) – Criticizes those who do better or worse.
• Strategic belittling (Adult) / Underhanded tricks (Child) – Undermines others to advance.
• Chasing status (Adult) / The "big kid in 5th grade" effect (Child) – Seeks to assert importance.
• The boss who belittles employees (Adult) / The little leader who wants to keep their place (Child) – Prevents others from progressing.
• The ambitious one who crushes others (Adult) / The child who pushes to be first (Child) – Wants to be on top, no matter the cost.
• Looking down on others based on social status (Adult) / The child who refuses to play with "losers" (Child) – Establishes hierarchy through exclusion.

4. Exclusion & Social Sanctions

• The scapegoat (Adult) / The bullied kid (Child) – Becomes the easy target for blame.
• Being sidelined at work (Adult) / The friend who is suddenly ignored (Child) – Silent exclusion.
• The culture of taboo (Adult) / Forbidden topics (Child) – Some ideas are rejected outright.
• The "too different" one who disturbs (Adult) / The child who is ostracized (Child) – Outcasts those who don’t conform.
• Professional ostracism (Adult) / The child isolated after an argument (Child) – The group cuts contact without explanation.

5. Manipulation & Hidden Influence

• Passive-aggressiveness (Adult) / "It wasn’t me, it was him!" (Child) – Shifts blame onto others.
• Guilt-tripping manipulation (Adult) / Emotional blackmail (Child) – Uses emotional pressure to get their way.
• Tactical use of emotions (Adult) / The "fake nice" kid (Child) – Pretends to be kind to manipulate.
• Reversing the narrative (Adult) / The emotional tyrant (Child) – Dramatizes to gain attention.
• The manipulator who plays the victim (Adult) / The child who cries to avoid punishment (Child) – Deflects responsibility to escape consequences.
• Playing with others’ feelings (Adult) / "If you’re my friend, you have to do this" (Child) – Uses emotional leverage to influence.

And honestly, I limited myself! If I explored every aspect, I could spend days on this…

Yes, we see it all, you know!

So, when are you going to grow up? We’ve been waiting forever...