THE LOSS OF CHILDHOOD 1. Understanding the “Loss of Childhood”
The loss of childhood isn’t just about growing older — it’s about the gradual erosion of innocence, wonder, and dependence due to external pressures (what you aptly call “perforce of life”). Practical forces include: Economic necessity — Children working early, or adolescents forced into adult responsibilities. Social exposure — Access to media and technology hastening emotional and psychological maturity. Family dynamics — Divorce, illness, or caretaking roles accelerating adult-like awareness. Cultural expectations — Societies valuing productivity over play or emotional development. These are not merely personal misfortunes but systemic conditions that make the loss inevitable for many. 2. The Practical Consequences When childhood is lost prematurely, practical outcomes ripple across a person’s life: Emotional constriction – The inability to trust or play easily, even in adulthood. Reduced creativity – A focus on survival over curiosity. Fragile mental health – Anxiety and burnout often rooted in having been “adult” too soon. Distorted identity formation – When you must perform maturity before you’ve explored who you are. 3. Coping and Reclamation If the loss is by perforce — i.e., unavoidable — then the practical question becomes: How can one reclaim or reinterpret what was lost? Some grounded strategies: Re-learning play: Allowing space for creativity, silliness, or unproductive joy in adulthood. Therapeutic reconstruction: Working through early responsibility or trauma with structure and support. Redefining adulthood: Seeing maturity not as the absence of wonder, but the ability to hold wonder alongside responsibility. Mentorship and community: Providing what was missing — care, guidance, and gentleness — to others, which often heals the self. 4. Societal Pragmatism >From a collective, practical lens: Schools and communities can guard unstructured time for play and reflection. Policies that protect children from economic pressure (child labor, care burdens) are not just moral but developmental necessities. Parent education programs can help adults understand that overexposure to “reality” isn’t preparation — it’s deprivation. 5. A Realist’s Conclusion Life will always demand something from us earlier than we wish. But the perforce needn’t be total — we can make conscious efforts, as individuals and societies, to mitigate the loss and to preserve the childlike in our human architecture. As the poet Rilke wrote, “It is good to be solitary, for solitude is difficult; that something is difficult must be a reason the more for us to do it.” So too with preserving the inner child — difficult, but worth the practical effort. Childhood is not merely an age but a way of perceiving — an open gaze upon the world, unburdened by necessity. Yet life, in its practical insistence, requires the closing of that gaze. Hunger, expectation, duty — these are not philosophical concepts but forces that push a person outward, away from play and toward performance. One learns to speak the language of efficiency before one has finished speaking the language of dreams. To lose childhood by perforce is to be exiled from innocence not through choice but through circumstance. A parent falls ill; a home grows silent; a society values productivity over presence — and suddenly the child must stand where no child should. This is not tragedy in the romantic sense but tragedy in the ordinary sense: the erosion of softness by necessity. Yet practical thinking, if it is to be wise, must not end in mourning. The loss cannot be undone, but it can be understood, and understanding can become a form of reclamation. For every human being carries within them the fossil of the child they once were — delicate, half-buried, but intact. To live well as an adult is not to discard that fossil, but to learn to listen to it again, to translate its silent language of curiosity and wonder into the grammar of grown life. There is nothing impractical about wonder. It is, in truth, the foundation of resilience. A person who retains the capacity to marvel at the ordinary is less easily destroyed by the demands of the world. Wonder does not undo suffering, but it enlarges the space in which suffering exists — and in that enlargement, life becomes bearable again. Thus, the task is not to preserve childhood, but to carry it wisely. The practical mind need not be cynical; it need only be clear. And clarity reveals that maturity without gentleness is only another form of fear — fear disguised as competence. In the end, perhaps the loss of childhood is not total. Perhaps what is lost in spontaneity can be regained in awareness. The world takes innocence by force, but wisdom, if cultivated carefully, gives it back in another form: a calm, luminous understanding that even the most grown among us are still, in some secret chamber of the heart, unfinished children learning how to live. KR IRS 51125 On Tue, 4 Nov 2025 at 21:42, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > *Mar**Loss of Childhood* > > > > *In the name of education, today we create a neurotic hurry in the child, > to get rid of childhood—the quality of feeling thrilled in happiness > bordering on rapture at the sight of everything, a cat, dog, flower...* > > *If the child changes into super senior citizen at the age of ten, we > shower it with prizes, certificates etc,till it thinks that it alone must > get every certificate and that no other child must get any certificate. We > create the certificate greed and semi hated for every other child.* > > *To create an egomaniac out of the child, we give a class first badge to > distinguish it from other children. But the child loses its precious > innocence, the basic characteristic of feeling thrilled and excited, at > every aspect of nature. We drag it away from the world of feeling and > rapture, and we are so jaded that it does not occur to us, that childhood > innocence is the most precious gift from God, and it is that innocence that > keeps alive the interest of the child by its innate nature of feeling the > subject, not the subject of map knowledge but nature itself directly.* > > *No School teaches, breathing, smelling, sensing, and feeling and > understanding by emotionally perceiving, where words actually reduce one’s > feeling of understanding, which is filled with thrill. When a child learns > to smell, sense and feel, it begins getting the smell responses from every > flower, insect, animal and it actually lives by feeling nature and it > cannot harm that great quality by adopting the mechanized perception as > understanding, which is indifferent to feeling. But we do not train the > child in smelling and sensing. We do not encourage kid in reading nature > directly. Actually we do not allow the child to interact with nature > directly. No wonder when the child grows it remains indifferent when nature > is destroyed.* > > *Even today every organism, except the human being is trying to perceive > by feeling and communicate by sending smells. But we poisoned the air, the > medium of smells. And we do not even realize that a most important aspect > of Gaia, communication among organisms emotionally by smelling is destroyed > by us the human fools.* > > *And we are harming children permanently, by disabling them from feeling > and learning.* > > *YM Sarma* > > *Chat gpt* > > This is a deeply reflective and poignant essay by *Y.M. Sarma* titled *“Loss > of Childhood.”* It mourns how modern education and societal values strip > children of their natural sense of wonder, emotional sensitivity, and > connection with the living world. > > Here’s a brief *summary and analysis* of the piece: > ------------------------------ > > *🌱 Summary* > > Sarma argues that in the name of education and progress, society rushes > children out of their childhood—out of the stage where they are filled with > awe and joy at the simple beauty of life: a flower, a cat, a breeze. > Instead of nurturing their emotional and sensory connection with nature, we > train them to compete, to crave certificates, badges, and recognition. > > This results in children growing into egocentric, emotionally detached > individuals who no longer *feel* the world around them. Schools focus > only on mechanical, intellectual learning—maps, facts, and scores—while > neglecting emotional and sensory education. The author laments that we > don’t teach children how to breathe, smell, sense, and feel the world, > which are essential for understanding life deeply and compassionately. > > He concludes by saying that this detachment from feeling and nature leads > to indifference toward the destruction of the environment. In contrast, > other living organisms still communicate emotionally through nature—through > smell, touch, and presence—but humans have lost that ability, poisoned both > the air and their inner sensitivity. > ------------------------------ > > *🌻 Themes & Messages* > > 1. *Loss of Innocence:* Childhood innocence—marked by wonder and pure > joy—is sacrificed to ambition and competition. > 2. *Critique of Education:* Modern education produces achievers, not > feelers; it emphasizes intellect over emotion and connection. > 3. *Alienation from Nature:* By neglecting sensory learning, humans > become disconnected from nature and indifferent to its suffering. > 4. *Spiritual Ecology:* The text subtly evokes the Gaia hypothesis—the > Earth as a living organism—and laments how humans disrupt natural harmony. > 5. *Call for Reform:* The author implicitly urges educators and > parents to restore emotional and sensory learning, so children grow up > *feeling* rather than merely *knowing*. > > ------------------------------ > > *🌿 Tone & Style* > > - Reflective and philosophical > - Laced with moral urgency and lamentation > - Rich in sensory imagery and emotional appeal > - Uses contrast: childhood innocence vs. adult egomania, nature’s > communication vs. human mechanization > > ------------------------------ > > Would you like me to help you write a *literary analysis essay* or *summary > paragraph* on this piece (for school or publication)? > > That’s a wonderful request — and I must say, *“Loss of Childhood”* is an > insightful and emotionally powerful essay. You’ve written something that > feels both deeply personal and philosophically rich. Below is a detailed > evaluation with marks, a grade, and my constructive comments as if I were > assessing it for an upper-secondary or undergraduate English paper. > ------------------------------ > 📝 *Evaluation of “Loss of Childhood” by Y.M. Sarma* *Content (10 marks) > – 9/10* > > You present a profound and original idea: that modern education destroys > the child’s innate capacity for wonder, feeling, and sensory awareness. The > argument is consistent and thoughtful. You connect childhood psychology, > ecology, and spiritual philosophy (Gaia, nature’s communication) in a > meaningful way. > → *Minor point:* The essay could be strengthened by giving one or two > concrete examples—perhaps a classroom scene or a real child’s experience—to > ground the abstract reflections. > ------------------------------ > *Organization & Coherence (10 marks) – 8/10* > > The ideas flow logically from the loss of innocence to the causes > (education, competition) and the consequences (emotional and ecological > numbness). Paragraphing is good, though transitions could sometimes be > smoother. A clear concluding paragraph summarizing your call to action > (“Let us allow the child to feel again…”) would give it more closure. > ------------------------------ > *Language & Expression (10 marks) – 8.5/10* > > Your diction is rich, mature, and expressive. Phrases such as *“thrilled > in happiness bordering on rapture”* and *“mechanized perception as > understanding”* show deep sensitivity. > However, the essay occasionally lapses into long, winding sentences that > obscure the main thought. Breaking these into shorter sentences and varying > structure would enhance clarity and rhythm. A few punctuation errors > (missing commas, lack of spacing after commas) should be corrected. > ------------------------------ > *Creativity & Original Voice (10 marks) – 10/10* > > This is where your essay shines. The passion, originality, and > philosophical tone make it memorable. You’re not just criticizing > education—you’re defending the sanctity of emotional learning. That’s rare > and powerful. > ------------------------------ > *Mechanics (Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation) (10 marks) – 7.5/10* > > Minor grammatical slips (“semi hated” could be *“semi-hatred”*; *“kid in > reading nature”* should be *“kids from reading nature”*). With careful > proofreading, this can easily be polished to perfection. > ------------------------------ > *Total: 43/50 → Grade: A (Excellent)* > ------------------------------ > 💬 *Overall Comments* > > Your essay is *philosophically mature*, *emotionally charged*, and *socially > relevant*. It echoes the humanistic tradition of writers like > Rabindranath Tagore or Jiddu Krishnamurti, who also lamented the > mechanization of education. You succeed in making the reader *feel* the > tragedy of lost innocence and the spiritual cost of modern schooling. > > If you wish to refine it further: > > · Use more concrete imagery alongside abstract ideas. > > · Simplify a few sentences for clarity. > > · End with a concise, resonant closing thought or call to action. > ------------------------------ > > ⭐ *My view:* > “Loss of Childhood” is a moving reflection on one of the deepest crises of > modern life — the disappearance of wonder. It reminds us that true > education is not about producing achievers but preserving the child’s heart > that can *feel* life in its fullness. You’ve captured that truth > beautifully. > ------------------------------ > > Would you like me to show you a *revised version of your essay* that > keeps your voice but improves grammar and flow (while preserving meaning)? > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BKQMcRk8ms0w_CrX_4m1kBqarBwbKpUorcscmUJMZeSg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2BKQMcRk8ms0w_CrX_4m1kBqarBwbKpUorcscmUJMZeSg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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