cute = sexy, or cute = childish?

Yes, but that still means normal maturity in certain situations. Just like some situations require a measure of adult behaviour. THAT is when behaving like a child is immature. Not just because a person knows how to have fun and WHEN to behave like a child and WHEN to behave like an adult. Like when fillerbunny was talking about the time with her boyfriend - that was immature because she lacked normal maturity in a situation that required her to behave like an adult. But it is ONLY a matter of maturity if someone behaves like that ALL the time, no matter what the situation. Just because someone is behaving childishly or 'cute' does not mean the person is being immature unless it is inappropriate to the situation.

And just like I said maturity is not about being serious 100% of the time.

Being mature is about a good measure of both - but only in appropriate situations.

Please read what I originally said again.

My original comment still stands.

xoox

[Edited on Feb 24, 2003 by Cherry]

in my original post, i said "that CAN play around and be silly and immature." instead of "that IS silly and immature." that suggests a CAPABILITY to act a certain way, though not a necessity. using the word immature doesn't necessarily mean that it must describe the condition of a person's being, especially depending on context. same way as, in the "rape" thread, "rape" and "play rape" are two totally different things, using the exact same word, based on context. i'm talking about "immaturity" and "play immaturity," basically. i don't think that's a misuse of terminology. especially if enough people think about it that way - language evolves. if we communicate effectively based on a particular word, who cares what it's supposed to mean?

the only reason that i feel the need to argue this is that you seem to be taking a kind of derisive tone, like when you say "Try silly or actually childish at least they actually have the correct meaning." that doesn't seem necessary, especially in a really indeterminate statement. i don't really care - it's all just an issue of semantic preference, but i don't like to be told i don't know how to speak when i know exactly what i'm saying and i think it's perfectly valid.

Well, then why did you even ask me?

Or was it rhetoric?

Silly me... I'll go back to my box with my opinions.

I'll bounce them off my own walls so they won't hurt anyone.

In my opinion the word is misused terribly. But that's my opinion and probably a deep rooted psychological problem of mine.

But it's mine so I'll deal with it.

I was just offering an opinion. I'm glad language evolves. No really.

You can now all beging to start talking like you're writing a cell phone message. Go on, language evolves.

And it's not completely annoying at all. Oh no.

xoox

no, i actually really did want to know what you'd recommend. what i didn't appreciate was "at least they actually have the correct meaning." i'm sure i misinterpreted it, but it seemed to be another way of saying "just so we both understand that i've properly defined the term we're discussing." i just took that wrong, i suppose. i really wasn't trying to insult your opinion, and i definitely didn't want to imply it was a "psychological problem" or anything. just that the way you worded things hit me (again, this is ALL my interpretation, i'm sorry for however i misinterpreted it..) as kind of barbed, which wasn't the kind of discussion i thought this was. i guess i'm kind of defensive about it, because i'm an english major, and even when i'm misusing words, i'm quite clear about what i mean, and happy to misuse them as long as i get the point across. i think there's a difference between misusing and abusing language - i felt like you accused me of abusing it, which didn't sit well.

anyway. roundabout point is that we seem to agree to disagree, and apparently neither of us wanted to offend the other even though it somehow happened anyway. truce?
:sheepish face:

I love misunderstandings, don't you?!

I thought the ' ' would convey that I was joking... Oh well... 'tis the burden of internet communication

No hard feelings

xoox