21 - The Trauma of Adulthood

The Trauma of Adulthood

Technically the serpent did not lie. He greatly warps the perception of truth. When contra God, the serpent says “you will not die” if you eat of the fruit, he is correct in a sense. God did not smite them dead as he implied would happen, even though this is not the meaning God intended. Similarly, they do acquire the knowledge of good and evil upon eating of the fruit and in that way they do become like God. However in a very monkey paw manner, it was becoming like God in an unintended way. It is in a way that causes discomfort and suspicion. Yet it is also a way that allows true freedom as there is now desire for choices other than God.

They have become adults. Adults with all the knowledge and freedom that requires responsibility. Responsibility was the one thing they fled by not owning the blame for their mistakes. Yet now that they are thrust into adulthood and have a whole new load of responsibilities laid upon them. They now know they will die eventually, so they have the responsibility of reproducing. That means also that they must work to feed themselves and their children, as well as find a safe place to live. Fleeing responsibility has resulted in the full responsibility of being a created being on their shoulders. Every transition into adulthood involves trauma, and the first one was no different. The key is: where does the trauma of becoming adults lead them?