Why Do People Become Boring As They Grow Up? - An essay by Manvitha Mondi written at the age of 11, submitted for the John Locke Institute Essay Writing Competition Isn’t it just heart-warming to go through your childhood photos and wail, “ Awww man, those days were just…different. And full of joy .”. And then we think, “ Why is growing up so bitter? Responsibilities, financial burdens, workload, stress, family, you name it .”. But you know what actually makes growing up bitter? No, not the zeros in our bank account. And it’s not our responsibilities either. In fact, it’s none of the external things in life. This “ bitterness of adulthood ” is all in our mind. We view our lives as sources of stress instead of opportunities to experience something new. It is difficult for us to find beauty in the simple moments of life. We don’t “ laugh at a silly picture until our stomach hurts”. We stop playing or trying out new things because “ we’re too old for it ”. But who crea...