Infantilism
means being stuck at the psycho/emotional/sexual age of an
infant or adolescent. This is unfortunate, but can be dropped by conscious
evolution on the behalf of the individual or group.
Many societies
promote infantilism so as to control the mass of people. When one evolves
and matures beyond the mental/emotional age of the group (family/society)
that one is a member of, then one can no longer be a part of that group or
one can do so but in a diplomatic
way.
Many family
situations suffer from infantilism due to repressions, taboos, and blockages
in the parents. The parents then prevent - often unconsciously - their children
from growing beyond the point that the parents are at. This is because that
which lies outside of the "adult's" understanding is threatening
to their sense of normality.
Thus they prevent it's appearance in their lives.
We see many cases of infantilism when the family cannot (or will not) allow
the maturity of their children in adolescence because of the fear of emotions
and sexuality. If this stage is blundered
and mismanaged, then there is a very great risk of disturbance and disease
in the individual (starting off as mental/emotional disturbances and then
becoming physical in later life).
