Experience and Maturity (or the lack of both :D)

Yes, I know. I seriously need to learn how to come up with better titles for my posts. "Experience and Maturity" - seriously??? Sounds like a bloody platitude. I'm the very last person you should take advice from, believe me. This brings me to my point (I'd bet the word "finally" is going through most people's head right now :D)
Can someone be mature without doing stupid things? The inspiration behind this very irrelevant thought is a conversation I had had with one of my friends. (I have these sort of conversations surprisingly often, given that my EQ is best left undisclosed) During the course of this particular conversation, I picked up on the fact that I may tend to come across as "boring" to most people. (@friend: If you are reading this, no need to clarify your position. I know that "boring" isn't in your description of me ;D) That's true, and I really don't give a damn about it. What was also implied was that I seemed to be "mature" or I had a "level-head". In short, I was the steady, stable guy, as opposed to the "wild" one. Those particular words got me thinking (a sure sign of trouble, isn't it :P) - Can someone be mature without having done stupid things? By "stupid things" I mean the sort of things 20-year-olds do behind their parents' back - dope, booze, sex etc. (Just to clarify, my view on these things is very liberal - You want to do something, go ahead and do it. None of my concern, and I'm nobody to judge) Do you need to actually do these things and then stop doing them, (paradoxical, right?) before you can say that you have grown wiser? Does the saying "wise men learn from others' mistakes" apply here? Or do you need to learn from your own mistakes?
If it's the latter case, I guess I have the maturity of a toddler. (coupled with the emotional range of a teaspoon, it makes for a great combination - just ask some of my friends :D) Heck, even if it's the former, I don't think I've actually learned much - I still feel like I'm fifteen years old, at best. I most definitely don't look any older.

Smile a Little!

Have you noticed something strange about certain people (I don't have anyone specific in mind, just a certain class of people, of either sex, in case you were wondering... :D)? Smile at them, and all you get in response is a determined look in the other direction. This is often coupled with an expression that seems to be comparing you with the scum-at-the-bottom-of-the-pond, or worse, the-dirt-underfoot. I just don't get it. Why can't people smile back? It's not like their precious smile is a limited commodity, to be doled out sparingly, at best. And it's not as if I'm a walking freak-show, to be avoided like the bloody plague.
Come on, all I'm asking for is a bit of civil conduct, nothing more. I'm a human being, just like you. I don't expect anything from you. If I want something, I'll ask. Then you can look away and frown. But if I just smile at you, basic courtesy says that you smile back. I may not know you from Tom, Dick or Harry, (or the female equivalent, if you prefer) but I expect a certain level of civilisation from you. It's what separates you and me from the animals.
In case the above paragraphs seem to be written in anger, nothing could be further from the truth. It's more pity than anything else, to see that we've "advanced" to a stage where we don't seem to want to acknowledge a stranger's (sometimes it isn't even a stranger) presence. All we care about is ourselves, our small circle of friends, (if that at all) along with our petty lives. Sad.

Diplomacy

This post was inspired by an article I read. (It's a relatively short post - that should keep your agony to a bare minimum :P)

One of my friends had written on how she speaks without thinking and hence gets into trouble. I really can sympathise. My nature (ask my friends for further details - you'll probably get angry rants, diplomatic silences or simple dismissals - "Who, him? Sucks!") is something that could be best described as naively honest. I really don't pay attention to what I say or when I say it. As a result, I'm prone to saying the wrong things at the worst possible times. It has gotten me into trouble several times, often for the silliest of reasons. What's the option? Be diplomatic? Sure, that could work. However, the way I see it, a lot of diplomatic people make for a very boring/irritating group. Each member will keep tripping over the other, in order to be politically correct. Fruitful discussions would be impossible, with no one person willing to criticize the other. The way I see it, sometimes, in order to gain something from a discussion, a spade needs to be called, well, a spade. The proverbial elephant in the room needs to be spoken about. You can't simply ignore it, expecting it to slink away unnoticed. (The imagery on this one is hilarious - just visualize it :D)

It's sad how everyone says they appreciate honesty, when all they actually prefer is mild flattery. Disguising your true feelings in what others really want to hear, rather than simply expressing them, does indeed work. I guess that's what diplomacy is all about.