Growing up or growing confused ?

Gargi (my daughter) is a year and nine months old and has started to speak a few words, which are enough for her to get her point across on what she wants to eat, what to wear or what she wants to do at any point in time. And she is very adamant of her choices. Very often her choice of food, clothes or games, conflict with what we (me and my wife) would feel fine with and we try to influence her decision with ours. She does comply sometimes, but most of the times she protests.

Well, the whole point is that she does protest pretty vehemently. Which means she is very sure of what she wants to do. I cannot clearly remember when was the last time I put my foot down and said this is what I want to do, without bothering about what other people had to say. Not that I never do what I wish to do, rather either no one stops me from what I want to do, or probably I am not so adamant on what I want to do. So, I end up doing things that people around me want me to do.

Do we become more compromising as we grow up and as a result lose track of what we like or want.

This might be a far fetched conclusion from watching a toddler. But quite possible that, as we keep growing up, due to the people surrounding us, we do sometimes become insensitive towards what we really want, and end up doing things which everyone else is doing or wanting us to do. They could be friends, acquantence, neighbours, relatives, parents etc. etc. and hence we grow up into being very confused (because our inherent thought process has gone silent by now).