The Juvenile Brain

The frontal cortex (the logical, rational part of the brain) is the last part of the brain to mature, and it is not complete until the age of 25 - 30. The brain goes into a frenzy of wiring and unwiring and rewiring through this period. At the age of 15, the focus is on independence from authority, and not just parental authority: all authority save the tyranny of the peer group, which is also focused on rejecting authority.

Unfortunately the 15 year old has insufficient experience and common sense (which exacerbates the lack of Frontal Cortex development) to survive in actual independence or even comprehend what that entails, and many who gain actual independence at that age reap tragic results, demonstrating the quality of their judgmental abilities at that age.

Quote from this article at Harvardmagazine.com (read the whole thing):

”Human and animal studies, Jensen and Urion note, have shown that the brain grows and changes continually in young people—and that it is only about 80 percent developed in adolescents. The largest part, the cortex, is divided into lobes that mature from back to front. The last section to connect is the frontal lobe, responsible for cognitive processes such as reasoning, planning, and judgment. Normally this mental merger is not completed until somewhere between ages 25 and 30—much later than these two neurologists were taught in medical school.”

This is why I have repeatedly suggested that ALL worldviews be subjected to honest analysis in full adulthood. Otherwise you are stuck with a juvenile understanding.