I like to think babies know what's up. It's a comforting and warm idea. I also think children in general can teach us a lot about how we should live... as they do live...in a time before "growing up" or as I like to put it "growing into" the relatively set assumptions, conditioning and beliefs of adults in a functional society bounded by legalities, cultural agendas and politics - a world of discipline and managed thinking.

Babies do not yet know boundaries. In this sense I mean those which are taught rather than those which are instinctual and necessary for basic sensory perception such as sounds and colours. They do not discriminate favorably between race, or class or between the educated and uneducated, between minorities or cultures or nations. They are not greedy nor corrupt.

All that babies do is observe and interact, smile, cry. Their needs are minimal; love and care, food and shelter, a safe place to explore. That is all. And in return they're just endlessly curious, intuitive and adventurous.

Its difficult to say how long this innocence and lack of conditioning lasts. Some would say that even the structure and grammatical aspects of their native language -one of the first subjects of learning for a baby will ultimately shape how they think, what emphasis is placed and on what words, the order of importance, genders, colloquialisms and culturally beliefs that are embodied and encrypted in everyday sayings and mannerisms.

I sometimes wonder is it possible to learn and not assume. Because in order to progress knowledge as a baby does through its infancy and childhood all the way until it dies... assumptions have to be made, beliefs have to be accepted, areas of study and skills have to be selected and scrutinised over others.

And because no one can remember when they are a baby, they cannot remember the world according to that which only knows perception. That which has not yet constructed his great reality filter.

We can never go back to the blissful and peaceful ignorance of infancy. We can never put ourselves in the position of innocence - a position where we cannot be held accountable like a baby is. And I dont believe we should. However I think we could reflect on our assumptions, deconstruct our belief systems and see them for what they are, examine all of those benhaviours of ours which differ from that of a baby.

I think if there is a "true reality", a true way to perceive accurately... Its childs play.