Famous psychologist who believed humans would evolve to be more child-like?

[vger]

My search-fu is failing me. I stumbled on this years ago and can't find it anywhere now. A very deep discussion about behavior in adults vs. children came up recently and I remembered reading about this bit of musing by a famous psychiatrist. I 'thought' it was Carl Jung, but the most I can find from him about the subject is the "Divine Child" (Peter Pan Syndrome) personality archetype and I seriously doubt that's what I was remembering. I also find nothing about him speculating on humanity's future. Does any of this ring a bell to anyone in or out of the field? Maybe I just credited it to the wrong person?

[Green Baron]

Carl Jung didn't speculate about humanity's future. I read he had a strong influence on astrology (not my thing), but that's probably not what your looking for.

Peter Pan Syndrome is Dan Kiley.

If you could specify what the subject you remember is about maybe we can shed some light ...

 

[HebaruSan]

I think the name for the concept you're talking about is "neoteny." Maybe that will help your searches.

[Green Baron]

... or Eric Berne: Transactional analysis ?

Parent-adult-child models ?

 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Green Baron
Misspellings, what else

[PB666]

19 minutes ago, HebaruSan said:

I think the name for the concept you're talking about is "neoteny." Maybe that will help your searches.

Namely, the Neotenic ape theory. 

[vger]

To those who are suggesting Neotony, no, this seemed to focus specifically on changes in the brain/mind, not the rest of the body. Other physiological changes weren't focused on at all.

39 minutes ago, Green Baron said:

Carl Jung didn't speculate about humanity's future. I read he had a strong influence on astrology (not my thing), but that's probably not what your looking for.

Peter Pan Syndrome is Dan Kiley.

If you could specify what the subject you remember is about maybe we can shed some light ...

I just mentioned it for elaboration. In Junginan archetypes, Peter Pan Syndrome is "The Divine Child."

In layman's terms it was "a change of heart" throughout humanity, shifting from our primal competitive nature to something more compassionate and sensitive. One could easily call this a social renaissance, or perhaps, socialism/communism. But it was compared to children repeatedly like a mental hybrid, and was specifically described as a next-step in human evolution rather than simply adopting an alternate social model.

[LordFerret]

Likely not what you're looking for, but Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's 'Noosphere' comes to my mind - with regard to humanity's future.

[cubinator]

H. G. Wells' The Time Machine? The Eloi seemed pretty childish. Not exactly a psychologist though.

[Spaceception]

39 minutes ago, cubinator said:

H. G. Wells' The Time Machine? The Eloi seemed pretty childish. Not exactly a psychologist though.

I knew it was H.G. Wells who wrote that book! I just couldn't remember the name of it, since I haven't read it in a few years.

[Green Baron]

Somehow i'm glad it was no psychologist ;-)