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Identity & Dignity

You Are Too Young to Have an Opinion

Age is used to dismiss a young person's voice and deny them participation

Free foundational 8 minutes
The Situation

What They Said

“You are too young to have an opinion on this. Sit down and let the adults talk.”
This phrase is used by adults in family meetings, community gatherings, or school settings to exclude young people from discussions that directly affect them, based solely on their age.
Your Response

How to Respond

I understand that experience matters, and I respect the wisdom of those who have more of it. However, Section 10 of the Children's Act gives every child who is mature enough to participate in matters concerning them the right to have their views heard and considered. This matter directly affects me, and the law says my voice must be given due consideration — not dismissed because of my age.
Tone: calm, factual, non-confrontational
The Fallacy

Ad Hominem (Circumstantial) / Appeal to Age

This argument dismisses the content of a young person's view by attacking the characteristic of their age rather than engaging with what they are saying. The validity of an idea or concern is not determined by the age of the person expressing it. Excluding someone from a discussion purely on the basis of age is a form of discrimination that South African law specifically addresses.

What the Law Says

Your Legal Foundation

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
Section 9(3) — Equality — Grounds of Non-Discrimination
“The state may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.”
Age is an explicit ground of protection against unfair discrimination — excluding a young person from participation solely on the basis of their age may constitute unfair discrimination.
Children's Act 38 of 2005
Section 10 — Child's Right to Participate in Matters Concerning the Child
“Every child that is of sufficient maturity to participate in any matter concerning that child has the right to participate in an appropriate way and views expressed by the child must be given due consideration.”
A child who is mature enough to form and express a view on matters concerning them has a legal right for that view to be considered — it cannot simply be dismissed on grounds of age.
What Scripture Says

God's Word on This

1 Timothy 4:12 (NET)
“Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity.”
Scripture explicitly instructs that young people should not be dismissed because of their age — youth does not disqualify a person from having a valid voice.
Joel 2:28 (NET)
“After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see visions.”
God's communication and revelation come through young people equally — age is not a filter for whether a person's words carry truth or worth.
Practice

Drill Prompt

They say: 'You are 16 — you do not understand how the world works yet. This is adult business.' You respond by: Respectfully acknowledging the experience gap, then citing the Children's Act right to participate in matters that concern you directly.

What They'll Say Next

Blindside Counter-Arguments

After you give your response, they may push back. Here is how to handle each counter-argument.

They might say: “The Children's Act is for abuse cases — not for family discussions.”
Your response: Section 10 of the Children's Act is a general participation right — it applies to any matter concerning the child, not only abuse cases. The right to be heard in decisions that affect you is broad.
Legal basis: Children's Act 38 of 2005, Section 10
They might say: “You will understand when you are older — for now, trust us.”
Your response: I may learn more with time, but that does not remove my right to participate now in decisions that directly affect my present life. The law does not ask me to wait until I am older to have a voice.
Legal basis: None cited.
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