Four Going on Forty

Shut Up!
L - Mom, D said shut up!
Me - We don't say shut up. It's not nice.
D - I wasn't telling her to shut up. I was telling the world to shut up. I hate the world.
Me - That doesn't sound very nice either.
D - OK, I love the world. But I just don't want to listen to it right now.

At four, he's too young to understand that if you don't want to listen to the world, it's up to you to choose when and how to tune it out, especially when everyone and everything is competing for your attention.

At forty, he'll be back to wishing it was possible to get the same results just by shouting "Shut the hell up already"!