Pediatrician's unfeigned ode to the 'empathy' of 8-year-old girls is oh so heartwarming
“In my opinion, Congress should be all 8-year-old girls.”

In this doctor's opinion, 8-year-old girls are "the highest form of humanity."
Saying that little girls are made of “sugar, spice and everything nice” might not be something one would readily do today, as many feel it projects outdated, sexist limitations onto children. But still, maybe there’s something in the spirit of the phrase that still rings true. There's this tender couple of years, during the early stages but before true adolescence, where young girls kind of have the best of both worlds, where emotional maturity meets an unencumbered enthusiasm. There was a whole slew of 90s movies dedicated to girls at the magical age, for crying out loud. Remember “Matilda?” “A Little Princess?” “Madeline?”
It is this “sweet spot” that pediatrician and dad of seven Dr. Michael Milobsky has interacted with time and time again, bringing him to the conclusion that, by far, girls around 8 years old are the “highest form of humanity.”In a now viral TikTok clip, Milobksy makes a heartfelt ode—using all the absolute best adjectives—that just keeps getting more impassioned.
“Eight-year-old girls are magnanimous. They're sympathetic. They're empathetic. They're emotionally mature. They love to help. They love to give. They love to do for others. They’re accepting of everybody. They always, they're the ones who see the sign for the lost cat and want to go find it!” he said.
In other words, “they are just the best people.”
@dr_mikem I think all kids are great ( obviously) but there is no doubt that 8 yr old girls embody all of the best human qualities. #kidsrock #pediatrics #pediatrician #pediatriciansoftiktok ♬ original sound - mmilobsky
Milobsky even goes so far as to say that Congress should actually be made up of 8-year-old girls. “Honestly, the country would be a better place. I said what I said,” he quips.
Others were quick to expand Milobsky’s ingenious proposal. One person joked in the comments that “congressional bills would be passed by exchanging friendship bracelets and pinky promises.”
Um…yes, please.
Others noted how they too had witnessed some of these amazing qualities possessed by girls at that age.
“The little girls around this age in my neighborhood regularly put handmade cards in our mailboxes to remind us to smile or have a nice day,” one person wrote.
Not wanting to leave 8-year-old boys out, Milobksy posted a follow-up video where he praised their special superpower, otherwise known as “intense collaboration to accomplish something.”
@dr_mikem 8 yo boys are the “oceans 11” of childhhod. They will come together , pool talents and figure out just about anything #childhood #3rdgraders #pediatrics #pediatrician ♬ original sound - mmilobsky
“Eight-year-old boys are out there in the neighborhood with packs of bicycles going to…have an experience or have an adventure. Give them a river to cross, give them a bridge to build. Eight year-old boys can ‘Ocean's Eleven’ almost any situation.”
In fact, in Milobksy’s ideal government each of these strengths would be acknowledged and used to their highest potential.
“If 8-year-old girls should be running Congress, 8-year-old boys should be running the Army Corps of Engineers.” Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.