Age = maturity?

[TheMixedHerb]

I don't mean physical maturity such as adolescence, I mean mental maturity. How we behave, how we react in different situations or how we tackle the unexpected and so on.

This was sparked by a rather interesting conversation between myself and someone the other night, and the topic changed to maturity and it made me realise that the general thought process is that the older you are, the more mentally mature you are.

Now, i'm not saying that's wrong, it's right in a few cases i'd say, but I think it depends on the person themself. I've met a lot of people younger than me and thought "Wow, I was never that mature at that age" or seen someone older and thought that they were rather immature for their age, or at least acted it.

I know a few people around my age group who act more mature than most of the adults I know today, yet they can still have that immaturity about them. It's natural, everyone's immature to an extent, we can't help it. People seem to generally believe the correlation between getting older and maturity though.

Now, I think this could be touched on wisdom too. I believe personally that wisdom can and will be something gained with age, but it's also something that occurs more naturally to others. I'm not saying that some people are stupid by any means, i'm just saying different people learn in different ways or at a different rate. Or may even just try harder.

My point is the fact that maturity most definitley has to be gained, but I believe it is most definitley not automatically gained upon getting older, it's something you earn and something you just accustom to.

Thoughts?

 

[Jacqui]

I'm 25 next week, yet I'd say that I was less mature than a lot of 21 year olds. Not all of them, perhaps not even the majority. Then again, there are people older than me that I am more mature than. Age just means that you've had more time, it doesn't mean you've had more experience

 

[Ohri-Jin]

Age = not persé MAturity
Some adults are more childish than youngsters.

Wisdom and knowledge is IMO due to circumstances and experiences on a greater lvl when someone is older...its just common sense imo

Thats why I believe most youngsters have much to experience and learn about, even though they think they know it all, they havent seen a lot yet.

 

[Rydia]

Age doesn't necessarily equal maturity, though I think it may help. A 60 year old most likely has a lot more experience than a 20 year old, and I would certainly never think of myself as more mature than a 60 year old. I tend to think of young people thinking themselves to be mature to be actually more immature than they realize.

However, as someone else said, adults can be very immature and some young people are mature beyond their years. So really, I'd say that it depends on the person with age and experience possibly being a huge factor.

 

[TheMixedHerb]

I'm 25 next week, yet I'd say that I was less mature than a lot of 21 year olds. Not all of them, perhaps not even the majority. Then again, there are people older than me that I am more mature than. Age just means that you've had more time, it doesn't mean you've had more experience

Agreed, although age can be a determining factor it's not the beginning and end of it by all means.

Thats why I believe most youngsters have much to experience and learn about, even though they think they know it all, they havent seen a lot yet.

I remember the talk in the SB yesterday about this topic (well, one that fits in this category), you said the same thing. I see your point but you have to understand that someone as young as 13-17 can have as much stuff happen to them as someone much older, i'm not saying it's always the case but it happens. Generally you've had more time to experience stuff though, granted.

However, as someone else said, adults can be very immature and some young people are mature beyond their years. So really, I'd say that it depends on the person with age and experience possibly being a huge factor.

I think this sums it up rather nicely, although it depends on the type of person you are, how active you are etc that can normally lead you to being more experienced.

 

[L]

As most people have said, from what I've gathered from skimming over posts;

maturity is something that comes from the ability to learn from mistakes, etc. you have experienced. It's all about the experience, the more you have, the more you get to work with to a further end.

 

[Mitsuki]

No, I don't necessarily believe that age equals maturity, but often times, age relatively indicates a sign of maturity. Why is this? Perhaps because generally speaking, the older you get, the more experience and accumulative events you learn from, which leads to maturity. This is not always the case though, as I am sure we have witnessed different scenarios.

Personally speaking, I believe that maturity is simply a response from people of any age, in which one can response to a situation or event in life in a non-mature or very mature way. For example, I tend to take the mature approach of things in any given situation, but there are times that I have acted quite immature about something so simple. Does this make me mature or immature? Who is to be the judge of that? I don't really think we can fairly judge someone's maturity solely based on one or two cases, even if we say, "Oh, how immature of him to say or do that" at the time.

Now, I have also seen cases where the older generation (50s-60s) would act immature sometimes, but the keyword here is "act". That doesn't mean they are always immature and that everything about their character screams immaturity. Sometimes older people just tend to act really silly, reflecting a bit of their youth every now and then. But again, who's to say whether that is maturity or immaturity? I guess it would depend exactly on what it is they've done at the time that caused them to respond in a certain way. People in their 50s and 60s are often viewed as someone very mature due to their vast experience in life, and I do know a lot of people who have this mindset. There is nothing wrong with this correlation, because it is not exactly false. It's partly based on people's responses and how they perceive others - an opinion, even.

And then there are of course, some of the younger generation we may personally know who we think act more maturely than the older generation. Again, same as above - nothing wrong with this view even if a few may disagree and say otherwise. And to those who may disagree - I also cannot find any faults to that even if I go back to my previous statement that I don't necessarily believe age equals maturity, because the general view that we have is that younger ages equates to not having enough experience. That doesn't automatically make them immature in my opinion, because as I've stated, there is a sort of balance of maturity and immaturity in all ages, (even if one outweighs the other) due to our different responses in any given situation.

 

[Rydrum2112]

I think as you age you encounter more, this alone helps you to mature- seeing how different situations get worked out by others or by yourself.

So while age does play a factor I think it is mediated by experiences.

Also I think it is iterative (to use SEM terms/econometrics terms: non-recursive). So that as you encounter more life experiences [you know leveling-up or gaining experience points] you mature and this maturity allows you to have even more life experiences...

 

[blakstang98]

Boy, I really inspired you, didn't I Andrew?

Age is not equivalent to maturity. As like that's been said before, you'll see teenagers who are mature for their age (take a gander at the teenagers on staff ) and people who are older that just aren't. I never hold age as the only means to maturity, but I do see age as a template to work off of. Basically meaning that I'll automatically view a 30 year old to have a higher maturity level than a 15 year old, by default (and not knowing said individuals). But after more careful assessment, I would certainly admit that the 15 year old is more mature after certain events pan out, if they handled them properly and the 30 year old didn't.

So I do see age as a "starting" standard to assess maturity, but it is the "final" assessment that matters. I believe outside means still dictate true maturity better than age, even though age makes a good foundation.

 

[TheMixedHerb]

I don't really think we can fairly judge someone's maturity solely based on one or two cases, even if we say, "Oh, how immature of him to say or do that" at the time.

I never thought of that actually to be honest, but I agree. Everyone doesn't have to act mature all the time, I think that everyone's allowed to have a bit of a silly streak once in a while, otherwise it'd be boring really. I think it's just keeping a balance at times.

People in their 50s and 60s are often viewed as someone very mature due to their vast experience in life, and I do know a lot of people who have this mindset. There is nothing wrong with this correlation, because it is not exactly false. It's partly based on people's responses and how they perceive others - an opinion, even.

I think that it's not false, no, but there are exceptions as there would be with any group. I just think that some need to realise that it's not a matter of categorising people into different 'maturity levels' because of their age, probably just a starting point but you'll get a better idea as you know the person.

Also I think it is iterative (to use SEM terms/econometrics terms: non-recursive). So that as you encounter more life experiences [you know leveling-up or gaining experience points] you mature and this maturity allows you to have even more life experiences...

I like the idea here, and it works oddly well. xD
Although who's to say that a younger person doesn't have more experience? I know it's not the most common of things but it happens, then again, some people are mature at heart but don't actually act on it. Probably due to one reason or another, feeling like they'd be made fun of their friends for being too serious or feeling like they wouldn't be taken too seriously.

Boy, I really inspired you, didn't I Andrew?

Yes, yes you did.

So I do see age as a "starting" standard to assess maturity, but it is the "final" assessment that matters. I believe outside means still dictate true maturity better than age, even though age makes a good foundation.

I think that's how I generally see it as well to be honest, it works in general (to an extent) but it's not the be all and end all of the matter, it really just depends on the person themself and what experiences they've had, and how they've acted on them.

 

[Bambi]

maturity is down to your experiences and how you are brought up I think. If you are constantly coddled as a child, and as an adult expect someone to take mothers role and look after you, that screams immaturity to me, and that can be at any age

There's also the shit you can go through that makes you have to grow up.

Then there's just the folk who are born middle aged hahaha

I really don't think age has much of a bearing on it, though, to some extent, it will I gues, seeing as you have had more time to experience things, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will. Some people live sheltered selfish lives forever

Also, I now a guy who is 30 and is one of the most immature -in every respect- people I have ever met. His sister who is almost 10 years his junior had more maturity than him while she was still in primary school

I'm presonally not ma -fuck im late to get the kid, il continue this in 10 mins -

Ive lost my train of thought now....

Personally, I act like a child, and on face value people probably would think I was immature. I've got a right sensible susan noggin on me though. The house is always clean (yeah, may not always be TIDY, but its clean) I pay all my bills on time, i dont go foolish with the contract and rack up massive bills every month and I go by the mentality of if i cant afford it then i cant have it. Too many people are in arrears with things and it's just like....fucking PAY them on time in the FIRST place. I know it can't be helped sometimes, but some people. Ugh. I'd like to think I can discuss problems like an adult as well, rather than resorting to petty name calling, shit like that

You learn as you go along I think. I have matured wityh age, but that's mostly down to my experiences, making mistakes and actually learning from them

 

[Demon]

Maturity seems to be a mix of keeping one's mouth shut, and knowing how to say the right thing at the right time. Immaturity is the opposite.

I just don't see very much more of a systematic formula to it. I guess there is some level of intelligence and reserve involved in it too.

 

[Warbsywoo]

Maturity seems to be a mix of keeping one's mouth shut, and knowing how to say the right thing at the right time. Immaturity is the opposite.

I just don't see very much more of a systematic formula to it. I guess there is some level of intelligence and reserve involved in it too.

I actually have to agree with this. And I want to extend it to including knowing when to stop doing something and start doing something at the right times. That is spot on how I would define it myself.

To respond to the actual question, no, I don't think age = maturity. Maturity is a mental state and different people reach this mental state at different times in their lives. Sometimes it just takes dedication to be considered mature and it definitely isn't a natural thing for someone to evolve into a mature person over time. I actually want to say it's a choice or something, but that could be disproven. v.v

 

[GalaxyFlare]

Maturity huh?

Its not some thing that is set for every situation...........it takes in many factors and situations who you are with, what you are doing, your ability to discern what is right from wrong.

There are also learned behaviors involved, consequences you do not wish to experience again, people who have led you in trouble in the past, and other people or situations that you consider to be wrong.........there is also the case of taking responsibility for others like children, or the elderly, very few examples here have mentioned any other than selfish or self maturity,but how does your maturity translate to others.?

Emotional factors, logical factors, gender bias all of these are garnered through experience, and sometimes stories of 2nd or 3rd parties. Physically the brain "matures" by the age of 25, but it a seems as though negative experience can accelerate this development.

So why then does Positive experience not accelerate it? Supposedly you would like your children to grow up at a normal rate, by this I mean the classical unperturbed lifestyle, but some children experience negative events and this is not matched by Positive experience like Christmas or Birthdays these events increase desire for acquisition of more things in childhood, but they dont introduce a mature outcome?

So this leads me to believe that what adults perceive as maturity is not the case its just
a mental resistance shown by children to events, for example Take a young child the playground everyone is playing on swing but this child is reluctant to get involved, to the outside observer it may represent "maturity" along the lines of "this child seems to
enjoy things of an older child or are considered to be older than there years"

And there fore it appears as maturity.

But its not, it simply cannot be, you could argue that any maturity level is a state of the person you are at the time of different ages, 4,7,10,15,19, 22 but at 25 it reaches its physical end point, but as they say you never stop learning.

But Physical nature is not the only factor.

 

[Shu]

I'll just say 2 lines. Age is mental maturity, now if we mean physical age, then no, not the same. I was 20 when I was 13. I am 40 now that I'm 26. I have learned only from experience in life. Though I am who I am because of the choices I've made because of experience. People can still be fuck ups even after experiencing things that people should gain wisdom from.

 

[ShinkuHiro]

I certainly believe that age does not determine the mental maturity of a person, but it is an important factor. I think that it depends on how someone determines how to deal with experiences in their life and if they use those experiences to grow as a person or not. As a result, there are people who are older in age and more immature than younger people and vice versa. Personally, I have been told countless times that I am mature for my age, so I must be doing something right.

 

[Tyler Breeze]

No. I disagree with this. Me and my aunt are an example. We are both only 15 years old, but we're more mature than most people our age because we have gone through a lot. That's where the experience that everybody talked about comes into play. I've seen a lot in my life. I have gone through a lot. I've been the happiest kid in the world playing toys, and I've spent days in a hospital bed. I've gotten to meet my heroes face to face, and I've seen a dead body in front of me. I've always been told I have a brain that's older than I am, which is because of all the things I've seen in my life. At the age of 5, I knew what it meant to pay bills and be completely broke afterwards. That's why I never ask my parents for anything that costs too much money. I know what they're going through. I've seen them fight all the time over whether or not we would be able to survive another week. It's these things that I saw and heard as a kid that made me grow up faster mentally. Sure, I may not be able to solve some math problems, I'm still learning that. I learn everyday, but there are some situations that I have learned to handle. I'm proud of everything I've done and gone through. It makes me a stronger person. Don't say we're dumb teens only because we're 15. We've seen all the ups and downs of an adult life. We saw that and learned from it.