This is adapted from an answer I posted on Quora.
What is maturity? Can you define discrete levels of maturity? How can one's maturity level be measured relatively, if not quantitatively? How much mature is good enough to qualify one to be called a grown-up?
Maturity, I believe is not a properly definable thing since it does not have a fixed source, reigning domain and also no qualified goal or destination.
Maturity is a very subjective topic and thus there is no truly logical definition (and thus no features that come with a proper definition apply to it, like measurement, comparison and standardisation) and thus all one can tell you is their ideology regarding maturity. Many people are unaware of this nature of maturity and thus think that what they think is the true meaning. This kind of an approach should be avoided. So, I will try to describe my ideology as best as I can.
There are different kinds of meanings conveyed through the word maturity. Being mature can mean that you can control yourself from reacting to very strong emotions, or that you understand what emotions are and instead of shouting out every emotion you feel, you quietly respond to the emotion and do them justice, resulting in a healthy state of mind since holding on to an emotion is very bad for mental health (not just the bad emotions. Good emotions should also be not held on to).
Maturity can be the understanding of how one should treat other people and understanding what is wrong with racism, caste discrimination and other ways to make people feel lower than or separate from you, and then standing firm against it, and reprimanding anyone who does such a crime. On the other hand, maturity can be termed as accepting each and everyone as they are, and trying to improve them with love and understanding. Also, maturity can be termed as understanding how humans behave and thus give up on the dream of making the world a better place since you understand that to truly change a person, it requires a lot of effort and even if you are willing to do that, you understand that you cannot be sure that they will not yield to societal pressures and return to their initial state, undoing all the work and also generating a resistance to the teaching.
I have been searching for my identity since a year. I am still searching, but along the way I have learned a great deal. I have lived each and everything described above and then some. At the end, I am lost on the meaning of maturity. I currently accept every person as they are because I believe that each and every person has some potential and some good hidden inside them. For example, I know a very highly immature person (almost intolerable) but I accept her because she has the purest heart I have ever seen. There are times when its difficult to see her pure heart through the mess she has created but I know that it is there.
Also, I understand that accepting, approving and liking are all different things. Even though I accept people as they are, I disapprove of those people who try to suppress some aspect of themselves just in order to fit into society better. I dislike people who hurt others or make others' life difficult on purpose (basic assholes). I know that they have some good but are suppressing it or are being forced to do so, but that is no license for them to be assholes. I seriously cannot stand people with a weak character.
Long story short, I believe maturity is defined by a few characteristics:
I believe there's no way a person can ever reach maturity. A person is constantly changing and thus the ideal also changes. So, its like chasing a running horse. Even if you do catch up, you'll lose it again. So, maturity, I think is introspecting regularly and continuously working on improving themselves. But then, that's also my fluff.
Taking responsibility for your own survival is not being mature. Maturity comes into play in a situation where someone else is involved too. Also, maturity is something very vague and thus is pointless to discuss. All one needs to do is understand what respect is and take responsibility for your actions and then live like the way you want to live. Form your own ideals. Something as alive as life must not be bounded by a dead set of rules.
What is maturity? Can you define discrete levels of maturity? How can one's maturity level be measured relatively, if not quantitatively? How much mature is good enough to qualify one to be called a grown-up?
Maturity, I believe is not a properly definable thing since it does not have a fixed source, reigning domain and also no qualified goal or destination.
Maturity is a very subjective topic and thus there is no truly logical definition (and thus no features that come with a proper definition apply to it, like measurement, comparison and standardisation) and thus all one can tell you is their ideology regarding maturity. Many people are unaware of this nature of maturity and thus think that what they think is the true meaning. This kind of an approach should be avoided. So, I will try to describe my ideology as best as I can.
There are different kinds of meanings conveyed through the word maturity. Being mature can mean that you can control yourself from reacting to very strong emotions, or that you understand what emotions are and instead of shouting out every emotion you feel, you quietly respond to the emotion and do them justice, resulting in a healthy state of mind since holding on to an emotion is very bad for mental health (not just the bad emotions. Good emotions should also be not held on to).
Maturity can be the understanding of how one should treat other people and understanding what is wrong with racism, caste discrimination and other ways to make people feel lower than or separate from you, and then standing firm against it, and reprimanding anyone who does such a crime. On the other hand, maturity can be termed as accepting each and everyone as they are, and trying to improve them with love and understanding. Also, maturity can be termed as understanding how humans behave and thus give up on the dream of making the world a better place since you understand that to truly change a person, it requires a lot of effort and even if you are willing to do that, you understand that you cannot be sure that they will not yield to societal pressures and return to their initial state, undoing all the work and also generating a resistance to the teaching.
I have been searching for my identity since a year. I am still searching, but along the way I have learned a great deal. I have lived each and everything described above and then some. At the end, I am lost on the meaning of maturity. I currently accept every person as they are because I believe that each and every person has some potential and some good hidden inside them. For example, I know a very highly immature person (almost intolerable) but I accept her because she has the purest heart I have ever seen. There are times when its difficult to see her pure heart through the mess she has created but I know that it is there.
Also, I understand that accepting, approving and liking are all different things. Even though I accept people as they are, I disapprove of those people who try to suppress some aspect of themselves just in order to fit into society better. I dislike people who hurt others or make others' life difficult on purpose (basic assholes). I know that they have some good but are suppressing it or are being forced to do so, but that is no license for them to be assholes. I seriously cannot stand people with a weak character.
Long story short, I believe maturity is defined by a few characteristics:
- Respect for everything
- Strong Character (EG- accepting responsibility for mistake)
I believe there's no way a person can ever reach maturity. A person is constantly changing and thus the ideal also changes. So, its like chasing a running horse. Even if you do catch up, you'll lose it again. So, maturity, I think is introspecting regularly and continuously working on improving themselves. But then, that's also my fluff.
Taking responsibility for your own survival is not being mature. Maturity comes into play in a situation where someone else is involved too. Also, maturity is something very vague and thus is pointless to discuss. All one needs to do is understand what respect is and take responsibility for your actions and then live like the way you want to live. Form your own ideals. Something as alive as life must not be bounded by a dead set of rules.
Can you please help me to know and understand human psychology and behaviour.....
ReplyDeleteFrom your writings I got to know that you have a good ire of that...
Please reply me back on my email
aaroffers@gmail.com