I Am Only 3.5 Years Old...

The topic of maturity is so much fun to discuss. So many people have different opinions you would think we were discussing religion. That's not even going into the whole women mature faster then men fallacy. As always let's define maturation before we explore it:

Mature: 1) complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms. 3) fully developed in body or mind, as a person. 6) No longer developing or expanding; having little or no potential for further growth or expansion.

The general trend tends to imply that one has matured when one has finished growing into adulthood. Such as when one is thought old enough to vote (18), legal drink (21), or have intimate relations (14). Something about being old enough to make informed decisions. Has anyone caught the glaring leap to conclusion here? Society deems you adult despite how or how much information you have gathered. Just because you went to school and read a book doesn't mean you've stopped your growth in mind and body.

Probably not fair that I jumped ahead like that. Although society may call someone an adult does not necessarily imply they are mature. Instead it is meant to imply they should have been taught enough information to become mature and society is no longer taking responsibility for that education. That's fair, if a little short-sighted. It's not like we can go around giving people maturity tests for how they should be spending money or raising kids, but it would sure make life easier for those who pass.

Let's move away from the government dictations and explore our own verbiage. Maturity is easier to understand if we take it from actionable stance instead of mental and physical. By actionable we're going to understand as what actions someone takes in any given situation, sort of line in the sand when it comes to wisdom. If it is raining outside a child or turkey may look up with their mouths open and drown. An adult will instead open an umbrella or look for cover. Therefore we further define or concept into the ability to react in a responsible way through experience or intelligence.

While we're here why not slap an analogy up against it? My favorite is how girls start maturing at the age of 12 while boys start at 15. Good gracious do women love to hold that statistic over men, except they do it while ignore our definition above. To start maturing implies nothing while to be mature implies a process has completed. Thus a child which takes 10 years to mature is no better off then one that matures in 1 year 9 years later. To laud one started maturing first is simply a mark of immaturity as well. I believe that means we should explore the other end of the age spectrum for boys and girls.

To avoid a long diatribe of all the immature acts committed by both sexes we shall bring up relationships. Most of us have experience in this area and it will make it easier to relate. Common stereotype tells us women love their bad boys in spite of knowing they are bad for them as they are under the immature reasoning that they can change a person. 100% of mature adults understand this is impossible. It takes nearly 20 years for women to break this stereotype so we can say most women mature in their late 20s and early 30s. Men on the other hand start maturing in a complete different method. There is no 20 year period of trial and error but instead an over-night maturation some time between 13 and 40. Thus the mid-life crisis for many of my brethren. As males we typically will remain child like until the occurrence of some defining event usually depicted in Coming of Age novels.

Have you ever noticed Coming of Age usually has a guy experiencing something and growing up in a year while women will spend years? There is where the big understanding on this whole topic comes from. Those bad boys girls like haven't matured until they realize in their 40s that their whole life is wasted away with nothing to show for it. But for most guys we usually undergo some sort of world shattering event in our early 20's. Whether it is finding out the rat race implies we are the rats or some devastating relationship, we still find ourselves figuring out our inner turmoil well in advance of our sisters. Probably explains why both 18 and 32 year old women like 24-28 year old men.

Personally I matured very early, around the age of 13. It has left me years ahead when it comes to philosophy but also with a complete lack of foolishness. Only now (much like grandparents will tell their grand kids) am I realizing that I don't have to act mature all the time. It is enough to know the appropriate time to be mature and act child-like the rest of the time.