Is maturity about age, physique, the number of children you have, the properties you own, responsibilities you carry, or your title at work or in the community?
The Oxford Dictionary defines maturity as “the fact or period of being mature”. Another definition is the progress from childhood to adulthood. The opposite of mature is immature.
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries define maturity as the quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible, adult manner.
Maturity is therefore not a matter of age, but rather how you choose to respond and react to various life situations.
It is essentially a level of mental development.
Researchers differentiate between the types of maturity, such as physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.
The focus of this letter is on what Jayarav V calls “mental maturity and
adult behaviour”.
He says it is a level of mental development or wisdom that has bearing on all areas of an individual’s life, right from their relationship with others.
One can determine an individual’s maturity level through some important traits exhibited in their day-to-day lives as well as in certain crucial moments.
Why is it important to examine the concept of mental maturity at this point?
There are people whose mental maturity is far below their physical maturity.
They portray childish or childlike behaviour.
It also known that, depending on their upbringing and other factors, people display different levels of maturity at different times.
What does a mentally mature person look like?
It is someone who thinks before acting, weighs each situation carefully before drawing conclusions, knows their limitations, believes in human dignity, who respects themselves and others, and who listens, pays attention and learns from experience.
Mature Citizen
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