When it comes to age and maturity, for many people, it’s a parallel line that may never meet. We have adults who seem to forget that they’re not kids and act childishly, while we have children who seem to way mature than their years. When a child is more mature, it’s encouraged and they grow at a faster pace than their peers. But when an adult is acting like a child, such a person is seen as a nuisance and no one likes being around them.
Age is never a margin for maturity, the law just uses it as a yardstick because the line has to be drawn somewhere. In many countries like mine, you stop being a minor the moment you hit eighteen. You become more responsible for your actions and you are free to make whatever decisions you see fit.
Hehe…😂 in your dreams! Here in Nigeria, it’s only the law that recognizes you as an adult when you hit eighteen. Your parents definitely don’t. All you’ll hear is “you’re a big boy now ooo, oya go and fetch that water for me before I open my eyes!”
When we’re eighteen none of us thinks about moving out of our homes, we very much enjoy living with our parents. This isn’t because life is soft and rosy, it could actually be the opposite. Our parents could be killing us with house chores and sending us on numerous errands that never seem to end. But we still wouldn’t consider moving out because at that age not many of us are making money. The only means of escape we could get was going to the higher institution.
Many people went to the university not because they wanted to further their education, but because that was the only way they could move out of the house and still be bankrolled by their parents. It’s now in school that the real learning begins and everyone decides who they’re really going to be. And by the time they’re done some continue living on their own, while others return home to search for jobs.
So, why all this rambling for me? I’m just trying to let you know that maturity doesn’t come with age. Your age is gonna increase regardless of your maturity, but if you refuse to grow in other aspects of your life, then you’re really going to be stagnant as an individual.
I don’t have an age bracket for adulthood. I’ve held a conversation with a fifteen year old that really struck me due to how deep the words we shared were. And I’ve also had a conversation with a thirty-something year old that left me in shock thinking about how foolish and ignorant some people could be. There is no being in the universe that sits at the 18th junction and says, “you’re an adult now, oya receive small sense!”
Some just have it in spades, while others don’t. It’s a fact of life. So, I’m not going to suggest the right age for one to be considered an adult. How they act should tell you everything you need to know about them. But for me, one true mark of maturity is knowing and accepting the fact that the world doesn’t revolve around you.
It might come as a shock but there are many people out there who think that the world revolves around them. For them, it’s either my way or we don’t go at all. They don’t know how to take losses, they don’t know how to cope with people having different opinions from theirs. They don’t even know how to deal with being ignored.
There is nothing children love more than attention. They want you to constantly be with them, playing with them and whenever they ask for something, you give it to them. It’s cute when you’re a child. But as an adult, it’s annoying asf! You can’t keep expecting the world to move the way you want and you’ll be acting out while thinking everyone will be okay with it. I’ve seen someone quit a team simply because no one liked the idea he brought up. They all believed it wouldn’t work, and that made him leave.
This is not a matter of having a voice, these people want to be the only voice that gets heard. They want to be the go-to for everything and God forbid that someone else comes to take their shine. And when things go awry, they’ll be the first to distance themselves with the, “that’s your team leader, not mine.” Even though they’re also a member of the team.
So, for me, knowing that you’re the main character only in your story is important. In the story of others, you’re nothing but a side character, it’s stupid for you to want to be a main character in my own story, telling me how to live my life and the choices I should make. And when I refuse to listen to you, you call me a bad friend and pray for my downfall.
Honestly, there are a lot of people with issues in this world, deep seated issues. And if the god of maturity wants to start doling out senses, he can come to me; I have a list of people I want him to start with.
It's so true that age doesn't always equate to maturity. I've also seen both young individuals who are wise beyond their years and older adults who act quite childishly.
It's all about how we grow and develop as individuals, regardless of our age.
I must say, I love how this post really hits home on the topic of maturity and age, you did great with your answer, as always 🥰
I completely enjoyed reading your post. You really made great points about age and maturity in this post, and I couldn't agree more. I love it when I see people that exhibit wisdom beyond their years.
Hehe
There are still some married men under the command of their parents😅😅. I know some😭😅😅😅
I have people make the statement; "Age is just a number." Truly, maturity could defy age in many cases. Puting an age cap for maturity is unrealistic actually. We have a teenager that is well mature in thinking while we have people in their 40s behaving irrationally.
It is true that we are wise even when we face problems in life and when our desires are not fulfilled then we work hard on them and when responsibility comes then we understand all things.
It's just really funny how you can't be bigger than there authority.
Regardless of your age , you're still a kid before them.
And yes maturity is not by age
But by a mindset of a person.
You can be older and not matured minded.
Age is just a number as they say.