<p>I want to see whether my recent essay was graded harshly or not...grade it please? I did not erase any mistakes I say while typing it (although some annoyed me greatly). Thanks!</p>
<hr>
<p>[The American legal system declares that one is an adult at the age of 18. But true maturity is not measured by chronological age. A forty-year old can behave more immaturely than a four year old. The true test on maturity is the ability to accept responsibility for ones own actions.]</p>
<p>Is the willingness to accept responsibility the true test of maturity?</p>
<hr>
<p>Age is a nonfactor in the measurement of maturity; it is the actions that demonstrate the principles of those who are mature. The penultimate trait found in mature individuals is the willingness to accept responsibility. This characteristic is essential for a person to tap into his or her potential and work towards reaching success. The importance of accepting responsibility can be seen in both a legendary athlete and in a classic novel about young boys. </p>
<p>Few people know that Michael Jordan, the now hall of fame retired basketball player, was cut from his Varsity team in his sophomore season. The reason for the coachs decision was stated to be a trite one: Jordan was exhibiting traits of immaturity. He had a plethora of undeveloped potential, but like many young kids, he allowed his indolency to take a hold of him. Upon hearing the news, Michael knew he only had two choices to make; he could either accept the situation and work to make the team next year or he could fall back into his old mores and pursue denial of the scenario. Fortunately, he chose the former and worked throughout summer, and dominated his JV league in order to achieve his goals. The rest of his story has been immortalized as one of the most successful in sports history. His legendary status and the fact that his name is now a household word is all spanning from the maturity he chose when making his decision to accept his critics and work in order to improve himself.</p>
<p>When a group of people refuse to accept responsibility, however, a simple mishap can lead into a disastrous scene, as in Lord of the Flies., In this book, a group of young teenage boys experience a plane crash into an island near Europe. In an effort to survive without their dead pilot, they attempt to construct a hierarchy in which the can manage themselves better in. This step demonstrates some maturity as they are trying to accept the scenario and improve it. Soon, however, a power struggle sprouts up between Jack and Ralph and leads into utter chaos, turning the once civilized boys into savage, nomadic individuals with beastial attributes. They end up killing one another in blind maturity and never see the true outcome of their actions. The boys never accept responsibility to better the situation that turns into a catastrophe, and are deemed immature.</p>
<p>As seen from Michael Jordan and The Lord of the Flies, maturity in indeed measured by the willingness to accept responsibility. In the former scenario, Jordan acknowledged his weakness and turned it into his strength. In the latter, the group of boys refuse to acknowledge the scene and suffer in denial.</p>