<p>So recently I've been playing around with my own definitions of what maturity is. They seem to all converge to one point:</p>
<p>The ability to appreciate the consequences of your actions, and the likelihood of such consequences.</p>
<p>Of course it takes A LOT of time in order for one to do that. One has to develop a frame of time estimation for example - estimating the amount of time it will take to complete an assignment.</p>
<p>That's not a bad definition imo, but I think the 2nd clause of your definition forays into defining wisdom as well, and the two need not be necessarily connected. for me, maturity is just realizing that your actions and decisions will have some sort of effect, good or bad, on either yourself, or others.</p>
<p>Not giggling during health class. That takes lots of maturity AND will power.</p>
<p>I agree with that definition. I always told myself it was the delay of instant gratification. But that might just be masochistic. ^.^</p>
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Not giggling during health class. That takes lots of maturity AND will power.
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<p>I'm older than you and I still giggle when I hear about those issues. ;) I didn't giggle when I was in 8th grader though - I just regarded the words as useless (since I didn't know anything about sex and didn't want to know - I was too busy with my forums, computer games, and self-study).</p>
<p>But I was always socially isolated. I never found a peer group in school.</p>
<p>Maturity isn't monofactorial.</p>
<p>==
Anyhow - it's also the ability to recognize how your actions will affect you emotionally. A lot of immature individuals may already know of the severe consequences of reckless behavior. But they don't appreciate (a) that low probability events can become high probability with repeated frequency and that (b) that they really don't know what it feels like to say, to be imprisoned.</p>
<p>Maturity is such a charged term. It should be retired from the English language, as should "liberal" and "conservative."</p>