Biologically it's possible to indicate the approximate age when a person reaches full physical maturity. However, emotional maturity is more challenging to define or distinguish. While physical and emotional maturity are subjective, typically, a person reaches physical maturity before becoming emotionally mature. For example, it's likely that a teenager would be physically mature but not emotionally mature enough to become a parent.
In fact, one study showed that the average man doesn't reach full emotional maturity until age 43, while women mature by age 32. That's an 11-year difference! Yet, again, the topic is very subjective. And while there are no tools (yet) available to determine the exact age one becomes 'ripe,' there are so-called signs of maturity. Similarly to how psychological conditions are diagnosed via symptoms, so can full psychological maturation be determined by signs of emotional maturity.
While signs of maturity in a man and woman may differ, gendering signs of maturity is irrelevant. So what exactly are those cues that a person has reached full emotional growth? When a Reddit user came in with the same question, numerous people chimed in in a Reddit thread sharing their personal experiences and the various signs of a mature man or woman.
Below, we've gathered some of their most upvoted answers sharing signs of a mature person. Do you agree with any of these statements? Which behavior or state of mind would you consider a sign of maturity? At what stage of emotional maturity would you consider yourself to be right now? Let us know!
#41
"When you announce you're going to have a baby and people are happy for you instead of saying, 'Oh, is everything okay?'"
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12points
#42
"Drinking a few beers makes you wanna go to bed instead of partying."
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12points
#43
"Knowing when you're hanging out with the wrong people and actively making a change."
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11points
#45
"Being able to walk away when you should. Whether it be a confrontation, relationship or bad situation."
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11points
#52
"I just asked for nice wools socks for my birthday, so there's that."
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11points
#54
"Being able to answer a question with 'I don't know', instead of making something up or just talking around the question to cover up a lack of knowledge."
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11points
#56
"Empathy. When you finally learn to put yourself in someone else's shoes, you become a bit more humble."
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10points
#59
"A high level of critical thinking that comes from experience or perspective."
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10points
