Maturity is one of the most sought-after virtues for many people. Apart from the mere acquisition of experience that is inevitable as we advance in age, maturity is the result of an integrative process in which we learn from our experiences. This process takes place from the day we’re born.
In reality, the concept of maturity is pretty ambiguous, relative, and vague. For that reason, it isn’t entirely clear whether the predominant element of maturity is emotional-that is to say, if maturity is a special way of experiencing the things that happen to us-or if, on the contrary, maturity has more cognitive characteristics, ones relating to our thoughts and thinking.
Merriam-Webster tends toward the latter option, linking maturity to judgment and decision-making. According to that line of thinking, mature people account for their abilities, don’t get involved in unnecessary trouble, and are capable of reaching logical conclusions.
Nevertheless, a deeper definition of maturity would require finding the intersection between its different characteristics like wisdom, knowledge, level-headedness, and intelligence. What is clear is that maturity is an indistinct mixture with mental and emotional aspects.
It is certain that people’s levels of maturity depend on many factors: their level of education, the things that have happened to them throughout their lives, and how they process their experiences. The conclusions that we reach have an undeniable impact on how we proceed forward.
Whatever the case may be, you can take heart in knowing that complete maturity doesn’t exist. No one is 100% “mature,” just like no one is 100% brave, intelligent, or likable. In fact, everyone is immature in some way; we all have some growing up to do.
Our immaturity sometimes makes us feel guilty, and we often try to counteract it however we can; it has to do with our vulnerability, with the more childlike parts of ourselves, the places where we’re needier and more irresponsible. Our immature parts feed themselves on the things that we haven’t managed to overcome or that we haven’t learned to tolerate, and sometimes, our immaturity makes us behave in suboptimal ways.
Characteristics of maturity
To allow ourselves to understand this concept better, we have outlined 10 characteristics of mature people:
1. They take responsibility for their actions. They admit their errors without trying to cover them up
2. They react with equanimity. They are even-keeled and fair. Even when they experience aversive scenarios, they aren’t dominated by fear, and they don’t panic. They have the ability to control their emotions without distorting them.
3. They put into practice what they learn. Maturity has to do with intelligence, and intelligence is, among other things, the capacity to learn from experience. Thus, mature people have an awareness of their own lives that they use to make informed decisions. They don’t just complain; they tend to be optimistic.
4. They know their limits and correctly calculate the reasonable risks associated with an action. They innovate without forcing anything. They don’t bite off more than they can chew; they are daring but prudent.
5. They take into account their influence over others, and they don’t try to take advantage of their positions of power. They don’t cheat. Additionally, mature people know how to listen. They aren’t self-centered, they consider other people. They are conscious that they can learn from others, and they realize that they are a part of a broader world.
6. They are resilient in the face of difficult situations that arise in their lives. In fact, they know how to harness the positive potential of negative experiences to strengthen themselves.
7. They know how to manage their lives in a self-sufficient manner that is in accord with their abilities. They know how to ask for help without appearing helpless. They don’t position themselves as victims, but rather as people who know how to collaborate mutually with others.
8. They don’t use emotional blackmail. When they need to express their needs and request that other people take on responsibilities, their communicative style is marked by assertiveness. They are capable of conveying their authority without being overly forceful.
9. They know how to enjoy themselves, and they make the effort to do so. They put aside time for pleasure, and they find sufficient space in their lives for entertainment.
10- They fulfill their responsibilities and obligations. They don’t jeopardize their job security and other sources of stability in their lives without powerful rationale for doing so. They are formal, dignified, and confident; they know how to care for themselves.
Knowing the components of maturity can help you to be conscious of your virtues and shortcomings. It can also help you to think about how you relate with the world around you. It can be helpful to consider that everyone is trying to grow and carry themselves more maturely, just like you are. Maturity comes step by step.
Emotional well-being for companies
At ifeel, we understand that it is not possible to take care of the company without taking care of the psychological well-being of its employees. To do so, we have an emotional well-being program for companies, designed by our team of occupational well-being psychologists with one main objective: to help companies place employee health at the center of their strategy to build their mission statement.
Thanks to this partnership, the people in charge of HR departments can receive personalized, data-driven advice on how to make good decisions in a company to get the most out of the teams they are in charge of and take better care of the psychological well-being of the people in them.
Moreover, this program offers employees a holistic mental health care service structured at different levels according to their needs. This service includes, if required, online psychological therapy with a psychologist specialized in cases like theirs. Try our program today so you can see how it could help you.
We hope you have found this post about the characteristics of maturity helpful. If you want more information about our emotional well-being program for companies, simply request it and we will contact your team as soon as possible.
