Maturity (psychological)

Psychological maturity is the state of an individual's brain being sufficiently developed so the person can make socially appropriate decisions that increase his or her own happiness and that of others. Physically, maturation results from changes in the brain that occur primarily between the ages of eighteen and the early thirties. Psychological maturation then manifests itself as thought patterns and behaviors that are generally considered proper for people of certain age groups.

Maturity is displayed differently by people in different stages of life, but most psychologists expect fully grown adults to adhere to certain established norms of mature behavior. This behavior includes being able to keep long-term commitments, exercising sound judgment, knowing what one wants in life, being humble, expressing gratitude where appropriate, and graciously accepting constructive criticism.

Background

Psychological maturity is driven primarily by the naturally occurring physical development of the brain throughout a person's life. The norms of the societies in which people live play a part in maturation also, since behavior considered mature in one culture may not be viewed the same way in a different culture.

However, most scientific discussions of psychological maturity include explanations of how the human brain grows and develops in different age groups. Different parts of the brain develop at different rates, and the brain is constantly changing. This has made it difficult even for neuroscientists to claim conclusively that a certain person should be considered a mature adult at a specific age.

The continuous change is due mostly to the activities of white matter and gray matter, the two types of tissue that compose the brain. The gray matter grows quickly from birth to about ten years old. This allows nerves to establish trillions of connections with one another. The connections aid in children's development of intellect, motor skills, and social skills.

In the early teen years, gray matter starts gradually shrinking to make room for white matter to begin growing. This development optimizes the brain, allowing it to process information more efficiently. By about a person's mid-twenties, the brain's frontal lobe has finished growing. The frontal lobe area manages a person's abilities to plan, judge, and make appropriate decisions. Some neuroscientists claim the brain continues to develop into a person's early thirties.

Ultimately, though, the current stage of one's brain development still cannot undeniably indicate whether the person is psychologically mature. Maturity is determined more by the demonstrated ability of people to make safe, wise decisions and accept responsibility for their own actions. Furthermore, the fact that different parts of the brain take different lengths of time to develop fully also means that people may experience "gaps" in their natural transitions from psychological immaturity to maturity.

For instance, neuroscience considers adolescence to be a distinct phase of human development that manifests after childhood and before adulthood. Some neuroscientists assert that the development of the brain's frontal lobe lags behind the growth of other parts of the brain during adolescence. Consequently, many teens are still attracted to a childlike lifestyle of seeking thrilling and potentially dangerous experiences but are not yet mature enough to exercise good judgment in controlling their impulses. Some of these neuroscientists argue for leniency for teenagers who are arrested for engaging in dangerous behavior, since their mistakes are the result of a still underdeveloped brain, not defects in their characters.

Overview

Although people may define psychological maturity differently, many psychologists agree on what characteristics are shared by adults who are considered to be mature on intellectual, emotional, and social levels. For instance, mature adults are usually seen as being able to uphold long-term commitments, despite the novelty of the experience having disappeared over time. This maturity allows people to remain focused on achieving what they want in life, even if the process takes a long time.

Mature people also maintain an unshakeable awareness of their own identities. They do not allow compliments to inflate their egos or criticism to hurt their self-esteem. Mature people are humble when speaking of their accomplishments, never forgetting to acknowledge the actions others have taken to help them prosper in life. Related to this is mature people's willingness to consider the needs of others first. Selfishness is generally seen as a sign of immaturity, as it recalls children who emphasize their own wishes over those of others, usually due simply to their brains still being insufficiently developed.

Numerous other qualities are also usually present in mature adults. One is the humility to know that one may not possess all the necessary wisdom to make an informed decision in a certain situation. In this case, a mature person is not ashamed to seek assistance from someone wiser. Lack of embarrassment in admitting ignorance is an example of another characteristic of maturity: the refusal to allow emotions to dictate behavior. Mature adults know that only rational intellect is useful in making decisions; relying on emotions can lead people to make choices they later regret.

Finally, mature people are fully responsible for themselves. They control their every action and are proactive in changing undesirable qualities in themselves. This responsibility of mature adults allows them to be independent in personal relationships, never taking on the role of caretaker for another adult or becoming codependent on someone—or needy and too emotionally attached. Mature people are satisfied with the balance of giving and receiving kindness that relationships require.

Even given all these traits of mature people with developed brains, psychological maturity still appears differently at different ages. People can be mature for their particular age group but still immature compared to older individuals. A ten-year-old who is mature for his age may look at his classmates' accomplishments, recognize his own mistakes, and try to improve his grades. A mature eighteen-year-old might discover for herself how to be careful with money and then train herself to make this a habit.

Mature forty-year-olds know how to apply the lessons of their life experiences to their decision-making. Meanwhile, mature people in their seventies and eighties should be able to review their lives honestly and know what they have contributed to their families or societies.

Bibliography

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