Age and time have little to do with maturity; there are plenty of mature young people and just as many from older generations who are childish. Maturity is about the way you act and interact with the world around you.
How to be mature? You have to act and behave in certain ways. You have to think differently. A mature person embodies various traits that distinguish them from others. A selection of 15 such traits are discussed below.
1. Self-awareness
Maturity grows from a seed of awareness; an awareness of the self and the actions you take.
Being self-aware means you are able to look at yourself through the eyes of an observer. You can take a somewhat neutral stance to watch your thoughts, actions, and emotions before applying a rational filter to them.
Essentially, self-awareness is about building up an understanding of your personality; its strengths and weakness, its potential and limitations, and every little nuance.
2. Self-control
Once you have established a robust awareness of yourself, you are better positioned to exert a degree of self-control.
You can identify urges that build up within your mind and resist the temptation to act on them. This might, for example, be the difference between getting angry and remaining calm when someone does something you dislike.
A mature person is better placed to show restraint towards things that might be detrimental to their short or long term well-being. They can triumph over some of the more self-destructive behaviors by recognizing them for what they are.
3. Accountability
When you reach a certain level of maturity, you grasp what a great responsibility it is to be human. You accept that we are all accountable for our own choices and the wider impact they may have on the world.
The belief that things happen to you is eroded and replaced with a proactive mindset that understands the consequences of your actions. No longer will you live passively among the world; you take strides to change to your situation where necessary so that you can live conscientiously.
4. Humility
Even though you appreciate the importance of each decision you take, you remain a humble and modest person.
You never take yourself to be above others, regardless of your status, wealth, power, or influence. You know that, when it comes down to it, we are all born equal and we all die equal. You refrain from letting any personal success go to your head and you treat people fairly and respectfully whatever capacity it may be in.
5. Self-acceptance
Mature people are able to accept themselves for who they are; they practice kindness even in the face of their shortcomings.
You can seek to improve yourself and grow as an individual, but maturity allows you to take your present situation and all the past events that have led to it and make peace with them. It is only when you are able to accept where you are now that you can plan your path for the future.
6. Gratitude
Alongside acceptance of yourself comes a sense of gratitude for all of the wonderful things that exist in your life. You develop the ability to see the immense benefits and value of both big and the small.
You are thankful for the people with whom you spend your time, the basic needs that are met daily, the experiences you enjoy, and the gift of life itself. You never take things for granted because you appreciate that not everyone is so fortunate.
7. Compassion
A side effect of being grateful is that you feel more empathy and concern for others. A mature soul can’t help but wish well upon those around them and try to help in any way they can.
They are more attuned to the interconnectedness of everything and so feel the pain of others as if it were there own. This drives them towards charity of all kinds as they seek to spread love and positivity throughout society. They are wholehearted givers who rarely seek reward or recognition for the kindness they show.
8. Being Other-Centered
Compassion is just one part of a more general approach to life that emotionally mature people adopt.
Rather than the separation that comes from putting your own interests first, you are determined to do whatever you can to promote unity and oneness. You celebrate the success of others and embrace movements that seek to improve the welfare of everyone and not just the privileged few.
This is opposed to the jealousy, envy and self-promotion that often flows through immature individuals.
9. Open-mindedness
Maturity breaks down the mental barriers and unlocks a sense of liberalism in an individual.
No longer do you see things as black and white or right and wrong. Your mind is open to many ideas and opinions and you do not judge those who might think differently or choose to live in ways that aren’t familiar to you.
You also allow your beliefs to soften so as to accept the possibility that you may be mistaken at times. You don’t hold facts in such high regards, but realize, instead, that there are a great number of unknowns in the world.
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10. A Sense Of Wonder
When you mature and rediscover the open-mindedness that existed during your childhood, your sense of awe and wonder also return.
This means you are once again able to view the universe as the incredible and beautiful thing that it is. You can find excitement in the miracles of nature and the immense complexity of your own existence.
This wonder leads you to ask many deep questions about life and explore the possible answers for them.
11. Optimism Tinged With Realism
A mature individual is one who is able to look upon the life with an air of optimism while still maintaining roots in reality.
You understand that good things cannot happen all of the time, but you try to maintain a positive mindset in every situation because you know that the alternative is defeatism and despair.
You look forward to the future and all of the possibilities that exist, but you are mentally prepared to face difficulties as and when they arise.
12. Flexibility
One of the ways in which you stay so positive is by remaining as flexible as possible to the circumstances you face.
You are not stubborn, your views are open to change, and you accept unpredictability as part and parcel of life. You can think on your feet and adapt to things as and when they happen.
The opposite of this is to dig your heels in and refuse to change even when things change around you; this is how an immature person lives.
13. Resilience
Tied in closely with your flexibility and optimism is a resilient nature that helps you to cope with whatever comes your way.
Even when things get ugly, you keep your chin up and seek solutions to your problems. You do not let events overwhelm you; the strength you’ve gained from past challenges is always available to you.
You do not dwell on your sorrows or seek pity from others; you have the bravery to step up, tackle the hurdles in front of you, and get back to the path you wish to take.
14. Patience
You are also blessed with immense patience which helps you to bide your time before enjoying the fruits of your labor. You understand that the things you want in life do not always comes as soon as you wish them to; they have to be worked for and waited for at times.
Your patience extends to other people too; you understand and accept that they might not always act as you’d like them to, but you have a huge capacity to forgive where necessary. You know that there is little use in projecting your own expectations onto others because they have lived an entirely different life to you.
15. Honesty
When you mature within yourself, you no longer feel the need to deceive others. You can be open, honest and sincere with those around you and trust that whatever their reaction to you, it is better than concealing the truth.
You have no desire to wear a mask, no need to lie to others, and are comfortable with who you are – warts and all. You realize that honesty is almost always the best policy because it feels genuine, not only to other people, but to yourself.
How many of these traits can you identify in your life and which do you need to work on? Leave a comment below to let us know.
