I was on a forum that has really gone down the drains lately (read: "This is Very Depressing"). There is one boy (15) who keeps posting about how there are so many "stupid" 13-year-olds there were messing with the forum. (This guy is 15, he really is not much better than most people there. But you can tell he tries to make his posts readable atleast.) This is about the fifth time I have read a remark from him like "The stupid little 13 year olds." So I replied to one of his posts with this.

He replied with.

I lost all my respect for him right there.

Anyways... how do you define maturity? Do you think it has to do with age? Brains? Respect for others? Or what? Personally, I think it is how they treat others.

Maturity? A difficult question!

I think everyone will have a different answer for this. Personally I think it's about respecting other people and being honest with yourself.

  Maturity \Ma*tu"ri*ty\, n. [L. maturitas: cf. F. maturit['e].]
     1. The state or quality of being mature; ripeness; full
        development; as, the maturity of corn or of grass;
        maturity of judgment; the maturity of a plan.
  
     2. Arrival of the time fixed for payment; a becoming due;
        termination of the period a note, etc., has to run.

Personally, I consider someone mature when they've had sufficiently many experiences that they don't react extremely to new ones.

EDIT: they don't react disproportionately to new ones.

Thomas: I'm not quite following that idea. Could you explain it some more?

Not without corroding its core simplicity! Being mature is, in my opinion, being at a level where you can understand the true value and consequence of the things other people have done and any things you are considering doing in response. Compare and contrast with the typical want to over-react when younger, which I am claiming often comes from a lack of perspective resulting directly from a lack of experience rather than, e.g. a naturally zealous character.

Thomas, according to your defination, younger children can't be mature. I have seen some very polite 6-year-olds. Who I find to be mature for their age. Of course, your defination could be one or the other.

Another question. Do you find yourself to be mature?

I do not. I try to be. It jsut doesn't always come out that way. My friends say I know when to be mature and when to make jokes. Some just say I am mature all of the time. Some people say I am extremely immature.

No, younger children will simply tend towards being immature according to my definition, whereas a natural disengagement or a preference to experience new things will often produce the same effects of not over-reacting as an informed sense of perspective.

I hope you live to a ripe old age then, because I doubt most people ever get that far.

Here is how this guy responded after I said I lost all of my respect for him.

I would say that you're mature once you stop being concerned about yourself and, more importantly, others being mature. Seriously, the word has no real value. Drop it.

[edit]

No real value in this context, I might add.

Here's a fact that's fun for all the family: boys mature faster than girls, we're just above rubbing it in their faces all the time.

Someone woke up on the wrong side of whatever he woke up on this morning.

UPDATE: Also, this is the other guys words about being mature, personally, I do not care whether people think I am mature, or anything else about me for that matter as long as they respect me. I hold respect extremely high.

Maturity is knowing when not to speak.

Hey ML, you will love the last post on this topic.

Another "Skilzat" post

I think A.cc is rubbing off on me.

Thomas Harte is right with this quote,

To expand on that, maturity is following the rules and breaking them appropriately

Truthfully, IMO, you can't define maturity. The reason I believe this is because everyone's definition and idealogy of maturity and what is mature is completely different. I'm sure Webster's Dictionary and psychology books define it but those definitions are according to what the writers think it is according to their interpretation of the term and what others consider it to be. Maturity is just like the civilian's idea of the written law, it is all just interpretation and an idealogy of it. Nothing more.

That is exactly the reason I posted this. What is your interpretation of it Harbinger ZERO?

#define Maturity void

LolOLOOLOOL!!!1!!!111

I aM TEH M4tUr3 H4x00R!!!1!!11 n0 _w1cK1d p3Rs0N b3iNG 4s M4Tur3 Th4N M333!!1!!! I w1Ll K1cK yOuR 4$$!

Everybody who knows l33t sp34k has to be mature. This very highly evolved language proves validity by its existance over long decades. Everybody NOT knowing l33t sp34k is immature. Oh yeah, another sign of maturity: make a MMORPG as first programming project.

(Just for the case you haven't noticed: I've been being sarcastic. Take me for example. You just have to invert me and you'll get your definition of maturity!)

That saddest part about that. It probably took you an hour to write. I know it would take me that long.

His l33t speak is actually much more readable than some I've seen...

Marcello

Indeterminatus: did you get your e-mail/PM from Matthew yet ... if not... expect to receive one soon.

Man, I almost wish I was on those forums. I had a jolly good time writing a reply to his post, but it serves no purpose, so meh.

I'm in a strange mood today. It's like I'm blood-thirsty, and yet really happy at the same time.

To my above link? You should have signed-up if you already took the time to write a reply. Takes what? Five seconds.

To the original post. But even if I smashed his ego into the ground, what have I gained? What have I gained in another's suffering? Will I feel better? Or worse?

Even if he probably could use a nice slap, it's probably best to ignore is ignorance. Remember, debating over the internet is like winning the special olympics. Even if you win, your still retarded. As for you, all I can say (in addition to ignoring him) is to set the best possible example for yourself and people like you.

23: That music video is funny. I like the song musically, but the idea of joining the military and then deserting is so stupid (we even had a thread on it). Perfect MTV, though.

[slightly changerizered]

Hello, and welcome to my first post in this thread!

Opps! I put that extra part in the wrong thread. Silly me.

For some reason that sentence made me feel really good about my self. Thank you.

That guy was obviously just coming home from Iraq anyway. See the banner and the "Re-" on the letter (plus the accompanying lyrics). Left jail, landed on Community Chest, went right back in.

Yeah, it really took me long. Since I've got absolutely no practice in l33t, it was a bunch of work, believe me . I really tried hard to model the language as accurate as possible, but I can imagine there are "better" ones...well, never mind...this is going nowhere...

Seriously, I do connect "maturity" to "wisdom", which in my point of view both say the same. It grows on expertise, which in most cases equals to the age (with special emphasis on MOST - meaning not all!).

I do catch myself sometimes acting childish, and I always say that next time I'll do better, but it seems as if I was caught in some kind of infinite loop. I'm a human being, and therefor error-prone...

Though the poster (already forgot his name) refused to being polite (which he really seems good at!), he at least proved him being immature. As far as I remember none of your definitions of "maturity" matches him.

The poster as in? The "Skilzat" dude? Or me?

Also, with wisdom. How would you define wisdom? Could a mentally challenged person have as much wisdom as one person with an average IQ?

Ahem.. way to go, it's off-topic now Chris Katko.

That music video is awesome. At first I was thinking "ugh, rap crap".. but it's probably one of the best rap songs I've ever heard, and I'm not even American so I don't fully relate to the material.
Really powerful.

I was referring to the "Skilzat" dude. Well, lets just put the fact aside that wisdom can't be measured with the instruments at our disposal (and as a result, accurately defining the term becomes inherently impossible). I'd define wisdom as the sum of all experiences one has made and was able to reflect.
Therefor a mentally challenged person could have as much wisdom as one person with an average IQ, yes, because I'm confident that "even this" group of people is able to learn by doing. (in quotation marks because it kinda sounds rude and offending, which it wasn't meant to, but I can't think of a better expression)

There is also the fact that someone knows that something they do is wrong. Yet, they still do it anyway. Would them knowing it is wrong be considered them having wisdom of the fact?

I think it would be intersting to see who the allegro.cc community considers mature. A new poll perhaps? Or maybe just a thread thing.

I would too. Why don't you start it?

Don't talk, do.

I consider 23, BP, and RP to be 3 of the most mature people here.

Hmmm...my 'definition' wasn't meant to let this case be valid, and no, I can't think of any way to explain it properly what I meant. Maybe I should just go to sleep, it's late enough ... I might give it another try in 3-4 hours (when I have to get up again).

Someone said once that wisdom was "the ability to always make people in your surroundings feel comfortable".

There's lots of mature people here.
Thomas Harte, ML, Bob, Evert, the list goes on and on.

I'd consider myself somewhat mature, but I do some pretty immature things every now and then

You can cross me off of your list now :

I would be ashamed to repeat such a tasteless joke and even more ashamed to fail to grasp elementary concepts of the English language.

Yeah.. when I first heard that, I laughed.. then thought "hey.. wait."

Rally Monkey:
I mean no offense, but hear me out. I used to be much like you. Except more crazy. Read my original posts on this forum. Or, better not. I've learned about myself that I commonly project my own bad traits onto others. For example, this other guy you're trying to bash / recieve comments on. You're saying that he apepars immature, and what nonesense. Whatever the case may be. It's always a challenge of wits. In this case, you have lost. You have pointed out a person's weakest point - maturity. By pointing out the most deadly value of anybody, you have thus weakened that value of yourself in the eyes of the people reading this thread.

Why care what we think of this person? Why care what we think at all? Do you have that much respect for us? No, I think not. Are you that insecure? Yes? Maybe it's time you found something that you can stand strong with, and it appears to not be pointing out other people's weak points.

Or, if I was Yves,

ZOMG!!1~~
IM SO SORY!!!11one~

I have been especially trying to stay away from that word (I didn't say it in the first place, just extra careful now.) since I read "Flowers for Algernon".

Kanzure. I was originally going to ask you guys how you defined maturity. I just thought that conversation was the perfect starting point. If you think I am just trying to flame the dude, so be it. I do not understand how that has to do with my respect for this forum and its visitors though. Of course I respect you guys or why would I care to be respected here. I would rather be respected by the ones that I respect.

I would say maturity is responsibility. Once you are taking complete responsibility for what you are doing and saying, and also for basically everything happening around you, you are mature. The amount of this phenomena may define 'level' of maturity.

This can explain pretty well how some 10 years old kids can be mature, and how some 30 years old are not. This also fits with boys maturing faster than girls. Particularly, if a baby constantly recieves care and protection, he will not learn to be responsible. But if he is left on his own, then he will know for sure it's all up to him. Something like this.

And I know, I was not mature until 20.

I see what you are saying Kirr. this is the only one I do not have questions about. For instance, you see this a lot in stories like "Hatchett". The boy would have to be extremely mature to survive that.

UPDATE: Kanzure, I also feel that I am insecure. But I do not come and post on a forum to feel better about myself.

Yep, there was no excuse that time. But, you'll probably be happy to hear I won't be posting here much anymore.

Why? I have never had a problem with you. Real life problems?

I'd more or less agree with Thomas H's definition given at the top of this thread. Maturity is when people no longer react in an extreme (or `childish') way to every new situation.
I could more easily define it by example than generically though. The reply quoted in the first message doesn't look particularly mature to me.

This is the first time I've heard that... as far as I always heard, it's the other way around. At least in my experience, girls are more mature than boys of the same age...

Me.. Mature? Naw!

Well, even if we could all agree on a definiton of maturity, some people would be classed as more mature than others. However there wouldn't be a cut off point we could say where you go from immature to mature, so I'm not sure if we can classify people like this.

It's hard to define in one sentence what matury is so I think the easiest way to define it would be for us to build a list of qualities/caracteristics of a person mature people have.

The true test of maturity is to wake up in a downtown alley in only your underwear.. according to Woody Allen

So, I am guessing about half the people here are mature.

And what a mature man is supposed to do in that case, that everyone will not do anyway?

M means "Mature children of mine" in Tamil

The irony!

Indeed.

Actually... It really means "son of Manuel"

So you're really a man?

Anything is possible on the 'net

Teeeeeheeeeeeeehehehhehe!

No.

We demand evidence.

I'm a girl.

We all have known that all along. We were just going along with your theatrics to make you feel better about yourself.

When's the operation?

(j/k!)

He just started taking the hormone pills. So, it is still awhile off.

And if you didn't know. Don't take anything I say serious. Not even this, or this.

UPDATE: I have decided to change my defination of immaturity to making fun of things or ideas you do not understand.

For instance, two insults that really piss me off are "retarded", and "gay". What type of insults are those? What is wrong with being homosexual? Why make fun of someone who was made with a lower IQ? Personally, that is one of the reasons I come here. We do not make fun of others based on them as a material. But by their personality.

Might be a language-based misunderstanding...isn't that pretty much the same?

A lot of people I know use the word 'gay' to say something is bad. For example, if a dustbin bag splits, they'll say 'it's really gay when that happens'.

Christ that really p*sses me off.

I couldn't figure out how to word it. I mean, don't judge people on stuff they can't control. (For isntance race, or religion, even though you can semi-control religion). Yet, how they treat others.

Maturity is the ability to use wisdom well.
Wisdom is abundant knowledge of meaningful things.

Maturity is when, after getting really bored in a chemistry lecture, you begin to look for things to do, and you notice that you have a sheet of paper in front of you, so you make a paper airplane out of it, and you throw it, and it hits the professor in the back of the head, and when, after narrowing down the general vicinity of the airplane throw, the professor finds out that you were the one who did it, and when he says, "Young man, did you throw that airplane?" you stand up tall, and say "no, your MOM threw that airplane!" And you laugh.

Maturity is when one accepts that he/she is not mature.

Or: wisdom is to know the extent of one's ignorance.

I know the extent of my ignorance. It's finding out how to fix it that's tricky. "Yes, I am bloody serious. I really don't know who [insert person's name] is. Are you going to tell me or not?"

Maturity is the last stage before rot and mould. I should know. I have to live with the stuff.

(It's OK, I'm exaggerating. A lot. )

[EDIT]
Oh, and thanks SSC \o/

Maturity is when you have dreams about getting an insanely high phone-bill (like i had last night) which will ruin you're economy.

Maturity is to treat others with the respect they deserve.
So a mature person would tell me I'm a lazy bastard, while an immature person would be going on about it forever and use expressions the world has never before heard.

I scratch your back, you scratch mine

I define maturity as being able to handle situations well. Any situation. Therefore, I am not mature. I can handle some situations well, not all.
Doing what is right, knowing you could get in trouble is mature.

Also, not worrying about what others think of you is mature. I think that would be mentally mature. Again I'm not mature..

Now, I think I am mature in the physical aspect. For now.

I think I have childish views on this..

Maturity - Something this thread is not, but wishes to be

Yeah that could be.

Mature English Cheddar...with pickle...not turkey

<quote name="which translates as "I'd say you must be 28 years old." I">21sai desu.</quote><quote name="which translates as "I'm 21." Does">incident suggest that I'm mature? </quote>

Hai.

People can be mature and immature at the same time. If everyone who was classified as mature, acted mature all the time, than that person would be quite a bore. Think of comedians. Most of these are really immature people, and yet alot of fun to watch. Mature people are not quite as fun at watch, becuase they are the ones who always keep there cool. They always think things through before making decisions. Sometimes this is not the way to do it. Life it to short to always be mature.

Valas?

Kalakissa ei ole kissakala. O___________________________________o

No johan(kin, hehheh) sen arvoo ettei kissakala ou kalakissa, eikö ne ennemminnii veissä ui?

Pohojammaalla on kuule kissikki niin kovia että ne uii ponupannuus.

edit and absolutely off-topic: Hey, you non-finnish people. For some reason I thought it'd be fun to hear you pronounce this and Huuskonnen's post above. Record them and post a link!

I'd give you an example of a good thick savonian dialect but alas (miksei ylös?), I don't have a microphone.

Hehe. Reminds me of that old Spede-joke: "Tultiin savoon tappelemahan, kun ei ollu hämälääsistä vastusta."

Maturity: The trait of honoring or respecting things that you can and can't change, and having a damn good time while doing so. Also about taking up personal responsibility while honoring.

It wouldn't, since it's not difficult at all. Try this:

"W Szczebrzeszynie chrząszcz brzmi w trzcinie."