Mature into adults

We tend to think of emotionally mature and immature as concepts that apply to children:. Nor do you magically become emotionally mature when you get your first job, get married, have a kid, or retire. Unlike physical maturity, which happens more or less automatically, emotional maturity is largely learned, practiced, and reinforced. And many of us were not taught the skills and habits that foster emotional maturity. Or perhaps we learned the basics , but not much more.

Some people seem to just not want to grow up. What causes this behavior? Why are so many people insisting on behaving like kids and abjectly refusing to mature? A person can have unbridled joy at any age, and can delve into whatever pursuits make their souls shine. They just have to balance that with life responsibilities, and that balance is what many of them balk at. In popular media, can you think of a few examples in which adulthood is seen in a positive light? In TV shows and movies, most adults are seen as either haggard shells of their former selves, or laughingstocks, whilst young people are vibrant and having the time of their lives.

For the first multi-country Seed project at Polymath, one of our teams looked not at a market, but a demographic: year olds. Our team — 2 designers, 2 business people and a psychologist — observed this growing age group in Mexico and Colombia as they moved through this life stage. The team surfaced rich insights and highlighted key areas for opportunity that they built business concepts.

Latest Issue. Past Issues. In an age when the line between childhood and adulthood is blurrier than ever, what is it that makes people grown up? He may have floundered during young adulthood, but Henry David Thoreau turned out pretty okay.