To Devonin, Spenner, and Dynam0, you all valid points.
These questions asked by Mourningfall are important points for the topic of maturity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by devonin
If you replace the phrase "Political correctness" with "Basic human respect" I think you'll answer a lot of your own questions.
I think it is not so much a question of inherent or learned. I guess I'd say learned, but it's less about "maturity is learned" and more "Either maturity or immaturity is learned"
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This pretty much sums up my point of maturity in a nutshell. I'll elaborate my definition of maturity.
Maturity in my terms is based on a few factors. Culture, experience, and comprehension would be my pillars of maturity in a sense of a foundation for it.
Every culture has their own taboos or creed that determine the way a typical person in society carries one self. A prime example would be publicly flashing your private areas in America. That is a common example of immaturity in America and is typically illegal. It is labeled immature because we have a simple code of conduct regular citizens of ourselves society abide to. But if somebody was in a amazon jungle with a indeginous native tribe, then they would view nudity in a different light, given the fact most women are topless.
Immaturity has certainly varied levels to it depending on the cultures guidelines. A singular shared idea of maturity in all cultures is conducting yourself in a proper manner that shows usage of cultural and societal etiquette among the society.
Immaturity in America can range from sagging your pants from cussing. But that can also be dictated by who and what their around which determines their personal definition of maturity. A person who makes a six figure salary would deem a person sagging and cussing like a sailor immature. Which brings me to the next pillar of maturity, experience.
Environment can be a vital creator for experiences when a individual has accumulated knowledge of a particular setting. Being raised a certain way can define a persons maturity by what they have been accustomed to. If your Mother and Father sagged their pants their entire life and you only knew people who sagged, chances are your experience of sagging will condition your mind to believe sagging is normal and mature if you know nothing else. Which in turn would give you the impression that not sagging is immature.
Your culture is the first pillar because it funnels into the experiences in your life that structures your mentality. Most people can agree that we have witnessed immaturity in adults. An example would be somebody at a McDonalds losing their temper towards an employee because they made a small error in their order. Mature people in our society understand that people make mistakes from time to time and dont take it personal. But somebody who has experience in demonstrating extreme aggression towards a petty error is habitually accustomed to that nature.
Experiences have the ability to define a persons habits and routines. If a person is mentally handicap by having Down syndrome, is it proper to say they are immature if they have a tantrum at the dinner table?
And that leads me to the answering Mourningfall's question of: " Is it a inherent characteristic or a learned trait?"
Clearly it has to be learned since we as adults learn the concept of going to the bathroom when we become older after the fact of defecating on ourselves when we're babies. That is a form of discipline that is nestled in the bosom of maturity. We just don't carry ourselves that way as mentally stable adults. It's disgusting, gross, and terrible hygiene.
Which leads to the final pillar, comprehension.
"I think it is not so much a question of inherent or learned. I guess I'd say learned, but it's less about "maturity is learned" and more "Either maturity or immaturity is learned" - Devonin
I had to quote Devonin once more because this sums up all three pillars but emphasizes the pillar of comprehension.
Let's go back to the example of the kid with down syndrome. He throws his food around the dinner table. Can he deem the action he took as rude or immature? If he has the ablitiy to comprehend proper dinner table etiquette then it is absolutely immature.
But if he doesn't know the difference between the two then it is decided by the perspective of the person viewing the situation. You can make the argument that he is mentally handicap and he doesn't understand how to learn etiquette but that supports the pillar of comprehension: To know maturity, you must know immaturity. Their has to be a line in the sand to divide the two aspects. If you can't comprehend the line that seperates the two, its all the same to you. Not being able understand the differences between the two deem it as impossible to see both sides. That's like asking a truly color blind person the difference between red and yellow. You must have comprhension of both sides in order to acknowledge the side by side comparison.
I tend to elaborate more then I intilially intended to but it was a interesting topic to discuss. I have a lengthy reply but once I saw the title of this thread I knew I had to have a say in it given my position as a Philosopher.
Anways guys, awesome answers! And hope I didn't come too late in the discussion (im sure you all will scoff at me bringing up a month old thread back) but I am hoping I have brought new material for this subjects among us.
I have high hopes in hearing new thoughts and replies on my personal perception!
- The-DDR-Philosopher