Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1a 7/7/83; site rlgvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!rlgvax!keith From: keith@rlgvax.UUCP (keith) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Age, corn flakes, maturity Message-ID: <878@rlgvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 23-Jul-83 16:02:02 EDT Article-I.D.: rlgvax.878 Posted: Sat Jul 23 16:02:02 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 23-Jul-83 22:16:54 EDT Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA Lines: 43 23 July 83 I'd like to comment on the various arguments that are currently going on over age. I don't have any answers, just some observations. ** Women tend to be more mature at a younger age than men do. I think this is a result of environment, they are encouraged to spend more time with adults than male adolescents are. Boys are encouraged to be independent, girls are encouraged to "help Mom" etc. I think that a great deal of maturity involves restraint. Girls are taught restraint much earlier than boys, not to mention that women in our culture are taught to consider the feelings/emotions/desires of other people. Men are not. ** Being out of sync with your age group is painful. It's very difficult to be accepted when you don't share the experiences of the age group that you share feelings with, but you share experiences with people that are at a different maturity level. ESPECIALLY in high school, where you can't avoid that age group. ** People judge very quickly on age. Why not? We all judge the people we come into contact with. As quickly as possible, and age is obvious. We need to classify them in order to decide how to react to/with them. ESPECIALLY those we work with, those who can affect our careers. Besides, in general, age is a good classification. I can expect certain types of behavior from *most* 15 year olds, other types from *most* 45 year olds. ** I agree with *windy. Biological age doesn't have much to do with maturity. I tend to also agree with whoever it was that said (roughly) a man is found when a man is needed. (read woman). People learn to deal with situations when they are forced into those situations (if they are capable of learning at all). ** For all of the above, defining maturity, I agree with *windy that maturity is largely subjective. But there are certain modes of behaviour that are accepted as mature, as adult. Sensitivity to your culture, the feelings of others, etc. These are rarely found in adolescents. (They are also rarely found in adults...?) Sounds like an interesting topic, let's hear more, Keith ...![ allegra, seismo, mcnc, we13 ]!rlgvax!keith