At what age are people fully "grown up"?

[pdmcmahon]

I'm 33 and I still think the following are funny:

farts

the word "poop"

douche bags

dead cats on the side of the road

So, you ask about maturity? Allow me to personally sink the bell curve :)

[Tech_Dude_5000]

All based on maturity

[IceDogg]

It varies from person to person.

I agree with you too. I put 18 however, because at that point you are old enough for a job and your own place so you can start to learn about life. You're just not an adult yet, at least not enough for family (kids). You need experience with life before trying to teach it to others (kids). IMO

[I am Reid]

I agree with you too. I put 18 however, because at that point you are old enough for a job and your own place so you can start to learn about life. You're just not an adult yet, at least not enough for family (kids). You need experience with life before trying to teach it to others (kids). IMO

I think grown up mean you live on your own and completely supports yourself. Not getting an apartment with 4 friends and living together while working a $10 an hour job. I think it means when you work completely full time, and live on your OWN, and depend on absolutely no one else. I dont know of any 18 year olds that can do that.

[curme]

I've done and seen a lot around the world, but it's not until I hit my 30's that my mind seemed to focus and I reached a mature clarity. Although I'm still not married yet, or have kids. I'm still looking for the right woman.

[IceDogg]

I think grown up mean you live on your own and completely supports yourself. Not getting an apartment with 4 friends and living together while working a $10 an hour job. I think it means when you work completely full time, and live on your OWN, and depend on absolutely no one else. I dont know of any 18 year olds that can do that.

I never said anything about sharing.. when I said living on their own, what you said it exactly what I meant. On their own! But living on your own and having a full time job doesn't mean maturity or that they could "support" a family. It's only the beginning of learning about life. IMO Like curme said, you don't start to get it until you hit 30ish. But that doesn't mean you're not a grown up until you hit 30.

But it still depends on the person. I don't know many 18 year olds that can even do that, I admit that. Then again I know of a 14 year old that takes care of his whole family (Mother and 2 siblings). Dad's gone and the mother is worthless. He works (1 part time and 1 full time job, and goes to school) and supports the whole family pretty much on his own. I BS you not! So, it depends on the person. That my friend is a fact.

PS, and he doesn't act like the world cut him a raw deal. He's a very well balance and good person. I would call him a grown up with no problem or second thought about it. He's a man!

[PermaSt0ne]

what does he mean by "grown up" exactly? you could infer that in tons of different ways

if you take a cultural anthropology class you learn that you become and adult at puberty

now in the US, UK, and most "modernized" countries we are slowly making the age at which you become an adult older and older. hence why it's 18 years old in the US, 20 in japan, etc.

now you look at 3rd world countries, kids know everything they need to know to live, survive, raise a family, etc. by puberty. they learn how to work the fields from their fathers and how to make food from their mothers all at a very young age

but if you're talking maturity, it's different for each person. way too many immature adults out there.

and as a side note, IQ has nothing to do with maturity. "EQ" or the ability to empathize with others is what makes you mature. more and more studies and more and more professionals are agreeing with this view now

[Orange]

I say 21+

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

depends, im 16 and been told i act alot more like an adult than idiots in there mid 20's depends on who you are speaking about :wacko:

[kevbo]

it depends on the person. I'm 20, and I've met 30-year olds who I felt more mature then, but I've also met 15 year olds who are probably more responsible than me. It depends on life experience, I'd say. Mentally, that is.

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

i think a question like this can only be answered by what the law says, which is to say its all fairly arbitrary, as laws tend to be anyways :yes:

[Brian M. Veteran]

I'm going to be totally random here and say "Never".

How do we know when we've "grown up". Considering people who are 80/90 are still learning things every day, i'd stick with saying that we havent fully developed/grown up until we're dead.

On a technicallity though, if we're talking about maturity etc, i'd say it majorly varies, but between 16-21 is usually about right (although i find that girls mature alot quicker than guys).

[snyper]

When the other one drops.

People are always "growing up" Growing up is a learning process and we never stop learning.

[Samboini]

it depends on the person. I'm 20, and I've met 30-year olds who I felt more mature then, but I've also met 15 year olds who are probably more responsible than me. It depends on life experience, I'd say. Mentally, that is.

+1 for the above. Additionally, it can be strongly affected by your mood and if you've been drinking etc.

[Knife Party]

its dependent on the individual's maturity level i would say....although im not an immature sort of person...being 17......im all with the japanese moto of constant personal improvement. :laugh:

haha..but yeh...life's a laugh..enjoy it

[IceDogg]

I'm going to be totally random here and say "Never".

How do we know when we've "grown up". Considering people who are 80/90 are still learning things every day, i'd stick with saying that we havent fully developed/grown up until we're dead.

On a technicallity though, if we're talking about maturity etc, i'd say it majorly varies, but between 16-21 is usually about right (although i find that girls mature alot quicker than guys).

Well said, and I totally agree about the girls usually mature faster then boys.

[P.M.K]

I said 29.

[Konstanov]

I was as mature as an adult by the time I was 10 simply because that's how my Dad raised me. I was raised in military family, as I'm a seventh generation soldier, and well maturity was the most important thing to my Dad and because I respected him that's how I began to act.

[SacrificialSoldier]

18

[sanctified Veteran]

18

Hardly.

[4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran]

Hardly.

hey 18 is old enough for ANYTHING mate :cool:

[MtnDewCodeRedFreak]

21.

You can purchase beer and drink legally. Also, you can rent a car at that age, while at 18 you're allowed to smoke and have a checking/debit account but can't drink and can't rent cars.

Also, it doesn't matter what level of maturity you have there. I have a friend who's single and going on 41 in September and he takes care of himself, have an apartment of his own, travels around the country for his job, you name it ... yet he still go out to bars when he's off for the weekends.

It takes learning to mature, and we never stop learning. Do you guys at your 20s "learn" what's like to grow old as 80 years? Unfortunately, you never know until 60 years later.

So guys, just let the "maturity" rest and just enjoy life as it is right now.

[BigDaddy5]

So because we have some set laws that society has defined for us, that makes us grown up? What about societies where renting a car isn't an option, and you can drink before you can drive? What about societies where you can't drive? Drinking, driving, and smoking don't make you an adult or mature.

I'm well over 21, and if anything, my toys just keep getting more expensive.

[tao muon]

I'd say you're an adult (this applies to the USA primarily) when you realize that:

... you can only rely on yourself

... the government is not obligated to give you anything in exchange for anything, but they are obligated to take everything you allow them to take from you and give it to someone else who doesn't have as much

... if other people count on you for things, it should be because you want them to and are related, or similarly committed to each other

... if other people count on you (subject to the above conditions) you shouldn't let them down, unless you have to break the law to do so, then you need to reanalyze the situation

... people won't be nice to you simply because you are nice to them. there are people out to hurt you and you must do everything humanely possible to protect yourself, your family and your way of life

... the Democrat party is as dumb and corrupt as the Republican party.

... 'pull my finger' doesn't always work

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

As a 32 year old, I say 31... Here is my very quick explanation why.

18 - Pfft. Real life is just beginning. Possibly living on your own, supporting yourself, whatever the usual paths may be. You still have a long way to go.

21 - Legal age to drink in the states. From here you lose whatever maturity you have gained since 18 for a good couple of years. Do the whole going out thing to death.

25 - Start feeling completely unfulfilled by the whole going out thing, realize you have not done that much yet, start getting your act together. You start realize it is no longer about you, but your family and loved ones, but you do not fully accept it yet.

30 - By now, you feel you have taken a path, may or may not be happy with this path. Most people have or are close to "settling down." You realize your twenties are the past, and life is now in full swing.

31 - You digress initially, as you cannot believe you are now past 30 years old. This passes quickly, and responsibilities start meaning so, so, so much more than they ever have. You without a doubt realize it is no longer about you, but all about your family and loved ones. Your decisions revolve around others.

Naturally, this very loose path of things is not exactly set to the years outlined above. Some people hit these different plateaus earlier, some people never hit them. However above is my loose experience of things. I felt like an "adult" at 25, what it means to actually be an adult hit me right around 30.

Basically the saddest day of my life, but the true wake up call I was grown up, was the first time I was called Sir. Now I am called it on an every day basis.