15 Signs You Are More Mature Than Others

15 Signs You Are More Mature Than Others

We generally perceive older people as being more mature – they somehow seem to have greater credibility. However, psychological maturity has nothing to do with age (or the wrinkles around your eyes). It has more to do with the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner. It helps you become a better person overall - more tolerant, compassionate, understanding and empathetic to others. Here are 15 signs you are more mature than others around you.

Number 1 - You Take Time More Seriously One of the most obvious signs of maturity is having the ability to manage time effectively. You understand that time is valuable, and you don’t like to waste any of it. You find it equally important to respect other peoples’ time - this includes personal and professional settings.

Number 2 - You Embrace Responsibilities Responsibility comes with experience, not age - and only mature people possess this trait. It’s one of those key traits that is essential for becoming a healthy, happy, and productive person - without it, you cannot advance in life. When you’re mature, you embrace responsibilities - instead of running away from them. You no longer find yourself procrastinating - you know that you’ll feel much better if you handle your responsibilities first, and then relax with a clear mind.

Number 3 - You Take Your Work Seriously People have different priorities. Depending on the type of work you are doing, you may look at it as something that’s permanent, or you may look at it as temporary work. In either case, you tend to take the job more seriously - regardless if it’s something you spent your entire life working for, or if it’s just something to help you pay your way through school. You always make the effort to do your best. You realize and understand the importance of each job on your resume, and how it can help you in the future.

Number 4 - You Respect Differences You’ve developed a mature acceptance of people and things that are different from what you like. Perhaps you’re more open to trying new foods, or accepting the lifestyles of those you didn’t understand before. Because you’ve developed open-mindedness, you accept that someone is different from you - rather than try to convince them to be like you.

Number 5 - You’ve Mastered The Art Of Listening You no longer feel that your ego has to shine in every conversation. You are able to listen to someone, and not feel like you need to cut in before they are done speaking. You understand the value of listening - and know that by doing so, you will learn a lot more than by talking. Unless people ask about you, you don’t feel like you have to talk about yourself all the time. You no longer seek the approval of others at every chance you get - and you’ve realized that most people don’t care all that much about every single thing that happens in your life.

Number 6 - You Think Before Responding You pay close attention to the words of others, and you are able to contain your emotions. You try to fully understand the other person’s point of view, and then you respond with reason. As a mature person, you filter your thoughts before speaking, especially in social gatherings. And even when others are out of line, you don’t sink to their level. You stay calm as you discuss issues, and you never let your temper take over. The only time you dispute something is when it’s absolutely essential. You would rather win the relationship than win the argument. Instead of trying to get revenge on those who have hurt you, you always try to understand them.

Number 7 - You Focus On Self-Improvement This isn’t so much to do with ambition, but rather the effort of making yourself better. With maturity comes the understanding that the more you improve yourself, the better and easier your life gets. You enjoy progressing and creating new opportunities and situations for yourself, and you realize that the more you work on improving yourself, the more options you have!

Number 8 - You Know What Patience Really Means While we live in a world of instant gratification, you understand the value of patience. When you’re mature, your expectations become more realistic. You don’t demand anything of life, and don’t expect things to just happen instantly. Instead, you’re willing to put in the effort and wait for the rewards to materialize - regardless of how long it takes. Living life at a slower pace than most of society, you try to set a positive example in a world that seems to move too quickly.

Number 9 - You Are Not Afraid Of Commitment With maturity comes the willingness to make a place for someone else in your life. You're not all that interested in the dating or hook-up scene anymore. When you’re in a relationship, you give it your all - you’re committed, and you're in it for the long haul. Also, you are not afraid of the challenges that come with romantic relationships - you have the courage to get through the tough times, even if it’s painful. And when a relationship ends, instead of feeling completely hopeless, you take it as a lesson and grow from it.

Number 10 - You Compromise More We live in a time when everyone likes to think they are always right, even if they’re not. But as a mature person, you’ve come to the realization that the world doesn’t revolve around you, and you’re able to compromise and accommodate others. You make sacrifices by replacing selfish habits with more empathetic ones, and you consider how your decisions will impact others. You accept when you are wrong, and you always look for ways to make the situation right.

Number 11 - Your Family Has Become More Important At one time, your friends were probably your most important priority, and it was like a chore to hang out with family. But this has changed. You still keep a close group of friends, but you realize how important family really is. You actually look forward to spending time with your loved ones.

Number 12 - You Think About Your Health Many would think that as people get older, they would put more focus on their health, however, there are a large number of older people who completely disregard their health. As a mature person, you know that taking care of your health has nothing to do with age; it has more to do with the realization that you are not invincible. You pay close attention to your diet, and you have no problem with making lifestyle changes in order to maintain your health.

Number 13 - You Don’t Mind Being Alone For a mature person, spending time alone is actually therapeutic. Now, that doesn’t mean you are an outcast or that you can’t stand people… You simply don’t need to have another person around in order to keep yourself occupied. In fact, you make sure to set aside some time for yourself - whether it’s catching up on your favorite show, reading a few chapters in a good book, or just taking a short nap. This is not about being lazy - it’s about knowing that you need time to relax and reset.

Number 14 - You Adopted A Positive Attitude As a mature person, you are aware that your thoughts have a strong impact on the kind of person you become. You make a conscious effort to shift your thoughts toward a more optimistic outlook on life, because you know that having a positive attitude will help you become a happier and more balanced person. You don’t complain and compare yourself to others; and you refuse to engage with people or activities that bring you down. When bad things happen, you know that wallowing in misery won’t fix anything. So instead, you choose to look for the silver lining, and take it as an opportunity to learn from the experience.

Number 15 - You Accept What You Can’t Control Being mature means that you’ve realized that some things are beyond your control, and you accept the fact that not everything is set in stone. Knowing that change is the only constant thing in life, you embrace whatever life brings your way. If your life takes another direction, you don’t go into a downward spiral of doom - you surrender to the unexpected, and just roll with the punches. It is easy to be immature and act out in situations - even when a person is older and expected to behave maturely.

However, acting in the right manner, requires a lot of work and effort - and that is the core of maturity. It’s about having control over yourself and your life, taking action, and being respectful to others. What do you think? How different are you today than you were…say… 5, or 10 years ago? Do you feel you’ve matured? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!