What does it mean to be a mature person, psychology of maturity

Human mental health is a very broad topic and includes many aspects. Just because a person is healthy, whole and fulfilled in some way, this does not indicate his personal maturity. What can be considered an indicator of a person’s maturity?

One of the necessary conditions for personality maturity is the quality, or ability, of a person to rely on himself. Personal maturity manifests itself well in relationships.

For example, in our society it is believed that a happy marriage is one in which the partners satisfy each other's needs. A person is sure that his partner should take care of him, create comfort, console him, protect him, and he is ready to give something in return. But if this does not happen, then the person becomes disappointed in his partner and looks for someone who can satisfy his needs. This shows quite clearly where divorces come from.

An indicator of a person’s maturity is a person’s willingness to take care of himself. He himself is able to provide himself with security, care for himself, this person is able to love himself. This is manifested in the fact that he can heal himself if necessary, he has the ability to self-regulate, he is able to console himself, create comfort for himself, and is able to protect himself. In a relationship, such a person, instead of expecting something from a partner, can share it with the person himself. Those. An indicator of a person’s maturity is a person’s ability not to shift all responsibility to another person, to be able to independently resolve their emotional problems, to cope with their anxieties and fears.

What doesn't a mature person do? He tries to settle his fears, settle his anxieties, sometimes in a violent way, at the expense of another person.

Psychological maturity is also manifested in the fact that a person is able, despite his emotional problems, not only not to attack another, but also is able not to ignore him or withdraw. He maintains contact, is present with his partner.

Another important quality of a person’s psychological maturity is the ability to respond to the emotional problems of another person. This translates well into partnerships. When a person is able, seeing the problems of another person, not to start saving him, not to start attacking him. But at the same time, do not distance yourself from him, do not leave, do not leave him alone. He is able to simply be in contact, to be present, to be able to reflect it, to be nearby, to maintain contact.

A mature person is also a person who is able to be flexible. An immature person is quite cruel in his assessments, in his worldview, in his attempt to defend his rightness. He receives inner strength from his beliefs and rules received from the outside, which he is accustomed to follow.

Thus, an immature person gains strength not within himself, but at the expense of his family, at the expense of the country, at the expense of some organization.

An indicator of a person’s maturity also lies in the fact that when a person is flexible, when everything is in order with him, he can allow another person to convince himself of something, he can allow himself to accept the point of view of another person, but at the same time, without destroying himself, preserving myself. He can even allow himself to be influenced, again preserving himself and his integrity.

What else can be considered an indicator of a person’s maturity? A person’s ability to feel some painful feelings meaningfully, for growth, the ability to consciously leave their comfort zone. The ability to show another person your wound, your vulnerability, your pain, to open up, to trust, to admit some of your limitations, i.e. take some risk, go through some discomfort.

Humans are naturally programmed to avoid pain and seek pleasure and comfort. Therefore, unfortunately, not everyone manages to solve their problems, even if they have the desire. You can see why this happens in our article on the topic “About people who are not helped by coaching” from Olga Tereshchenko.

Psychological infantilism

But it also happens that, according to a passport, a person turns 30 (40, 50) years old, but he remains psychologically underdeveloped. This category includes those who constantly hear addressed to them: “When will you finally grow up?” Some of them are even proud of the fact that they do not want to accept the responsibilities of adulthood. It is very difficult for an infantile adult in a world full of problems.

In order to grow up, it is necessary to go through all age-related stages of development, which psychologists call “crises.” At the same time, a crisis is not only circumstances. It is a platform on which the human soul has the opportunity to learn to solve certain problems, receiving its “bonuses” for this. At three years old, a child learns to be independent. This time is called the “3-year crisis,” when the little person increasingly says “I myself.” But if he finds support from adults in his actions, he has a feeling of “I can.” Infantile adults often grow up from overprotective families.

Age-related personality development also represents a major crisis for adolescents. At the same time, the age of 12-18 years is quite fertile soil for a person to develop infantility. It is during adolescence that he decides whether to remain a child or grow up.

What are the characteristics of an infantile personality, or a child wearing the shell of an adult?

He doesn't know how to control his emotions. Often expresses anger, whims, blames others;
Does not have a well-developed value system. Focuses on “how it is needed, how it is accepted.” Always tries to copy those around him in what to think, say, how to dress;
Applies to the world as a consumer. He takes a lot and gives little. The parasitic lifestyle that the infantile personality leads in the family continues in marriage. He simply passes from one guardian to another;
Fears responsibility and making one's own decisions;
He lives in “waiting for a miracle”, that someone stronger will come to him and solve his problems.

Three stages of adulthood

— Early maturity (youth);
- average mature age (maturity);
— Late adulthood (aging and old age).

Youth is, first of all, the time to start a family.

Young age is, first of all, the time of creating a family and establishing family life, the time of mastering the chosen profession and the first significant achievements in it, which determine the attitude towards public life and one’s role in it. In youth, the most complex types of work are available, communication is the most complete and intense, friendships and love relationships are easily established and fully developed.

The main emotional problem that must be addressed in early adulthood is the achievement of identity and intimacy.

Emotional intimacy in human relationships is the basis of love. The feeling of love is deeply intimate and is accompanied by situationally arising and changing emotions of tenderness, delight, jealousy, which are often expressed in the form of anger, sadness, anger, resentment, disappointment and other emotions. Love covers a fairly wide range of emotional phenomena, varying in depth, strength and other characteristics: from relatively weakly expressed relationships (sympathies) to completely exciting human experiences that reach the power of passion.

Raising a family is extremely important for personal development. A person acquires a new status associated with the responsibility for continuing the family and raising the next generation. With the birth of their first child, the spouses begin to master the parental roles of father and mother. The whole way of life changes, new responsibilities appear, new aspects of responsibility towards each other and a new general responsibility for the person who is born. A complex of emotions associated with fatherhood develops, including the joy of communicating with the child and experiencing it.

Affection and trust, special sensitivity to the needs of the child, a sense of interest, admiration and pride for the child.

Creating a family and having children is a very important step in the life of every person, which is determined by the following motives: love, spiritual intimacy, material calculation, psychological compatibility and moral considerations. The future of the family will depend on what values a person will be guided by when creating a family.

The second important aspect of life in adolescence is mastering the chosen profession. A person succeeds in this and acquires professional skills. In youth, it is easier to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to work in a profession; a person is the most productive, can withstand the greatest physical and mental stress, and is most capable of mastering complex methods of intellectual activity. The required special personal and functional qualities develop: organizational skills, initiative, resourcefulness, accuracy and precision, quick reaction, etc.

If a person chooses a successful path in life, then already in adolescence he reaches a fairly high level of mastery in the profession and his objective recognition. With the championship comes a sense of professional competence.

It has been noticed that as people approach 30, romantic values at work are replaced by more practical ones. The following items become basic.

Psychology of maturity

A person can be considered mature only if he is able to develop harmoniously in the face of negative and positive events. It is worth remembering that life experience is also gained from failures. If a person has had to deal with severe disappointment, betrayal from a loved one, or shattered dreams, then he can draw some benefit from this.

Maturity is determined by the ability to appreciate even the most negative experience, realizing that without it it will not be possible to fully develop.

A person striving for self-sufficiency accepts the need to be able to make choices even in the most extreme situations and is ready to bear responsibility for them. Young people who are distinguished by the adequacy of consciousness and recognize the need for social and professional fulfillment have a greater chance of achieving psychological maturity than those who cannot escape from the strict control and overprotection of loved ones.

In rare cases, a person can do what he loves, which will provide him with social status and recognition from others. Most often, you have to go to a job you don’t like, which allows you to provide for your everyday needs and needs. In such cases, a mature personality is distinguished by the ability to be persistent in realizing one’s goals and the willingness to compromise with oneself in difficult periods of life.

Important

Getting an education and mastering a profession are important psychological stages of maturity, as is building family and friendships.

Yes, having a diploma with honors does not indicate maturity, but the ability and willingness to learn and develop is a mandatory character trait of a mature person. The ability to live in harmony with oneself and others, as well as to create social connections, make friends and family, significantly help in achieving maturity.

The birth and upbringing of children instills responsibility and contributes to the “maturation” of parents. Friendly relationships help an individual develop democracy, tolerance and acceptance of himself and others in the context of interaction.

Maturity of age and maturity of personality - what is the difference?

Age and maturity are not always synonymous concepts.

For acmeologists, identifying these definitions also causes certain difficulties: not every adult is a mature person and vice versa.

“Adulthood” reflects the degree of physical, mental and social development. This stage refers to a person reaching adulthood, when he is already physically formed and receives a number of rights and responsibilities as a citizen of his state and a member of society.

That is, certain expectations are formed from the individual, both professionally and personally. The success of realizing these expectations already comes from another concept - maturity.

A mature personality is characterized by mental health, the ability to adapt, make independent decisions and take responsibility for them.

She has qualities that characterize her as original and independent.

These qualities can develop in a person before his social and physical maturity, or maybe later. An immature adult personality will be characterized by infantilism, reasoning, and emotional instability.

They often say about such people “not matured,” meaning not their age at all, but their personal maturity. Under normal conditions, this maturity comes with age, with which conditions change and new tasks and goals appear.

In the case of difficult life situations and rich experience, maturity may come “earlier than the calendar.”

In the absence of such changes and the constant care of others, maturity is usually delayed, which gives rise to problems in the future for an adult.

Development of self-knowledge

What else characterizes psychological maturity? The characteristics of this personality include the development of self-knowledge. Because without understanding yourself, it is impossible to effectively build communications with others. This process promotes a realistic attitude towards oneself and a better understanding of others.

A mature person must be aware of what she wants to achieve in life, what is important to her and what is not. She constantly adjusts her values. She should not become a reflection of the hopes of others, but must act guided by her own convictions. This allows you to feel strong in interpersonal contacts.

Average maturity

Around the age of 40, a person’s psychological maturity reaches a new level. This is connected with the search for answers to vital questions: about the meaning of existence, the realization of desires.

People are reassessing their values and revising their claims. The ability to rethink the surrounding reality, become interested in new people, influence your future, become a true professional, and realize your creative potential is formed. But this is also the time of doubt. Any person wonders if he has chosen the right path. He is haunted by the fear of decreased performance, and there is a need to choose new goals. A common reason is the difference between desires and reality.

A new level of maturity is associated with the emergence of problems that are often associated with a midlife crisis. Scientists believe that overcoming it is associated with solving the following personal problems:

formation of civil liability;
achieving a certain standard of living;
optimal organization of leisure;
deepening the personal aspect in relationships with loved ones, helping children;
accepting and getting used to your own physiological changes;
supporting aging parents.

Personality and society

Psychological maturity is a multidimensional concept, one of the aspects of which is interaction with society. It is impossible to live in isolation from his problems and aspirations.

The social aspect is, first of all, a rejection of existing stereotypes. Focusing on one's own needs and feelings, a mature person is less susceptible to manipulation and the influence of the crowd.

But at the same time, a mature individual accepts the world with all its laws, imperfections and even suffering. He does not try to change what has developed over centuries, but spends resources on improvements in microsociety in order to be in harmony with the environment and bring maximum benefit. Social and psychological maturity is evidenced by:

sense of responsibility;
social intelligence, the ability to anticipate changes in social processes;
caring for others;
active in the life of society;
applying knowledge and skills to benefit others;
overcoming problems on the path to self-realization.

Only the social environment is capable of shaping a mature personality.

Resilience to Uncertainty

Many people get lost in situations that lack clarity and lack structure. But a person often has to enter someone else's territory, so he needs confidence in the absence of certainty. We often don't know what problem we'll face or what decisions we'll have to make. Confidence in one’s own intuition, the adequacy of feelings, confidence in the constructiveness of decisions and the ability to take justifiable risks - all this helps a person to endure the tension created by uncertainty. This is also the lot of mature individuals.

Psychological maturity: concept

There is no single approach to defining what it is. The only thing that is indisputable is the statement that we can talk about maturity in the period when a person is at the peak of his intellectual, physical and spiritual abilities. Its maturation occurs gradually and marks the transition:

from subordination to elders in the family - to equality;
from dependence to independence;
from the simplest set of reactions to external influences - to a diverse behavioral repertoire;
from a carefree life - to awareness of one’s responsibility for events;
from primitive hobbies to more complex interests.

A person’s impulsive actions are replaced by deliberate steps, building a long-term perspective based on previous experience. It is the latter that can force a person to give up immediate achievements in the name of obtaining more serious benefits in the future. What periods of psychological maturity do scientists identify?

Definition of the concept

Maturity is not a set of physiological qualities, not age and social status, and certainly not an educational diploma. In fact, this is a deeper and more complete perception of the surrounding reality, coupled with the desire to develop as a person, the desire to become better than you currently are.

Today, psychologists have come to the conclusion that a mature personality is distinguished by self-confidence and general emotional stability, as well as complete independence and a thirst for professional development.

At times, approaches to defining this concept replaced each other, as a result of which a certain list of signs of psychological maturity was developed:

Independence is expressed in the ability to lead an autonomous existence and solve possible problems without outside participation. A mature person is ready to make decisions and bear full responsibility for them, and is also able to receive moral satisfaction from the knowledge that she is building her own life.
Patience. In this case, we are talking about a person’s understanding that the successful implementation of a set goal may take a long time, but this does not discourage him. He understands that it is stupid to hope for quick results and is ready to continue to act to achieve his dream. At the same time, he is completely calm about the people around him with their strengths and weaknesses. He does not feel the desire to remake the world according to his criteria of correctness.
Inner harmony. It is a rare person who is satisfied with absolutely everything about himself. Much more often the opposite happens and a person constantly strives to become better, in order to get closer to some ideal drawn by consciousness. In some cases, dissatisfaction with one's shortcomings can cause serious psychological problems. But a mature person does not rush from internal discomfort when contemplating his own imperfection. He accepts and loves himself as he is.
Self-sufficiency is the ability to live in harmony alone with oneself, without feeling psychological and everyday discomfort. A self-sufficient person does not need others to solve any problems or satisfy his needs. Such a person can quite easily spend a weekend evening alone watching his favorite movie; he simply does not feel an urgent need for the company of acquaintances and friends.
The thirst for knowledge is inherent in any mature personality. A dynamically changing world dictates its own laws, forcing a person to quickly adapt to new realities by mastering new information. The individual accepts the need for self-development for the sake of his further successful existence and does not experience any negative emotions about this.

Important

Maturity is a combination of physical, mental and social development. Most often, the level of psychological maturity is achieved by the age of 30.

But in the case of difficult life situations and rich experience, maturity can come much earlier.

Early maturity

Its beginning coincides with the period of adolescence. The authors differ in determining the exact age limits, but the most common point of view is the position of V. Ginzburg. According to him, boys enter a period of psychological maturity from 16 to 24 years old; girls who grow up a little earlier - from 15 to 20 years old.

How is this stage characterized? A person is included in all types of social activity: he is endowed with legal and voting rights, creates a family, realizes himself professionally and learns economic responsibility. Having absorbed information about various social roles, a person begins to apply it to himself.

A. Tolstykh argues that during this period the beginning of the realization of emerging opportunities for self-development occurs. The main problem is often cited as the contradiction between isolation and closeness with others. At this time it is necessary:

find harmony between reality and dreams;
find a mentor;
decide on a career;
build a sphere of intimate and personal communication.

Factors motivating to work

internal - satisfaction with the work process itself and the significance of the result obtained, external - remuneration, material incentives, recognition in the team of employees and in the professional environment in general. A person already realistically assesses his abilities, adjusts his life values and level of aspirations.

Psycho-cognitive processes develop unevenly during this period. The intellectual development of a person who has reached early maturity goes hand in hand with the formation or transformation of his personality. Although the development of psychophysical functions stops by the age of 25, intellectual development continues for many years.

An adult can control the course of his intellectual development and achieve significant results related to work or creativity. Success

a person depends on the level of his abilities, level of education and the right type of activity. This fact indicates that the development of a person’s cognitive sphere is individually determined.

Self-awareness, self-esteem, and "self-worth" are influenced by a person's self-definition as a sexual partner, spouse, parent, professional, and citizen.

In accordance with the awareness of one’s own physical characteristics, awareness of psychological age, professional orientation, basic personal and social attitudes, the integral “I-concept” includes new formations that reflect personal maturity.

During this period, there is a normative crisis at the age of 30-33 years. This is due to the discrepancy between a person’s life plans and real opportunities. At this age, life values are reviewed and irrelevant values are discarded.

The period of early adulthood is characterized by mastering professional activities, self-improvement, creating a family, raising children, and the specifics of organizing free time (leisure), which makes it possible to realize untapped human potential.

Thus, each sphere of human activity is characterized by a specific nature of actions and communication: work is a socially useful activity, family is the concentration and variety of interpersonal relationships, leisure is the realization of personal potential.

The leading factor of development during this period is professional activity, and the main tasks of early adulthood are self-determination and creating a family.

Stages of psychological maturity

The process of becoming a mature personality is very long and goes through several stages, which in a normally developing person correspond to specific periods of physiological and mental development.

In some cases, the degree of maturity may freeze in its formation and even remain for life, never leading to the final goal.

To date, psychologists have identified the following 4 stages of personality “maturation”:

Infantile. This stage is characteristic of people with a childish model of behavior. Such a person is not ashamed of himself and his characteristics and demonstrates himself to others without fear. He openly perceives the world and himself, not paying attention to the negative aspects. Like small children, infantile individuals have an urgent need for love and care and are not ready to take responsibility for anything. Outwardly, they appear to be easy-going optimists who do not have any special attachments. But as soon as they encounter the first difficulty in life, all optimism fades into the background, and all their efforts are directed to finding someone who will take upon themselves to resolve the problems.
Adaptive. In the case of adequate personality development, this stage corresponds to the teenage period of growing up. At this time, a person strives with all his might to understand the world around him and find his place in it. All forces are aimed at self-affirmation and attempts to prove their own importance. One of the most obvious needs can be considered the craving for independent decision-making, despite unformed responsibility. This personality is characterized by emotional instability and a tendency towards maximalism, a lack of patience with oneself and other people. An adult at this stage of development is quite capable of organizing his own business, but will not be able to stay afloat for long and will not build romantic or friendly relationships.
Research. This stage is typical for boys and girls who are actively searching for themselves. A person often challenges generally accepted ideals and seeks his own. In addition, the emotional sphere is rapidly developing, a tendency towards empathy is developing, and personal responsibility for family and friends is being formed. A certain maximalism still remains, but more and more often there is a clear tolerance for other people’s imperfections.
Adult. The stage is characterized by all the signs of a mature personality. There comes awareness and acceptance of the reality of the surrounding reality, one’s role in the real picture of the world, internal harmony is achieved and the need arises to create conditions for its maintenance.

The term “infantilism” was introduced by E. Lasegue in 1864. It denotes a relatively uniform delay in the rate of mental and physical development of a person.

Mental infantilism is an immaturity of the individual with a predominant lag in the development of the emotional-volitional sphere and the preservation of childish personality traits.

In children, mental infantilism manifests itself in the preservation of behavioral traits characteristic of a younger age. But at an early age, signs of emotional-volitional immaturity and a decrease in the level of behavioral motivation are difficult to identify. Therefore, one can essentially talk about mental infantilism only starting from school and adolescence, when the characteristics inherent in mental infantilism begin to appear more clearly. Quite typical for children of this age is the predominance of play interests over academic ones, misunderstanding and rejection of the school situation and the disciplinary requirements associated with it, which leads to social and school maladjustment.

In adult psychiatry, symptoms of mental infantilism are considered within the framework of personality changes in various mental illnesses (E. Kraepelin).

In relation to children with developmental delays, the term “mental infantilism” was introduced at the beginning of the 19th century. German psychiatrist G. Anton, but he considered it as “partial infantilism” (as opposed to “total infantilism” in mental retardation). In domestic psychiatry, this topic was developed in the works of M. O. Gurevich, G. E. Sukhareva, V. V. Kovalev, K. S. Lebedinskaya and others.

In early childhood, due to the inherent physiological hyperthymia and the great dependence of emotional characteristics on the conditions of the social environment of upbringing and individual characteristics, the establishment of mental infantilism, especially its mild forms, is difficult. However, pediatricians and neonatologists [Doletsky S. Ya., 1976; Gavryushov V.V., 1982] noted the infantile characteristics of the emotional-volitional sphere and personality of children, which are formed in conditions of long and partial hospitalization, during repeated surgical operations, etc. Based on the analysis of psychological and psychopathological manifestations, M. O. Gurevich (1932) and V.V. Kovalev (1985) believed that, along with emotional-volitional immaturity, mental infantilism in childhood is characterized by “motor infantilism” and greater or lesser borderline intellectual failure. The dynamics and outcomes of mental infantilism have not been sufficiently studied and require special research.

Prevalence

mental infantilism, according to psychiatric epidemiology of childhood, is quite significant
- 1.6%.
Causes of mental infantilism

most often are relatively mild brain lesions - infectious, toxic and others, including trauma and fetal asphyxia. The last trimester of the prenatal period and the period of childbirth are considered especially unfavorable in this regard. It is also assumed that the damage to the functional systems of the brain is selective, determined by the asynchrony of their intensive formation and the tropism of the action of one or another factor in the corresponding, most sensitive period. An equally important role in the genesis of infantilism is given to constitutional-genetic predisposition, as well as psychogenic factors in the form of characteristics of upbringing - hypo- or overprotection, despotic upbringing, etc. [Lebedinskaya K. S., 1982; Kovalev V.V., 1985].

There are 4 main variants of infantilism: harmonic (simple), disharmonic, organic

and
psychogenic.
The most significant signs of mental infantilism are emotional and volitional immaturity, which is expressed in lack of independence, increased suggestibility, desire for pleasure from gaming activities, carelessness, immaturity of the sense of duty, responsibility, inability to subordinate one’s behavior to requirements, inability to restrain manifestations of feelings, volitional tension. Prerequisites for mental infantilism in the first years of life: low level of motivation, low research interest, symbiotic attachment to the mother, lack of desire for independence. A decrease in the rate of maturation of emotiogenic brain structures is evidenced by long-lasting diffuse general motor, facial and vocal reactions to stimuli that are prone to generalization, a slowdown in the differentiation of emotions, immaturity of fine motor skills against the background of motor disinhibition, etc.

Simple harmonic infantilism is a uniform delay in the pace and physical and mental development, manifested first of all by the immaturity of the emotional-volitional sphere, and then of the personality as a whole. It is believed that maturation in this case lags behind the norm by 1-3 years. This affects both the child’s behavior and his possibilities for social adaptation. The clinical picture of simple infantilism is characterized by features of immaturity, “childishness” in somatic and mental appearance. Children look younger than their age and are graceful. They are characterized by a lively, but superficial curiosity, and general unstable interests in the environment. With full intelligence, there is underdevelopment of intellectual interests, a kind of disproportion: tirelessness in gaming activities and quick distractibility, fatigue when performing tasks that require intellectual, volitional efforts and patience. In this regard, when entering school, children with simple infantilism may experience neurotic reactions and behavioral disorders in response to ordinary educational tasks. The age dynamics of harmonious infantilism are relatively favorable. Individual activity and independence are gradually acquired, research and creative elements appear in activities, supplemented by imagination and fantasy. Manifestations of simple mental infantilism decrease or completely disappear by approximately 10 years. In cases where infantilism is combined with borderline intellectual deficiency, compensation occurs. Nevertheless, V.V. Kovalev (1985) is apparently right, who believes that complete normalization of personal properties does not occur and simple infantilism, noted in childhood and puberty, is replaced by personal disharmony and ends with accentuation of character or psychopathy of predominantly unstable or hysterical type. Simple infantilism is rare in clinical practice and more often at the level of a subclinical state.

Disharmonious infantilism is distinguished by a combination of signs of mental immaturity characteristic of simple infantilism with individual pathological character traits, such as affective excitability, conflict, deceit and boasting, selfishness, capriciousness, and increased interest in social excesses. Certain pathological character traits are revealed already in the 1st-2nd year of life in the form of stubbornness, reactions of protest, the desire to insist on one’s own, to offend loved ones, to hurt them. In older children, the traits of immaturity in the emotional-volitional sphere are “overlaid” by deviant behavior and pathological character traits. The structure and age-related dynamics of disharmonious infantilism make it possible to regard it as a stage of emerging psychopathy.

The most common variant of organic, or mental, infantilism is infantilism associated with psychoorganic syndrome. It develops as a result of organic damage to the brain. Since we are often talking about intrauterine damage to the fetus, with this type of infantilism there are often multiple stigmas of dysmorphogenesis - short stature, dyscrania, dysotia, high palate, abnormal growth of hair, teeth, etc. The clinical picture of this form of infantilism is extremely polymorphic and is determined by the severity of others psychopathological symptoms of organic brain damage. Emotional-volitional immaturity, as with simple infantilism, is manifested by childish behavior, judgments, naivety, suggestibility, predominance of gaming interests, and inability to engage in activities that require volitional effort. Features of intellectual activity in these cases are inertia and poor switchability of thought processes. In addition, there is a decrease in emotional liveliness and brightness of emotions, superficiality of emotional attachments, and poverty of imagination. Gaming and then educational activities are characterized by monotony and little interest in evaluating their actions, reflecting a low level of aspirations. Along with this, uncriticality, motor disinhibition and elements of psychopathic behavior are observed. Borderline intellectual disability in these children is more pronounced than in other forms of infantilism: the development of the prerequisites for intellectual activity - attention, memory, mental performance - is delayed. But these disorders, having some similarities with mild forms of mental retardation, differ from debility in the predominance of signs of emotional-volitional immaturity and less damage to the actual intellectual functions (such as the ability to generalize and abstract).

Complicated variants of organic infantilism include its cerebrasthenic, neuropathic and disproportionate variants, as well as infantilism due to endocrinopathies. In the cerebrasthenic variant, emotional-volitional immaturity is combined with symptoms of irritable weakness and mild intellectual deficiency. The neuropathic variant of complicated infantilism is characterized by the prevalence of asthenoneurotic phenomena in the form of increased inhibition, fearfulness, timidity, suggestibility, lack of self-confidence, difficulty adapting in children's groups with symptoms of severe somatovegetative dysregulation. With endocrine variants, the clinical picture is determined by a combination of signs of infantilism with mental features typical of a particular type of hormonal dysfunction. Thus, hypogenitalism is characterized by features of infantilism combined with lethargy, slowness, lack of concentration, absent-mindedness, and fruitless philosophizing. With pituitary subnanism, signs of immaturity coexist with features of old age in physical and mental appearance, a tendency to pedantry, reasoning with weakness of willpower, disorders of attention and logical memory.

Based on the characteristics of emotional-volitional immaturity, K. S. Lebedinskaya identifies unstable and inhibited variants of organic infantilism.

A special variant of infantilism remains insufficiently studied - psychogenic infantilism [Kirichenko E. I., 1979; Lebedinskaya K.S., 1982]. This option is considered as an expression of abnormal personality formation under conditions of improper upbringing. Affective immaturity and increased lability, the absence of internal prohibitions that form in cases of deprivation, are determined by improper upbringing or prolonged emotional and social frustration. With age, an emotionally immature personality develops. When brought up on the principle of hyperprotection, along with infantilism, egocentrism, inability to take into account others, extreme lack of independence, passivity, mental intolerance, and inability to exert themselves clearly appear. Despotic upbringing of children with physical punishment and constant prohibitions contributes to the development and consolidation of emotional-volitional immaturity in the form of reduced initiative activity, insufficient independence, and indecisiveness. But all varieties of psychogenic infantilism are characterized by social immaturity of the individual in the form of insufficiency or absence of higher ethical principles and a system of ideals. In such children, positively oriented social and intellectual interests, the need for work, and a sense of duty remain insufficiently formed; there is a distorted understanding of their social responsibilities and their future. All this forms the basis for the deviant behavior of such children.

The differential diagnosis of all forms of infantilism is carried out primarily with mental retardation and behavioral disorders of various origins. In contrast to mentally retarded children, children with infantilism have a higher level of abstract logical thinking; they are able to use assistance in mental activity, transfer learned concepts to new specific tasks and objects, and are more productive in independent activities. If with infantilism there is an intellectual deficiency, then its dynamics, in contrast to those with mental retardation, are characterized by favorability with a tendency to smooth out disturbances in cognitive activity. At the same time, in older children, in the presence of unfavorable environmental factors, negative dynamics of simple infantilism are possible. To distinguish simple infantilism from disharmonious, which is the basis of psychopathy, the absence of affective excitability, explosiveness, disturbances of impulses, and disorders of social behavior is important. It is quite difficult to distinguish organic infantilism from complicated forms of mental retardation. The main criterion should be considered the predominance of violations of the prerequisites of intellectual activity in organic infantilism (memory, attention, verbal and non-verbal intelligence, mental performance, pace and mobility of mental processes), while the possibilities of intellectual activity itself are significantly less impaired. If we evaluate the dynamics of infantilism as a whole, then it is predominantly favorable. The manifestation of pronounced personal emotional-volitional immaturity tends to be reduced with age or becomes part of syndromes of predominantly borderline psychopathology.

Social maturity of the individual

So, if we consider a person as a body that is born, lives 90 years and dies, then we can talk about the social maturity of the individual.

And consider the following periods of human maturity:

infant (0-1 year old) child (2-12 years old) teenager (13-18 years old) young man (19-25 years old) adult (26-65 years old) old man (66-90 years old)

Social maturity comes from the word socialization, society. In society, human maturity is viewed this way.

But since we are Spiritual beings, as I already said, it is important for us to understand how social maturity of a person differs from psychological maturity. Therefore, let’s leave the social maturity of the individual for sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and let’s figure out what the psychological maturity of the individual is.

Therefore, let’s leave the social maturity of the individual for sociologists, psychologists, and scientists, and we ourselves will figure out what the psychological maturity of the individual is.

In other words, the psychological maturity of a person is NOT about socialization, but about the essence of a person. And the essence of man is the Soul, and the Soul is an eternal being.

Therefore, we cannot limit an eternal being to 90 years of life.

It is important for us to understand that before and after our life, something also happens. And if we cut ourselves off from Eternity, we cut ourselves off from all the important Laws of the Universe

If we look into life a little deeper than our usual view, where there is only work, home, picnics, travel, and again work, home, picnics, travel, and so on in a circle, we will see infinite depth. As infinite as the Spirit itself, which is the source of all our Souls.

Our suffering is NOT accidental, friends! They cut off the Truth, a huge piece of the Universe, from us, forced us to run around like squirrels in a wheel, and live according to the principle of society “need”, “should”, “must”, “do as everyone else”. And just try to do as your Soul pleases! You'll get hit on the head right away!

or what distinguishes psychological maturation

Below I will list the main signs that are characteristic of a psychologically mature person.

A mature person is able to independently make life choices, while taking full personal responsibility.

When making a choice, a mature person expresses his inner position. He chooses based on his own values, but at the same time he always takes into account the values of other people.

That is why his choice is not the choice of an egoist, but an authentic one, i.e. a genuine person.

Authenticity

A mature person is able to accept himself as he is, he has adequate self-esteem, without excesses towards excessive pride or endless self-recrimination and self-dislike.

In addition, a psychologically mature person is able to accept the world as it is.

For such a person, everything black and white, everything ugly and beautiful, everything evil and good is a harmonious manifestation of the Universe, and if such a person cannot change anything, then he humbly and philosophically accepts everything as it is.

Deep and authentic relationships with others

A spiritually mature person does not play roles, does not hide behind masks, he lives naturally, feeling not the center, but part of relationships with others.

He is tolerant of other people, knows how to empathize, understand, listen and hear others.

Developed self-knowledge

A mature personality, along with adequate self-perception, also knows himself well, is aware of his advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses, resources and opportunities.

A mature person knows how to hear himself, correctly identify his experiences, thoughts and emotions. He knows who he is.

The desire for self-development

A psychologically mature person is characterized by healthy dissatisfaction with the existing level of spirituality and personal maturity.

Therefore, such a person strives for further growth, does not stop there, he is ready to sacrifice energy and time for the sake of expanding his knowledge and development.

Of course, in this tiny note it is impossible to describe all the signs that characterize a mature personality; it has many facets and manifestations.

Therefore, in the next article I will talk about its other most important characteristics, and also describe the conditions under which personal maturity is formed.

In addition, in it I will allow myself to speculate on the connection between psychological maturation and the key components of success and self-confidence.

That's all. Take care of yourself!

See you in the next publication!

Denis Kryukov

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From a psychological point of view, a mature person has six characteristics:

A mature person has broad boundaries, is actively involved in work, family and social relationships, has hobbies and is interested in political and religious issues.
A mature person is capable of warm, loving social relationships, respect and empathy.
A mature person exhibits self-confidence, can cope with their own negative emotional states by expressing their opinions and feelings, and considers how this will affect others.
A mature person demonstrates a healthy sense of reality, experience and resentment. A mature person perceives other people, objects and situations as they really are.
A mature person exhibits self-criticism, self-awareness, and a sense of humor.
A mature person is able to see the big picture of the world, clearly, systematically and consistently determining what is important in his own life.
A mature person is characterized by a high level of responsibility, concern for other people, and social activity with a humanistic orientation.

The personal aspect of maturity is considered in the context of moral normative behavior. Personal moral standards correspond to humanistic values and are the main regulators of human behavior and relationships; to guide a person towards gradual development, achieving high results, not only personal, but also socially positive.

A mature person is characterized by performing various social roles and using the role as a tool for restructuring his behavior in various situations. This means the ability to flexibly rebuild your personality and change in different situations.

A.A. Rean looks at maturity from different perspectives: individual maturity, personality, actor and personality. You can also distinguish between intellectual, emotional and personal maturity. The author identifies such basic components of social maturity as responsibility, tolerance and self-development, as well as the integration component, which covers all the previous ones. This component is positive thinking, a positive attitude towards the world, which determines a positive outlook on the world.

Mature people tend to choose relatively flexible survival strategies. They give the greatest preference to the optimal strategy for this age, “Seeking social support,” which is characterized by a wide “scope of application” and lower “labor intensity.”

The problem of personal development in adulthood becomes most relevant due to the constant increase in the number of adults aged 35 to 45 years with psychological problems of a neurotic, professional and personal nature. There is a tendency towards increasing social apathy and infantilism of the adult population. Many psychologists notice a midlife crisis.

The normative crisis of 30–33 years is caused by the discrepancy between a person’s life plans and real opportunities. A person rejects what does not matter and revises the value system. Reluctance to change the value system leads to increasing contradictions within the individual. Stable period 33− 40 years is characterized by the fact that at this age a person most successfully does exactly what he wants. He sets goals and achieves them. The age of 40-45 years is a midlife crisis - this age is a crisis for many, as the contradiction between the integrity of the worldview and the nonlinearity of development grows. Often people lose the meaning of life. To overcome the crisis, we need to find a new meaning - in human values, in developing interest in the future, in new generations. If a person continues to focus only on himself and his needs, this leads to new crises.

Psychological content of a midlife crisis: depreciation of dreams, revaluation of values, depletion of some meanings in life and search for others, formation of a productive attitude towards life, which determines the further self-realization of the individual.

E. Erikson attached great importance to the “midlife” crisis. He called the age of 30-40 years the “decade of fatality”, the main problems of which are the loss of physical strength, vitality and a decrease in sexual attractiveness. Successful resolution of a crisis, according to Erikson, leads to generativity (productivity, anxiety), which includes the desire for growth, concern for the next generation and one's own contribution to the development of life on Earth. Otherwise, stagnation occurs, which may correspond to a feeling of desolation and regression.

B. Livehud called the age of 35-45 years a kind of point of diverging paths. One of these ways is the gradual psychological involution of a person in accordance with his physical involution, the other is the continuation of mental evolution, despite physical involution. Following the first or second path is determined by the degree of development of the spiritual principle in it. The result of the crisis should be a person’s turn towards his own spiritual development, so that on the other side of the crisis he can continue his intensive development, drawing strength from his spiritual source. Otherwise, he becomes “in the middle of the fifth decade a tragic figure, longing for the good old days, feeling threatened by everything new.”

Positive self-acceptance involves acceptance of one's personality as a whole, a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem. Negative self-perception is accompanied by a desire to blame oneself for failures and misfortunes, strong internal conflict, inadequate self-esteem and intensive use of defense mechanisms.

A midlife crisis is often accompanied by one or another depressive experience. This may be a decrease in interest or pleasure in any case, apathy; a person may experience a systematic lack or loss of energy, so he has to force himself to go to work or do household chores. Fears about one's own worthlessness and helplessness often arise. A special place in depressive experiences is occupied by fear for the future, which is often masked by fear for children or even for the country as a whole. Often, depressive experiences center on a loss of meaning and interest in life.

It is not uncommon for people over 35 to suddenly decide to change careers and go to school. Also, at the age of "around 40" there are a large number of cases of depression, suicide and alcoholism. During this period of life, most people turn to spiritual practices, psychologists, religions, reflect on the years they have lived and realize their mistakes. Computer addiction can also be a consequence of another life crisis.

Thus, the age of majority or maturity ranges from 18 to 55 years and is divided into early, middle and late maturity. The main psychological feature of this period is the psychological maturity of the individual, expressed in high responsibility, social activity, concern for other people, developed moral standards, and adaptive behavior. The period of maturity includes two normative crises associated with the fulfillment of assigned tasks and the achievement of intermediate life goals. If a person has a positive self-perception, then the way out of the crisis is successful, associated with the implementation of new life plans. With negative self-perception, apathy, anxiety for the future, loss of meaning in life, depression, the way out of the crisis can lead the individual to the formation of various addictions, among which a sign of modernity may appear - computer addiction. .

Levels of personality maturity (Soul)

The description of these levels is based on the 7 subtle human bodies. I described the 7 subtle bodies in more detail HERE, and there is also a diagram there that can be used to better understand the levels described below.

Briefly, the 7 subtle bodies/planes of existence can be described as follows:

body/plane No. 7 - atmanic body - my mission, purpose, my destiny body/plane No. 6 - buddhial body - my true desires, values - WHAT DO I WANT? body/plane No. 5 - causal body - event flows - WHAT AM I DOING? body/plane No. 4 - mental body (thoughts, beliefs) WHAT DO I THINK? WHAT DO I PLAN? body/plane No. 3 - emotional body (astral) WHAT DO I FEEL? body/plane No. 2 - energy body (ethereal) - sensation of energy in the body body/plane No. 1 - physical body - sensations in the body from the 5 senses

An infantile personality is an adult who behaves like a (baby). For such a person, life goes on at the first three subtle levels - physical, energetic, and emotional. Positive emotion is the goal of his day, drink beer, have fun. It’s even difficult to talk to him about something; his mental plan is not included. It is impossible to discuss with such a person the meaning of his life, values, desires. There is chaos in his head. Such a person is bound to be rejected. He is being persecuted because he is not responsible for his actions. He is in a good mood, everyone is good, he is in a bad mood, everyone is bad. And he is forced to adapt because he is being driven. Adaptation consists in the fact that he rises to the next level - mental.

Adaptation is an adult who behaves like a (child). He begins to learn what is right, what is wrong at the level of rules, learns the rules of external space. He begins to behave correctly, and they begin to persecute him less. But these are actions that he organizes from below, from the rules. And they need to be organized from above, from one’s own desires and feelings. If you don't feel it, don't do it. And he is not yet a sentient being on the mental plane. He feels if you pinch him, but I'm talking about other feelings. Then he adapts more comfortably and moves to the level of successful adaptation. That is, his event plan begins to improve.

Successful adaptation is an adult who behaves like a (teenager). These are people who establish connections in society, receive a specialty, and income. In general, the person just settled down well. His event flow (causal plan) is established, but it is again established from below. And it should be on top. Therefore, when you try to talk to him, you see that he seems to have nothing behind his soul. He always says what is right and what is wrong. Everyone is each other's enemies. You can't rely on anyone. You have to work and earn money. That's how cool I am. And he begins to tell his successes in adaptation. But you can’t have a heart-to-heart talk. Because his feelings are not conscious. Next comes the stage of research itself, this is the transition to the inner space. Before this, there was the development of external space.

About age

All levels of maturity are associated with a personal crisis. F. Perls believes that its main indicator is the ability to find a way out of a deadlock situation, relying on one’s own resources. Maturity allows you to overcome frustration and fear, being able to take risks and make responsible decisions. But J.-M. Robin, for example, who generally shares the opinion of his colleague, believes it is possible to perceive help from the outside. The main indicator of personal immaturity, in his opinion, is helplessness

And finding a way out of a dead end, no matter through personal resources or with the help of others, is an indicator of adulthood

Psychological age may not coincide at all with calendar age. And at the age of 15, there are absolutely mature individuals, and at 30, there are people who are not capable of taking responsibility for their actions and actions. In order to understand, let’s take a closer look at the psychological characteristics of maturity. The authors identify a different number of features; we will focus on the most significant ones, which will be discussed below.

Authenticity

From ancient Greek the word is translated as “genuine” and echoes the concept of “congruence.” We are talking about the adequacy and consistency of the elements. In this context, it is comparable to the word “originality” and is one of the most important indicators of the psychological maturity of an individual.

The phenomenon is described by the American scientist D. Bugental, who includes the following points:

awareness of the present;
freedom of choice here and now;
awareness of one's own responsibility for this choice.

An authentic person is sincere in his immediate manifestations and in his behavior in general. He does not pretend to be knowledgeable, in love or pleased in response to the expectations of others. Many strive to play roles, putting on masks and wasting energy on demonstrating a decent external facade without solving internal problems. In response, they also receive insincerity, making it difficult to decipher the real attitude of other people towards themselves.

An authentic personality spends time solving problems that arise, without hiding behind someone else's mask. She is capable of showing flexibility in any situation.

Acceptance of feelings

It's about being honest with yourself. A mature person is open to life experience and accepts the full range of his own feelings. And not just the socially approved ones. The environment often encourages you to repress sadness, anger, irritability and other negative emotions. From childhood, parents teach: “don’t cry,” “don’t show excitement,” “don’t worry.” But if emotions are constantly repressed, in the future they will become the root cause of uncontrollable behavior in the most unexpected moments.

Psychological maturity implies living through the feelings that arise. Only this method allows us to control our own behavior, to be tolerant not only towards ourselves, but also towards other people. If a person is aware of his reactions, then he is able to competently regulate his responses.

Levels of psychological maturity

Each person has a different degree of socialization: the number of contacts, the level of interaction, life values on the basis of which communication is based. This allows scientists to distinguish levels of maturity: low, high and medium. The main criteria include external and internal. The first includes the degree of mastery of the social competencies listed in the article.

The latter include traits that characterize personality: empathy, sociability, adequate self-esteem, responsibility, attentiveness, tolerance, etc.

The higher a person’s desire for self-knowledge and self-development, the faster he learns life lessons, developing responsibility and tolerance, the higher the level of maturity he has.

Other important signs

Let's talk about psychological maturity. Most scientists classify the following traits as characteristics of maturity:

Personal responsibility for decisions made. It helps you think differently about criticism, seeing it as useful feedback.
Lack of fear when building close relationships. A person himself determines his distance from others, freely expressing his feelings.
Setting realistic goals in communication. It's about giving up perfectionism and taking responsibility for failed relationships. It is more important to learn useful lessons while avoiding feelings of guilt.
Having empathy is the ability to perceive the feelings of other people. Taking them into account in the communication process allows you to build correct communications.

Probably, many have come across a mention of socio-psychological maturity. What are we talking about?