Most people don’t know what it takes to sustain a happy, long-term relationship. They only dabble in relationships following the shadows of love. They might get stuck at some point in their relationship and regret ever diving into it. The absence of tangible signs of maturity causes this relationship havoc. How? Because emotional maturity is that little rudiment of a relationship, you missed out on.
Showing signs of maturity as a partner is not a matter of age or gender. Don’t get things mixed up! Statista says 44% of Nigerian women marry before they clock 18, while it rises to 78% in Northern Nigeria. It doesn’t stop their marriage from thriving, nor does it guarantee a successful marriage. So, age is not one of the signs of maturity. It is just part of the beans that make up a pod. You can mature in many ways due to your upbringing or some experiences you’ve passed through.
Besides, your partner can’t be perfect. However, you can be near perfect for them or make them one for you. You get sick of a relationship earlier than it should be when there aren’t enough signs of maturity between you and your partner. Once you identify a problem, it’s easier to solve. So, this article is here to help you out.
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Emotional Maturity: Just What Your Relationship Needs
Emotional maturity is one of the poles of a strong relationship. Lack of it between both or one partner in a relationship only pledges a weak foundation. It means the relationship is not promising and might crumble at any point.
Do you even know what it means to be emotionally mature? No? First, you need to learn what the signs of maturity in a relationship are all about. Then, learn how to imbibe these maturity qualities. Luckily, you might be able to keep your relationship by stopping yourself and your partner from falling into the pit of immaturity. Who knows? Read on!
7 Signs of Maturity in a Relationship
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Thoughtfulness
One of the most prominent signs of maturity in a partner is thoughtfulness. It is the ability of a partner to bring situations affecting both parties into consideration before making a decision. An emotionally mature partner would never decide without giving room for acknowledgement from the other party. Even if acknowledgement doesn’t occur, the other party wouldn’t be affected.
However, an emotionally immature partner is easily identified by irrational decision-making that might strike their relationship hard. Are you in a relationship and want to figure out the signs of maturity in your partner? First, check out for thoughtfulness!
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Self-Expression
When your partner or friend finds it easy to voice out their feelings for you, it shows they possess emotional maturity. People can express their feelings in several ways. It could be through being caring and considerate or reminding you continuously with words that assure a strong love bond. It could also be a total of these ways, depending on how emotionally mature your partner is.
Love and maturity are inseparable words. Your partner might genuinely love you but not be mature enough to handle the relationship. If this happens, you might end up assuming it was a one-sided love. Then the relationship becomes torn apart. Whose fault? It is due to a lack of maturity from both parties.
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Zero grudges
The “forgive and forget” practice is sane because you can’t undo what has been done. It makes no sense to fight a lost battle. When there’s a clash between friends, the emotionally mature individual between the two will always try to patch things up. However, if any of the parties tries to get back to each other owing to their clash, it’s the complete opposite of signs of maturity.
Read also: 12 books to read for self-development
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Accountability
Catherine Pulsifer says, ‘We are accountable to ourselves at the end of the day. Our success is a result of what we do.’ The aim of this quote is that you should be accountable for everything you do. The accountability rule works in any situation, be it a mutual relationship or not, and it guarantees success.
Accountability is a clear sign of maturity that one can not overlook. Being able to take up the responsibilities and account for everything you do labels you as a mature individual. As an accountable individual, you do your job quickly and avoid cooking up flimsy excuses. Accountability makes you manage people’s expectations of you. It can also earn your partner’s trust. Hence, accountability is one of the signs of maturity that can strengthen a relationship.
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Independence
Emotional maturity differentiates independent partners from clingy ones. An obvious sign of immaturity is being extremely clingy. Emotionally mature partners give themselves enough breathing space. They don’t poke their nose into each other’s affairs unnecessarily. These are signs of maturity that can maintain a relationship.
One fact you should note is that relationships also suffocate – the exact way you feel in an enclosed place. When both partners can’t do without each other, they will surely choke emotionally. Perhaps you have a friend who has an independent personality; it signifies maturity.
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Assertiveness
Emotional maturity has a lot to do with assertiveness. Assertiveness is when you are confident and bold with your words without being too hard on people. Being confident is a prime characteristic of emotional maturity. Thus, confidence is a sign of maturity on its own.
Besides, assertive individuals are usually mentally stable. Mental stability is the pioneer of emotional maturity.
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They make plans for the future
Are you a wife, a husband, or someone’s friend, and you are curious if your partner is mature? Planning for the future is one of the signs of maturity you should look out for. Having a bright and colourful future is the goal of every realistic individual. However, you might yearn for the best future without having plans to secure it for you. It is possible, and here is where emotional maturity comes in.
Emotional maturity will trigger you to aspire and fulfil your dreams. An emotionally immature partner will never talk about their dreams or aspirations. They are satisfied with their current status, and they want the best future. Isn’t that daydreaming? So, even if you possess all the above signs of maturity, you are not mature without having plans for your future.
So far, this article has been an eye-opener for you to discover the signs of maturity. It also clarifies that being emotionally mature is the best way to keep relationships. Why not become an emotional maturity counsellor for the people around you? Now that you’ve got the skills!
Read also: 5 Signs of immaturity in a relationship
Perhaps you’ve noticed that you lack all these signs of emotional maturity. Don’t let it freak you out. Every identified problem has a calculated solution.
3 Ways to Cultivate the Attributes and Signs of Maturity
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Figure out your emotions
Maturity does not start in a day. So, you can develop yourself if you keep learning how to become mature. The first step to beginning your journey to embrace emotional maturity is to figure out your emotions.
What are those things that lift your mood? What situations make you feel bad? Note down your answers. With that information, you can build a way around your feelings to don’t hurt easily. The ability to manage your emotions well is a guarantee of emotional maturity.
Read also: Understanding the connection between your favourite colour and emotions
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Be curious
Get curious about yourself and other people around you. Feel free to ransack the whole world to get your answers. This ensures you don’t act impulsively on issues that aren’t worth it. It will also enable you to think well before you talk or react. Thus, it will allow you to make strategic contributions. If you care for a maturity rating at this point, I’m giving you three stars.
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Follow a mentor’s footsteps
Life has made it so that you need to learn before you grow. It applies when it comes to climbing the steps to exhibiting the signs of maturity.
Move closer to people who are well-respected for their emotional maturity. Let them mentor you. They can support you and help you find the mature you. Who told you an 18-year-old girl couldn’t surpass a 40-year-old woman in the degree of maturity? Hey, you might be that little wise man they talked about!
This article has answered some of your questions on the signs of emotional maturity. You can make the discussion box lively by dropping your thoughts in the comment section.
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About Author
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Priscilla Ajayi is a pharmacist-in-view and an avid writer with interests in health, lifestyle, career, relationships, technology, and self-development topics.
As an adventurer, Priscilla is always taking bold moves towards expanding her niche in writing, learning new skills, and achieving her set goals.
In her downtime, Priscilla can be spotted reading novels, listening to music, singing, writing poems, or sketching images.
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