Being an adult is more about people presenting themselves a certain way.
It's about taking responsibility, being held accountable for indiscretions, taking risks, and a slew of other things that require hard work.
Adulting is so easy, said no one ever. There are people who think they're playing the part convincingly but they're fooling nobody but themselves.
Curious to hear from strangers who can see through a person's deceit, Redditor CrispP_bacon asked:
"What is falsely seen as a sign of maturity?"
Redditors break down certain behaviors that actually reveal their immaturity.
Tapping Into The Inner Kid Inside
"Not acting childish. Sounds so strange but the most mature people usually have no problem tapping into their childish or silly sides. Immature people overdo it trying to be 'cool.'"
– well_actuallE
Unfairly Targeted
"Conversely, telling someone they're a stick in the mud because they aren't comfortable acting a certain way. I'm a naturally reserved person. I like quiet music, peaceful settings, and spend a lot of time in quiet contemplation. It doesn't mean there is something wrong with me."
"Not feeling required to 'be a certain way' is probably the best all around for this."
– chaotic----neutral
Confidence In Their Passion
'When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.' - C S Lewis
"True adults are secure in their love for whatever they love - be it action figures , fairy tales , video games .Those who ridicule these people for their interests are actually the childish ones."
– chriscrossnathaniel
Mom Set The Standard
"According to my mom, the rule is that if you haven't grown up by the time you're 50, you no longer have to. I am this 🤏 close."
– LonePaladin
No Shaming, Please
"I was dating a girl recently, and I showed her my PSP. I have it since 2007, original battery and everything, and I play PSX games from time to time. When I showed it to her she said 'What are you, 12?'"
"I felt very small and childish. But maybe I shouldn't have. Thank fully we are not dating anymore."
– gin-o-cide
Life Is Too Short
"Ridiculing others' interests is the real childishness."
"Love what you love, life's too short for this sh*t."
– kerenski667
Working oneself to death is not necessarily a characteristic of maturity.
Adulting List
"Being in a relationship."
"Having kids."
"Working 60+ hours a week"
– metzgermeister87
Working To Live
"I need folk to understand working 60+ hours, and being proud isn’t the flex they think it is…"
– The_Reborn_Forge
Life Is Not All Fun & Games For Grownups
"STOP ENJOYING!"
– themoodyphilospher
Happiness = Bad
"My dad in a nutshell. 'Stop being happy with your steady job that pays enough so you can afford whatever you want and leaves you with tons of free time, life and work need to be a grind and a fight or you're not doing it right!.' I guess that's my gift to him, so he can have something to be angry about, the only thing that makes him happy."
– ssatyd
No Free Time For You
"Protestant work ethic and its idea that you need to be constantly working, even in your free time, has always been a huge mystery to me, specifically why a lot of people are so stuck up with it."
– h3X_T
Not everyone is equipped to be a parent, and therefore, not mature enough to take care of and raise another human being. To acknowledge this shouldn't be seen as being neglectful.
Family Status
"Having a spouse and kids."
– johansugarev
Sign Of Manhood
"My family thinks I am skirting responsibility by not having kids. I know a lot of people who had them thinking they were obligated to, and neglect them."
"I remember telling somebody I know from college I don't want them ever, and she said, 'My boyfriend's not afraid to take responsibility and have kids,' as if I wasn't a real man for not having them lol."
"For some, it's a sign of virility and maturity."
– lazarus870
Adults Can Admit To This
"It’s more responsible to choose not to take on a responsibility that you don’t want."
– Lifeboatb
Owning Your Priorities In Life
"afraid" is a terrible word for it that has been said to me as well.
"I'm not afraid of having kids, I would just prefer to do literally anything, including nothing at all than have kids."
"I would rather sleep all day every day."
– mantits- ·
The Stigma
"my family thinks its a travesty that I don’t ever want children, my mom always thought I was just being young and angsty and would change my mind. Now that im in my 30s shes given up on that. I truly don’t understand how most people can even afford to have children anymore and provide them anything else except the bare a** minimum to sustain life. Everything is sooooo much more expensive than it was when I was a kid, and the wages are about the same. Money just doesn’t go as far as it used too, and its getting harder and harder to build up and acquire credit to actually own a house or anything like that."
– smurfasaur
You can be a kid at heart and still be an adult.
Don't let anyone take that away from you.
