10 Signs of Emotional Maturity

emotional maturity

Emotional maturity is about your ability to understand and manage your emotions. An emotionally mature person has reached (and continues to work at reaching) a level of self-understanding with regard to their thoughts and behaviors and then decides how to best approach and cope with situations that might otherwise be trying or challenging. Being emotionally mature can help you reach successful resolutions to problems, as well as keep problems from overwhelming you.

It’s important to understand that emotional maturity is always an active work in progress. It’s not a situation where a certain level of self-understanding is reached once and then remains static in all situations moving forward. But a keen awareness of what you can bring to the table emotionally to cope with any situation that comes your way. And, it’s also important to know that not everyone will always be able to successfully act with emotional maturity in every situation. Not everyone is able to keep their cool each and every time when responding to tough situations. Below are 10 signs of emotional maturity according to some therapists.

Here Are 10 Signs of Emotional Maturity:

1. Being Flexible- It’s all too easy to assume things will go according to plan, or that a situation or event will go smoothly because it has each time in the past. When it doesn’t (and that is often a “when” than an “if”), an emotionally mature person is able to think things out and come up with a viable Plan B or even C as needed so that a situation can be dealt with, and still move forward not letting the bump in the road ruin the entire plan.
2. Taking Ownership & Responsibility- An emotionally mature person is able to own up to their own mistakes and not immediately look to blame others. This takes a level of self-honesty and acceptance. If things keep on going wrong, an emotionally mature person will look inwards for answers as to what thoughts or actions may be contributing to the situation and works towards a better understanding and course of action moving forward.
3. Knowing That They Don’t Know Everything- An emotionally mature person knows what they don’t know, and also knows that their own way of doing things may not be the only way or even the best way. They don’t argue “just to be right” or to show dominance to be in charge. They keep an open mind and have open ears and eyes to look for situations where they may be able to learn something, as well as know when they may have something positive to contribute to a situation that can help others.
4. They Look for Learning and Growth From Every Opportunity- An emotionally mature person is on the lookout for what can be learned from any situation or opportunity, and searches for the growth opportunity within it, asking “How can I learn and grow from this?”
5. They Actively Seek Out Multiple Points of View To Help Inform Their Own- Emotionally mature people actively seek to inform their own opinions by actively seeking out the points of view of others. They don’t feel threatened by disagreement, but look to be informed by people, and aren’t afraid to question both their own convictions, knowing that they don’t exist in a vacuum. It’s not about an argument to prove who is right; it’s about wanting to be informed by different points of view to further clarify their own points of view, or recognizing that perhaps their point of view may even be wrong.
6. They Stay Resilient- In the face of upsets, setbacks, or disappointments, an emotionally mature person will acknowledge their feelings, identify what can be done, and then decide what steps to take to move on.
7. They Have a Calm Disposition- Emotionally mature people do get mad but do not let the emotion dictate their response. They aim to have a clear mind with the goal of having rationality dictate how to effectively deal with a situation and also see all of the available options to come to a successful resolution. They know that when emotions override rationality, clearness of thought gets blurred and can limit the options for dealing effectively.
8. They Believe in Themselves- Emotionally mature people don’t have a false sense of self that is ego-based and deluded. But they do have optimism in their own ability to use effort and patience as a way to establish the belief that they are equipped to deal with whatever life may through their way.
9. Approachability- Emotionally mature people are able to and prefer to talk WITH people, not AT them. They have genuine empathy for others, an open mind, and work towards not being judgmental of others, knowing that judgments are often based on preconceived notions can impede their ability to know someone and their truth.
10. A Good Sense of Humor– Emotionally mature people realize that all of life can’t be taken seriously. They do realize the importance of getting done what needs to get done, but they realize the importance of having fun and laughter in life as a great coping mechanism and pressure release from stress.