Maturity does not come through a wish.

Do you watch and observe people and their talk as well as their actions. Through such observation, we find that many are still so immatured despite their age.

I am not talking about the comic, the guy who likes to make others laugh through their childish pranks and jokes. Purposely using childish behaviour to elicit some laughter or attract attention may not be an indication of maturity. that is merely an effective method to get people into a livelier mood.

Maturity is not just physical whereby a person develops physically in size, shape and growth of hairs in certain places as most adult would.

Maturity can also be mental development, the ability to judge well, to behave correctly and think with wisdom and knowledge.

This kind of maturity does not come through a wish. Maturity has to be developed. Our parents, teachers, friends and, even more important, we, ourselves, are the ones who have to help us develop our maturity.

This maturity is developed through the years with right thoughts, deeds and words.
First, we learn the right way to do things. For example, we learn not to throw tantrums. We learn to understand that we not only control situations but also ourselves. We come to realise the world is comprised of not just us but other people as well and that we cannot live as an island. We have to take in account other people's feeling and wants as well as needs.

Such a development can only come about through listening to the thoughts of people in and around us as well as from books. We get to think of these thoughts, understand them and realise the truth of the matter after which we apply the ideas in such thoughts in our everyday living. It is from this application to our lives that we know what is right and the situations where they are applicable. Our thinking is improved and thus more matured for living in a society. Thus, through the people around us, we learn by listening, digestion of what have been heard and application.

Another way we develop is through observation. We watch people, how they act and the reactions obtained. We understand and realise what should be done and what should never be our behaviour. However, sometimes, we do not agreed with the reactions and we understand that ther are times when it is not the majority actions which are right. We discover that there are times the individual or minority action can be right. What do I mean?

Let's look at America when slavery by the South was a popular practice. It was the accepted practice until a man, a courageous individual, saw the wrong thought of enslaving other fellow humans. His thinking was certainly clearer on the wrong of such an action. He was not only matured but brave enough to voicehis thoughts and apply his thoughts in positive action to erase such backward behaviour from his people when he took on the role of President of America. Of course, the person I have in mind is none other that Abraham Lincoln, one of the most admired man in our world.

A matured mind which can see the truth of actions clearly must, of course, be open-minded, able to look into opposing thoughts to see any possible good in them and possibly adopt them. It must be able to see the weaknesses of its own thoughts and strong enough to remove his own weak thoughts where and when necessary and thus change for the better.

A person who can readjust to improve constantly as his knowledge and understanding increases will develop great maturity. If every individual can achieve this maturity, the chaos present in our world can be obliterated forever.

Can we hope for such maturity in all mankind?