What does it mean to be an adult?

[Paul_Tromba]

As the title asked, What does it mean to be an adult? Is it age that truly certifies you as an adult or is it based on a person's maturity after reaching a certain age? In most places, you are considered an adult at the age of 18 but some cultures say that you are not an adult until you meet certain criteria such as a job, place to live, and being a productive member of society. Some have even argued that you're not an adult until you've lost your virginity. Guess I'm not an adult then but seriously, what do you think makes someone an adult? Maturity? Lifestyle? Age? Responsibilities? Social acceptance? What? I'm only asking this because I am considered an adult by my family, peers, government, and coworkers but I have no clue what I'm doing and just go through the motions because no one has ever explained to me what makes someone an adult. They always just say things like you'll understand once you're an adult but I am an adult and I have never understood.

 

[Ai-chan]

Being an adult doesn't mean that you're mature. It just means you can't avoid responsibility by hiding behind the status of a child anymore.

 

[Owl]

You see, the gag is that the vast majority of us have no clue what the fuck we are doing.
We are just kind of doing something. The reason why no one ever told you what it means to be an adult is because none of us know what that means. If you ask me whether I'm an adult - legally, yes. Mentally? Not really. In the end, most people are going to call you an adult once you're legally one.

 

[SailusGebel]

Being a manchild.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Being a manchild.

Could you elaborate?

 

[wingedcatgirl]

I am... substantially above the age of legal adulthood, but I feel much the same now as I did when I was 15.

Oh, I've got a different gender now, and I'm living with my girlfriend instead of my parents, and I'm paying my own bills, and... uh...

...

... listen I said I felt the same, not that my life actually was the same.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

You see, the gag is that the vast majority of us have no clue what the fuck we are doing.
We are just kind of doing something. The reason why no one ever told you what it means to be an adult is because none of us know what that means. If you ask me whether I'm an adult - legally, yes. Mentally? Not really. In the end, most people are going to call you an adult once you're legally one.

That's what I've been assuming.

 

[Titanoktonon]

You're not an adult until you stop trying to convince everyone you're an adult and start grudgingly admitting you're an adult.

 

[XKARNATION]

You know you have become an adult when you realise that nobody actually knows what they are doing and we are all blindly running through life while deceiving those around us that we have our shit together.

 

[SailusGebel]

Could you elaborate?

I can't because it was an attempt at a joke answer.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

You're not an adult until you stop trying to convince everyone you're an adult and start grudgingly admitting you're an adult.

I've been grudgingly telling people I'm not an adult since I was 14 since I have had a full beard since then. That changed when I was 18 but people just stopped asking.

I can't because it was an attempt at a joke answer.

Understandable, have a great day.

Being an adult doesn't mean that you're mature. It just means you can't avoid responsibility by hiding behind the status of a child anymore.

I was the oldest of a strict household. I have never been able to avoid responsibility. Especially for the actions of my siblings.

I am... substantially above the age of legal adulthood, but I feel much the same now as I did when I was 15.

Oh, I've got a different gender now, and I'm living with my girlfriend instead of my parents, and I'm paying my own bills, and... uh...

...

... listen I said I felt the same, not that my life actually was the same.

At least we know that share in our lack of understanding adulthood.

 

[PancakesWitch]

You cant really ask this to people in this forum... most of the people here are just teens

 

[Paul_Tromba]

You cant really ask this to people in this forum... most of the people here are just teens

Fair enough. However, there are still plenty of people here who are older. Plus, I'm a bit curious about what teenagers nowadays think adulthood is. I remember thinking adulthood was freedom as a teen but now I realize that I was very wrong.

 

[DarkeReises]

Fair enough. However, there are still plenty of people here who are older. Plus, I'm a bit curious about what teenagers nowadays think adulthood is. I remember thinking adulthood was freedom as a teen but now I realize that I was very wrong.

Adulthood and freedom? Psssssh. Funny. It's just from one cell into the next, just bigger, if even.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Adulthood and freedom? Psssssh. Funny. It's just from one cell into the next, just bigger, if even.

I feel like cell is smaller but less depressing.

 

[SailusGebel]

Ehem, you don't mind if I give a more serious answer? Being an adult = being of age. It's a term that is mostly used for paperwork, government-related stuff, regulations, laws, etc. All the confusing stuff that you don't understand is about maturity. For example, let's say someone tells you that you will understand something once you turn adult. The translation of this phrase would be; you will understand once you are mature enough and have enough life experience. Being an adult is just a phrase that everyone uses because it's shorter than saying the thing about maturity.

 

[AliceShiki]

Yeah, I feel like being an adult just means being acknowledged as an adult by the legal systems.

At the end of the day, adult life is still confusing. At some point we do end up growing more mature, and tend to learn better problem-solving capabilities, but like... Lots of that just come from life experience, really.

Paying bills, living alone, thinking about marrying and/or having children... None of those are really what defines adulthood I think... It's just... A part of life, I guess? And not even everyone goes through those.

Like uhn... Is there really any difference between a teenager at high school, and a young adult at university? I'd say there is hardly any difference there.

What about the young adult at university, and the young adult at their first job? I'd still say there is hardly any difference there.

But like... At some point you get more work experience... At some point you start paying bills... At some point you start thinking seriously about living alone... At some point you might start seriously considering marriage and/or children... Those are signs of maturity I'd say... But like... When are you mature enough to say you're mature? It's just such a blurry line.

Adulthood is about as blurry if we try going about it philosophically, so I think it's fine to just use the legal definition instead.

PS: I totally agree with the argument of adults in general not really knowing what they're doing and just trying to move ahead one step at a time... I mean... I do have my life goals/plans in mind, and I do have a schedule and stuff... That doesn't suddenly mean I'm not hella confused and that I don't doubt my own decisions all the time.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

As the title asked, What does it mean to be an adult? Is it age that truly certifies you as an adult or is it based on a person's maturity after reaching a certain age? In most places, you are considered an adult at the age of 18 but some cultures say that you are not an adult until you meet certain criteria such as a job, place to live, and being a productive member of society. Some have even argued that you're not an adult until you've lost your virginity. Guess I'm not an adult then but seriously, what do you think makes someone an adult? Maturity? Lifestyle? Age? Responsibilities? Social acceptance? What? I'm only asking this because I am considered an adult by my family, peers, government, and coworkers but I have no clue what I'm doing and just go through the motions because no one has ever explained to me what makes someone an adult. They always just say things like you'll understand once you're an adult but I am an adult and I have never understood.

Why don't you ask your father?

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

Being at least a certain age doesn't make you an adult; it just makes you a grownup. Being an adult seems to mean that you can earn at least a "C" grade on your patience, preparedness for hardship, and ability to maintain a safe living space. By this definition, the median age to become an adult is probably about 80 years old (which is older than median life expectancy in my country of residence), though it can come as early as like ten or as late as never.

 

[BlackKnightX]

As the title asked, What does it mean to be an adult? Is it age that truly certifies you as an adult or is it based on a person's maturity after reaching a certain age? In most places, you are considered an adult at the age of 18 but some cultures say that you are not an adult until you meet certain criteria such as a job, place to live, and being a productive member of society. Some have even argued that you're not an adult until you've lost your virginity. Guess I'm not an adult then but seriously, what do you think makes someone an adult? Maturity? Lifestyle? Age? Responsibilities? Social acceptance? What? I'm only asking this because I am considered an adult by my family, peers, government, and coworkers but I have no clue what I'm doing and just go through the motions because no one has ever explained to me what makes someone an adult. They always just say things like you'll understand once you're an adult but I am an adult and I have never understood.

In what aspect? If going by the formal definition, then it requires an individual to reach a certain age to be considered an adult. But if we‘re going by the informal or personal definition, then someone may be considered an adult when they’re already graduated from the educational system, no longer a virgin, independent, etc. These are subjective, depending on how one sees it.

For me personally, an adult means when someone reaches the age of 20 and above.