When do you become an adult?

[WolfThomas]

I have nearly five years of university under my belt, I have loved women not girls, I have flown to foreign countries, I have hunted and killed animals with my own firearms, I have delivered four babies into this world and helped wire a chest shut after heart surgery.

I am 23 and I still also pretend I am a comicbook superhero when no one is watching sometimes

 

[Rheinmetall]

There are two stages: When you make your own money and you are independent is the first one. And sadly when your parents die, or they are sick and need your help. That's when you stop being a child for good.

 

[likalaruku]

I spent my entire highschool life wishing I was still in Jr high, I finally became a teenager when I turned 25. Almost 30, no sign of adulthood. Even my parents think I'm "too immature to survive the real world" & "the only adult thing you've ever done in your life was learn to cook."

 

[chuckman1]

I feel in some ways I became an adult at the age of 3 however none of you will fucking believe that so I'll say the first huge change of adultness started at 13 where I realized that I needed to have some self respect to get any respect and to enjoy life and decided the idea of death didn't scare me and I'm an atheist. Next big step at 14 I cut all ties with my dad learning the big life lesson that if someone in your life is bringing you down you have to get away from them.
I sort of always thought of Mom and siblings(before they moved) more than myself but I guess I'd pinpoint my main period of maturing from 13-14 although I knew my whole life the world was a cruel unfair place where your family isn't some great support group of positivity but are mostly drug addicts trying to leach of of the tiny money you can get.

Drug addict dad in and out of jail, poverty, disabled mom, not fitting in at school until age 13, basically hating all but your play station helps you to grow up fast. There's its positives and negatives but it made me who I am today and am now happy with who I am. Granted I still have a lot of growing up to do but I believe I went thru many of the stages of growing up earlier than the average that seems to be somewhere between 18-30

 

[hazabaza1]

When you eat the flesh of another adult.
I became an adult at age 7.

 

[TWRule]

Responsibility in thought and deed is the key hallmark of an adult, there's no specific event or status that determines it, and it is entirely possible to lose adult status by that standard. I've known financially independent college graduates that were less capable of being responsible than some 10-12 year old children I know.

This. Though I would emphasize the radical nature and scope of that responsibility. I don't want to speak for anyone else here, but I'm not talking about mowing the lawn and paying your bills on time. I'm talking about realizing that you are partly responsible for the state of the world, humanity, and have chosen to confront the profound problems therein (this leaves about 99% of the modern world population as perpetual children unfortunately).

 

[gazumped]

It definitely wasn't a rite of passage for me.

You've just made me realise, I went into my last relationship feeling like a child, I came out of it feeling like an adult. (It was nothing to do with the relationship, but it's one way of measuring time and ordering my memories.)

Over the last couple of years I've learned a lot about myself and my place in society, how my actions affect others and how the actions of others affect me. I've gained awareness in how to be my own person, to say no, to stop trying to please others all the time.

I'm still a student and my dad still gives me rent money, but I can't honestly call myself a girl any more.

 

[IndomitableSam]

My sister and I still often stop, look at each other, and wonder aloud how we're almost 30. I still feel (in the mental sense - working on the physical) like I'm 19-20ish. We have a home, own cars, pay bills, etc. But we still fight like children and then firve minutes later we're back playing a game.

So, no, not grown up. I didn't even feel grown up when I was teaching children. Don't know if I ever will.

 

[capper42]

I'm not sure to be honest. I'm 20, but I still feel exactly the same as I did when I was 16. I think university has helped prolong my childhood to be honest.

I think this is quite apt to the thread

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