Originally, I was going to pose the title as a question. Then, I realized it would have led to people arguing that maturity isn’t an obstacle in the comments. That’s going to happen anyway, so I’m just going to present my case.
Maturity is important because we need it to act like adults. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to hold down a job, pay taxes, develop anxiety, have serious relationships, forget our childhood wonder, and all those other essentials of living in society. We can’t act like children forever and all the time. Yet, there is a limit to how much maturity one really should develop. Like with anything, too much can have negative consequences.
I feel that the downside of being too mature is that you will avoid anything that might be fun in a child-like way. I’ve run into so many people who scoff at anime, video games, movies, fictional books, Lego, and much more. They call these activities childish and immature even though they can be relaxing. It’s this heightened level of maturity that causes them to judge others and not have many hobbies. Some of those who criticize don’t have any hobbies because they deem such things pointless. All they do is work, sleep, and watch the news.
While I know I shouldn’t judge people who refuse to indulge in anything ‘childish’, I find myself doing so. It’s because this type of maturity seem to come with a hatred of seeing others having fun. This is fun in a way that the mature person doesn’t acknowledge as worthy of adults. Instead of quietly sitting on the sideline or going somewhere else, they try to stop the activity. This irks me a lot because it feels like they are trying to ruin things for others. Is it because they’re jealous of those who can drop their maturity for a temporary rush of immature fun? No idea.
This is why I call it an obstacle. The sense of maturity doesn’t only prevent the owner from having fun. It drives them to stop others, which isn’t fair. Time is lost trying to get them to either go along with the activity or leave. Funny part here is that the maturity causes the person to act immature. We’ve all been told as kids to not criticize others and mind our business as long as nobody is getting hurt. Yet, these people with bloated levels of maturity can’t do that.
You don’t even need an extreme level of maturity. We all may run into the issue of seeing something as too immature for us. Now, one can easily argue that you can’t be interested in everything. I agree. For example, I have no interest in bungee-jumping because it freaks me out. That’s it. Not because I see it as childish and immature, but as potentially dangerous and not for me. I feel that’s a sign of true maturity too. Being able to say no to something because it isn’t for you personally and NOT because you see it as childish. It’s a tricky line to walk though.
Anyway, that’s been on my mind for a while. Big reason is because people keep criticizing me putting Lego together. It’s a relaxing hobby. Everyone needs those to help with stress levels.
Legends of Windemere 
I see what you mean. I’m always amazed when someone opines that anime or other animated works (and graphic novels) are “childish,” especially if that person has no idea how much hard work goes into producing these works. The Spider-Verse movies and The Incredibles changed the game in animation because of their excellence. And various Pokémon anime have been around for ages—a lot longer than most “adult” shows nowadays.
They can scoff all they want. Super Mario Galaxy is making a killing at the box office.
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All things in moderation, as they say. Whomever “they” are. I like my squishie collection.
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😄😄😄
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I wonder where the mentality comes from really. Personally, I think you have to be a little miserable to ignore good stories simply because they’re animated or comics.
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It’s sad that they miss out. I don’t mind if people simply don’t prefer something. Like my mom was not a fiction reader. She preferred to read nonfiction. But she never criticized fiction just because she didn’t like it. With animation and graphic novels, I don’t understand why people assume that they are “childish” simply because they don’t prefer the format for whatever reason..
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Guess some people feel they’re the authority on maturity and have to enforce it.
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I think I would ignore the people who keep criticizing what you do. Sometimes the wonders of what would be considered a child like activity can be uplifting.
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True. Too bad not everyone agrees with that.
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Being able to put responsibility on the shelf for a few hours is paramount. We’ve been conditioned to dedicate every waking hour to helping someone else make a fortune on our labors. We all need a little time for ourselves and others should also know that minding your own business is an adult skill.
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Well said. I hate it that others try to make people avoid such things. It’s like we aren’t allowed to relax.
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You and I both work in schools, Charles, so we know real immaturity, don’t we!? As paraeducators, we’re constantly helping kids to grow beyond their immaturity.
At the same time, there are a small number of kids who really don’t like art and music classes. They are uncomfortable letting go of rigid control and enjoying self-expression. Just today, I had to tell an 11-year-old boy that it is completely appropriate for a kid his age to tell inappropriate jokes.
Stories and movies are such powerful tools for that exact thing. Reading or watching an immature character can help the reader/viewer in such immediate ways. I feel that adults who disapprove of hobbies that are “too childish” have become caught in that same trap. They are uncomfortable with imaginative expression and try to shut it down.
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I have worked with some kids who avoid ‘immature’ activities. It’s usually due to an adult in their life pushing them to act like a man/woman. So they’re pushed to discard ‘childish things’. Other times it’s caused by them being on social media where they find videos about how teenagers or adults should act. It’s always the same in that the older you get, the less you should do the things you enjoy. It also causes them to be focused on making money and only that.
Definitely seen some major immaturity at my job. Meltdowns from not getting one’s way, being constantly late, foul language, and other stuff. Then there’s what some students do. 😁
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