I have taken personal responsibility for every thought, action, and behavior I have ever done, I keep my cool and accept whatever happens that might suck and I push threw it.I don't accept second class behavior from anyone and high status people don't affect me. But for some reason I still kind of feel like a kid..I'm 17 and my question for all the people who have already went threw this is, Is their a point in your life where you just say aha I am mature or do you just mature threw out your whole life? any help will be much appreciated

nate,

you sound like you've got your head screwed on pretty good for a kid your age. i'm about twice your age now, but not too old to remember what it was like, trust me.

anyway, you are well on your way.

when does that magical day come? it's a progression. i wish i had half the sense you just expressed when i was your age.

true maturity is doing all those things you just talked about, but really feeling them confidently deep down in your soul, you know what i'm sayin?

true maturity is not giving a fuck what other people think.

true maturity is realizing that you don't know shit and you never will.

but still doing your best to be a positive force for yourself and those around you.

most importantly, i would say that true maturity comes when you realize that the answers to all those questions which you seek will likely never be realized, but you still come to peace with it and love yourself and those around you the best you can.

those questions:
what is the meaning of life?
how long will i live?
can you ever truly trust another person?
etc etc

they never get answered, you've got to exist in spite of them.

hope this gave you some wisdom.

EDIT

oh yeah, one other thing: true maturity comes when you realize that we are all always alone. you are alone when you're born, alone when you die, and we are all alone in between. we may be "around" other people, but we are always truly alone. you never really know what is in the head of other people, so you never truly know them, and vice versa. hence being ... truly alone.

It sounds like your well ahead of most you dudes your age or even older,nice work nate.
You will keep maturing forever if you keep wanting to improve but definately there are old dudes like 60years old that have not matured they live in blame or fear for the most part and do not take accountability for things and lack self control they basically are a victim of life in many respects ,i work with heaps of these old dudes they blame everybody but themselves for things in their lives.
And then youll get some young bloke whos really worked on himself and he is at cause in his life and accepts that if he wants change its going to be up to him he strives for the highest charater traits things like honesty,confidence,action,non-judgement of others,happyness,grateful etc.

As long as maturity is not mistaken for being boring then great because its always good to be fun and youthfull aswell and enjoy life like go to a theme park or go gocarting,unplanned roadtrip to mix life up a little coz being a square is not always a mesure of maturity usually fear of what others think.

Mack 2.0,

"oh yeah, one other thing: true maturity comes when you realize that we are all always alone. you are alone when you're born, alone when you die, and we are all alone in between. we may be "around" other people, but we are always truly alone. you never really know what is in the head of other people, so you never truly know them, and vice versa. hence being ... truly alone."

That's really depressing. I don't disagree, but I wish that I could. I once had a professor say that the only perfect union we experience is with our mother while still in the womb, and that after we lose that connection we spend our lives seeking to regain it, something that can never be done. I'm not saying that I agree with its implications (particularly the womb thing), but it reminded me of your comment.

Largely, I agree with everything that has been said on this thread. Maturity isn't a moment, it's a process.

On a happier note, I would also like to add that being mature means you aren't concerned about acting mature--ie. it's okay to play with nerf guns in the hallways, to steal cafeteria trays and go traying, ect. When you can act like a kid as an adult and not feel embarrassed/ashamed/uncomfortable about it, you're on the right path.

Melissa,

I can see where it might seem like a depressing statement, but hidden in its meaning is actually a very positive potential.

In the womb with the mother, there is no choice, you are joined. And after you are born and have to live with your mother (basically joined), remember how bad you wanted to get away?

However, when two completely separate entities (people) choose to become on that is a more perfect union than even the mother-child-womb thing, because it's by free will.

Instead of two people connected, it is two people intertwined.

Just wanted to make you smile