# Old Dopers: Do people stop maturing after a certain age? (Psychologically)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 30, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045 "2013-09-30T22:05:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045/21 "2013-10-03T18:56:43Z")

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I wish I could lose my naivete. I seem to have the same gullible streak I had when I was 14. Other than that, ways I’ve matured include being much more patient in traffic (yes, I still mutter under my breath, but can ignore or quickly forget most stupidity pretty quickly), I am also more patient with “mean people” and have learned that often, “mean people” just have really poor social coping skills and can be useful for teaching me to be patient and to develop skills for defusing said “mean person’s” potential temper tantrums. I’ve also learned to be a lot better with finances. My job skills grow more each year, (not sure if that’s actual “maturity” though, maturity brain-wise?).

I can’t say I’ve stopped, but it does seem to have slowed. I try to make an effort to follow the rule “you can always learn something from everyone no matter how crappy they might be”.

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**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045/22 "2013-10-03T19:34:01Z")

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> [@CanvasShoes](#):
>
> I try to make an effort to follow the rule “you can always learn something from everyone no matter how crappy they might be”.

Similarly, my favorite quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Every[one] I meet is in some way my superior.”

🙂

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**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045/23 "2013-10-03T21:12:28Z")

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> [@AuntiePam](#):
>
> I think maturity is the ability to see consequences and act accordingly. It doesn’t mean you never screw up, but you learn from the screw-ups.
> 
> **Damn. That sounds boring.**

Here, lemme FTFY: Damn. That sounds [del]boring[/del] _mature_. ( 😛 )

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**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-dopers-do-people-stop-maturing-after-a-certain-age-psychologically/670045/24 "2013-10-03T21:27:22Z")

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> [@Misnomer](#):
>
> Similarly, my favorite quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Every[one] I meet is in some way my superior.”
> 
> 🙂

Aw, that’s a MUCH nicer way of putting it. 😃

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