What is emotional maturity?

Sometimes when a person starts crying or lamenting or wallowing in self-pity when something goes wrong with them, when something they need or want doesn’t work out, then on seeing such emotional outbursts, others might say, “Grow up, be mature, don’t overreact.” This statement can sometimes seem harsh, but it actually reflects a hard reality of life.

Maturity means recognizing the reality that no one is obliged to fulfill our needs. We have to take responsibility for fulfilling those needs ourselves. Just as a child may cry, and the parents may provide them food, but when the parent cries, they have to arrange for food. That is their physical maturity, and similarly, emotional maturity means we have to fulfill our needs and take the responsibility for doing so.