What age does a man emotionally mature? What are the characteristics of an emotionally mature man and how can we recognize one?
When it comes to maturity, we all know that women are the ones who mature faster than the opposite sex – men.
To understand this better, just think of the days of your childhood or a little later on when you were in high school.
I’m pretty sure that you noticed how boys and girls behaved completely different.
Boys were always the ones who acted childishly in front of the girls, making fun of themselves and others for no specific reason, and so on. And later on, boys were always the ones who had issues with understanding their and other people’s emotions.
Over the years, some of these same boys never actually matured; they simple turned into emotionally immature men who are afraid of commitment and confused about everything else that has something to do with relationships. But then, at what age does a man fully emotionally mature?
Being with an immature man can only make a woman frustrated, and his insecurities can cause the relationship to suffer and fail before it even starts.
Emotionally immature men are a real pain in the ass and every woman who has ever been with one knows what I’m talking about. Now, the real question is: at what age does a man emotionally mature? Well, according to a new study commissioned by Nickelodeon UK’s channel upon launching the new show Wendell & Vinnie, men don’t fully mature until the age of 43. But, since this doesn’t apply to every single man on earth, I’m sorry to tell you that actually there is no specific age that maturity sets in. As a matter of fact, age has little or nothing to do with it.
But there are some things that are characteristic of every mature man and if your guy exhibits these 13 signs, you can be sure that you’re dating an emotionally mature man!
TOP 13 SIGNS OF AN EMOTIONALLY MATURE MAN
1. His priorities have changed
He rather chooses to sleep than go out on a Friday night. He has got to the stage where nights out just don’t make sense anymore and now he would rather spend the night sleeping, relaxing, or just lying on the couch watching Netflix or playing video games.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that your guy is grown-up if he stays at home every Friday night, but it is a huge indicator that he has become more aware of how much sleep and rest are important for him and his health. It is a huge indicator that he’s miles away from immaturity. Also, another big indicator that your guy is emotionally mature is his ability to keep promises and stick to his decisions. For example, he promised you that you would go on a romantic trip together and in the meantime, his guys called him to go out with them, but he rejected them because he’s a man of his word and he would never disappoint you.
2. He forgives more
An important sign of his maturity is when he forgives something he wouldn’t have easily forgiven before. This is not easy to achieve and requires you to grow as a person first. To become more forgiving, you first need to become more understanding and open-minded, learn to not hold grudges, and control your anger. You see, the easiest thing a man can do is yell at you for the smallest of things and without any valid reason.
But if your man is trying really hard to work on his tolerance and overall behavior, you can be sure that he’s a real, emotionally mature man.
3. He respects differences
Respecting differences is surely one of the biggest signs that your guy is emotionally mature because it’s one of the most difficult ones to acquire.
While some people have this innate ability to respect and praise everything that is different, the majority of us have to work really hard on this one to reach the level of total acceptance and tolerance of otherness. If your man is mature, he’s probably aware of the importance of respecting humans of various sizes, abilities, ethnicities, and ages.
After all, the world would be a very dull place if we were all the same and it’s the incredible diversity among people throughout the world that makes it such a fascinating place. If the man you’re dating is aware of all of that and doesn’t show any signs of being disrespectful toward different behaviors, styles, backgrounds, and preferences, then it’s clear he is mature enough for you.
4. He shows feelings
Emotionally mature men don’t suppress their feelings, even though they are taught to do so. They know that acting tough and strong are not signs of maturity, but welcoming their feelings is. They also know that communication and being able to share things with you are some of the most important things when it comes to relationships. If your guy doesn’t have any problems with expressing his feelings to you and talking about his fears or dreams, you can be sure that he’s emotionally mature. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel that comfortable opening himself up to you.
5. He avoids drama
You will recognize your man’s maturity during your first fight. By observing his behavior, you can learn a lot about him. An emotionally mature man will stay calm and admit if he’s wrong or sometimes may even prefer to stay silent rather than engage in a trivial argument. He never yells at you or calls you names because he respects you always, regardless of whether or not he’s mad. He also tries to calm you down and offers solutions if you have any problems.
He is ready to do anything just to avoid drama and unnecessary arguments. Also, he doesn’t freak out when neighbours are listening to loud music. Instead, he’ll always have wise solution for every problem.
6. He creates space for you
An emotionally mature man will create space for his partner. This means being present, available, and open to having conversations with you. It means that he will stay put when he wants to run, and not judge you or be emotionally ungenerous when you need him. If you’re feeling sad, he’s always there to comfort you or make you laugh because he understands the emotions you’re going through and he wants to make you feel better with all of his heart. He also appreciates your need to have some space for yourself and he doesn’t judge you when you want to go out with your friends. This is a huge indicator of him being emotionally selfless and giving.
7. He is constantly growing
Being open to learn new things and grow as a person are clear signs of emotional maturity.
Every emotionally mature man knows that holding onto old patterns that are unhealthy will only result in experiencing the same problems over and over again. And that is why he is always open to seek advice from you and the people around him or ask for help regarding things he is not sure about. He is not afraid to show that he is not that good at something because he’s aware of the fact that you can’t be good at everything, and that the only way to grow is to be honest about your abilities and be ready to work on them. He works hard to become a better person. His ambition and motivation to become bigger and better will increase his maturity, strengthen your relationship, and fulfill not only his life but yours, too.
8. He respects boundaries
Emotionally mature men never hurt people or violate their privacy. He is confident enough to date an independent woman and he is willing to respect the boundaries she establishes in that relationship. He never makes excuses about something he did or didn’t do, and if he hurts you, he makes sure to apologize and work hard to earn your trust again.
An emotionally mature man also sets and respects rules himself. He’s aware of the fact that nothing will ever change if he’s not willing to work on it. And that is why he’s determined to become the best version of himself.
9. He is close to his friends and family
This is often mentioned but it can never be stressed enough – that a man who can hold great relationships with the people around him is easily able to carry that over to his romantic relationship. Most guys have good friends who share the same interests, but only a mature man will stand out by being close to the people he cares about. You can see it in the way he talks to them and about them. He is full of nice words and compliments for them, respects them, and is always ready to spend quality time together with them, no matter how busy he is.
10. He is willing to have difficult conversations
Having vulnerable and emotional conversations is hard for everyone and especially men – they are mostly wired to have conversations filled with retelling of practical jokes, burping, rude words, and more silly jokes. An immature man often has a short attention span and he’s unable to follow you during conversation. An immature man only focuses on himself during conversations where he brags about his biggest maturity failings – his crazy dance moves, his own farts, doing wheelies/stunts on his BMX, driving a modified car with a loud exhaust, his boy racer’s skills, or about time spent in night clubs. Immature men talk about driving too fast or challenging another car at the lights or on the motorway.
They don’t waste their time talking about their skateboard only to hide their inability to talk about anything else. But if your guy seems to be comfortable talking about anything with you, or, even better, if he’s initiating difficult and proper conversations, you can be sure that he’s more than emotionally mature. Another sign of being mature is if he’s always respectful toward your ideas and never criticizes or makes fun of you, no matter what you say. He is willing to listen to you and respect your every word no matter the circumstances; that is how you know that he’s a one hundred percent mature person regardless whether he’s 25 or 45 years old.
11. He is compassionate and empathetic
If he sees an old person, he instantly jumps to help them cross the street or carry their groceries. He stands up for those people in need, no matter what. He is compassionate and empathetic not only toward you, but toward other people as well. Emotionally immature men are not that aware of other people’s needs and desires because most of the time they only think about themselves or they are simply confused about what they should be doing. But if your guy exhibits these traits of being compassionate and empathetic with you and the people around him, you can be one hundred percent sure that he’s an emotionally mature man!
12. He knows how to take care of himself
He knows how to prepare simple meals instead of primarily living on fast food and junk food. An emotionally mature man knows how to take care of his body and spirit. So, if he rather chooses weight-lifting at the gym and consumes protein shakes instead of only playing videogames till 4 AM and eating pizza, you know that he’s making important decisions regarding his health and he’s sticking to them. An emotionally mature man seldom indulges in irresponsible littering and other slovenly behavior. Instead, he always make sure to clean after his meal and any other activity. He knows that if he doesn’t do it, no one else will do it for him – that’s one of the biggest differences between an immature boy and a grown-up man.
13. He strives to become more mature
If he is emotionally mature, he became that consciously and he is constantly moving toward emotional maturity with intention. He is willing to move into the unknown, into vulnerability, instead of avoiding feelings and running away from them. He doesn’t merely hide under a cartoon bedspread and wait for his problems to solve themselves.
So, if your man is working hard on his behavior, flaws, and other little things, he is striving to become a more mature person and he knows that this is the only way to reach it. He is aware that he’s not perfect, just like the rest of us, but he’s also aware that with hard work and strong will, anything can be achieved. And that’s the biggest sign that you’re dating an emotionally mature man who is in touch with his feelings, who is ready to go out of his way to help others, who is ready to reciprocate and work on your relationship just as you are.
