When Do We Become An Adult?
By gewcew23
@gewcew23 (8007)
United States
January 20, 2010 12:55pm CST
Before everyone starts answering, lets define the term adult. I think an adult is someone who is responsible enough for his or her own life on their own. I know that is simple, but I think most of us can agree enough on that definition to continue. So back to the question when do we become an adult. A good chunk will say 18, but at 18 you are not responsible enough to drink alcoholic drinks until you are 21, at least in the USA that is. So is it 21, well you are not responsible enough to drive down the road without a seat belt at any age. You are not responsible enough to do "drugs" at any age. You are not responsible enough to change the channel or radio station if something offends you, so you need an agency to monitor over the air broadcast. We are never responsible enough to self-govern our selves, because without laws we would all kill each other, or at lest that is the argument against self-governing. Heck we are not even responsible enough to decide for our selves if we want a fish pedicure or not. I was about to say the only time we are allowed by society to become adults is when we die, but society for the most part will not even allow us to decide when one want to end their own life.
So truly is there any among our selves an adult or are we all just children to "society"?
1 person likes this
9 responses
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
20 Jan 10
You wany my answer or the governments?
According to me I am an adult at 18.
According to the government we are NEVER adults. They want to tell us what we can eat. Heaven forbid we decide for ourselves. What we can watch..heaven forbid we be adult enough to change the channel if we don't like something. They want to micromanage our lives for "our own good". Why? Because they all think we are stupid idiots we are NOT adult and are incapable of making decisions for ourselves. So we have to be "protected" from ourselves by the government. Who know better. LOL. Ya right.
The government treats us like toddlers. WHich I find extremely insulting and won't stand for it. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions....even if they don't agree with them.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Yep. I don't let the government tell me what I can do, I do what I feel like doing and just stay within their 'boundaries' and under the radar. They don't know what is best, I didn't even vote for nor elect most of those people because I don't like what they stand for, their personal agendas, and how they waste taxpayers money on crap for THEM. If they know what is best, then I can blow fire out my butt. Yeah, right.
The only time it is appropriate to do anything 'for someone's own good' is when they are technically a minor, meaning you are a parent or guardian and you have a child from birth to age 17.99 and the child is making a choice that hurts them or someone else because they don't realize the consequence of their actions. Outside of that, perhaps you can also include people who are under the influence of toxic substances, especially if they are addicted, or clinically depressed. Other than that, even if someone is NOT acting like an adult, if they can legally represent themselves because they are 'of age' and they COULD physically care for themselves if forced to, I think they need to be responsible for themselves, and if they won't, reap the consequences. I don't know why this society has started becoming such horrid enablers but it is awful and we have to STOP. If someone is going to be an idiot, LET THEM ALREADY. It's not my problem, it's not yours, it's nobody's except the idiot.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
21 Jan 10
OH. And the reason a parent or guardian would be responsible is because they are legally HELD responsible for mistakes or bad choices a minor makes while under their care. I will tell you, I have a 20 year old daughter and I am not legally responsible for her choices - so I tell her that her life is up to her. I do not interfere unnecessarily or rain on her parade or tell her what she HAS to do. I don't think acting that way does any good, although I see many parents with grown children still trying to treat them like toddlers when those grown kids are living their lives JUST FINE. Yeah, I think that's a bunch of BS.
@fedoralinux (556)
• India
20 Jan 10
myself i became an adult at the age of 19,but i got the maturity at the age of 23,there is so much of difference between an adult and the maturity,if adult the person who attend the age of above 18 ,but the maturity depend on one's creativity .but still many of them were not matured in above 40 years,so.the person adult the person who got the maturity at any age that is called the 'adult'.and this my view about this topic.
1 person likes this
@sunilcutein (66)
• India
21 Jan 10
I can say that you can become adult when you are being responsible and feel responsible
@anning (88)
• China
21 Jan 10
i thought this question before.it is hard to tell that when we are going to be a real man.sometimes we act like a man and were responsible for our errors and sometimes we act like a child and try to escape.so the time to become a man is a long time process .we have to learn more before we think we are.
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Well, officially eighteen of course but that is never the case. Some people never truly mature to that level. Some people do mature then or before then however. I honestly believe that some people never grow up. They just get older. However, most of us will be considered children to someone for whatever reason.
@hapsicordable1 (475)
• Philippines
21 Jan 10
We become an adult when we learn from the mistakes and failures in our lives... when we become responsible and learn to value of time...when we understand the true essence and purpose we have in our lives. We become an adult when we know how to deal with life in general. Nice topic you have here gewcew, happy mylotting.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
20 Jan 10
I don't believe that government regulations and responsibility go hand in hand. There has to be order in any society. So, yes, I became an adult at 18 when I was able to make decisions for myself within the confines of the law...when I became responsible for providing for myself and was legally bound to the terms of a contract.
I do believe though that the government is trying to take too much control over our lives and I agree with you about the "for your own good" laws like requiring that you wear a seatbelt.
@dikonoha (122)
• Indonesia
21 Jan 10
in my opinion became an adult is how tey can respond thrier ability to yake a real presure abaout life, cause we live among the presure how, what, and want to make a good exopresion among ather, and in my cases I think we became an adult person when we star to respect our life and tobe repsective by other. This make adult is being clasipiedd beetwin 20 until 35 years old. Because that is the star when we understand but the meaning off life.
@GsxrKing2009 (73)
• United States
21 Jan 10
Personally, I became an adult at 15 years old. The reason why is because I took on a full time job, had to support myself and became mature enough to make sure that things got done when they needed to, I paid bills on time and had fun only when all my other responsibilities were completed or met.
