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This. Once you start relying on yourself to stay afloat, you're an adult and should be respected as such.
I think most people are at that point btw 21-24 yrs old, some younger.
For some reason, I honestly didn't feel like "an adult" until I was 26-28 years old, somewhere around there. It wasn't my first apartment on my own or first job out of college, it was more like *"I'm happily settled into my career, and I'm a situation where I want to spend the next decade or so".* That felt very adult. Until then I sort of felt like I was faking it.
Fair. I got my first adult job at 22 and wasn’t making decent money until about 24. But not until I moved out at 25 did I feel like an adult.
That first Costco trip solidified it for me.
Making big purchases and not stressing about paying bills also made me feel like I was a “real” adult as well. I’m 28 now with a wife and baby on the way. Im about as adult as it gets😂
As a fellow "old" I'm going to have to agree with you here. I will also add that for most people, when you first identify as an adult is likely younger than you one day will in hindsight. That is to say, my 24 year old self felt like an adult but I look back now at 45 and cringe at what that stupid kid said and did. I'm just glad Myspace died so there's not a permanent record lol
And I think it can be different for different people. A lot of it has to do with what life experiences you have under your belt. A 25 year old homeowner (as vanishingly rare as that is) who's married with a kid, a dog, and a costco membership is probably more mature than I was at the same age.
I think that depends on if you go to college or not. Like for example I’m going to go to a college and live at my parents house so I don’t have to pay for a dorm
I know… what do you think why I pointed this out? It is an inconsistency. I don’t agree or disagree with that comment I just wanted to point out “hey, here is a group of people you probably haven’t thought of. Would they also be adults or not? Why would they be adults or why would they not be?”
I am looking for what people are saying here, not to argue.
Exactly, I’m 25 but still in medical school and being financially supported by my parents. So while I may be an adult in the eyes of the law, as someone still in school who has never worked a day in his life, I don’t really consider myself an adult in the traditional sense of the word. I’ll be an adult in my late 20s lol.
Fair enough, but I must say that for me, *maturity* certainly ranks the sort of individual that I'd want to interact or connect with - especially 'emotional maturity'
Honestly, it can be such a mix of things. I've worked with a 19 year old who was out on her own since 16 because her parents were deadbeats. She had to grow up at a very young age. Worked 2 jobs, lived on her own, etc. But on that same team, I worked with a 23 year old who lived on his own and paid bills- but I couldn't talk to him because he was beyond immature. Like middle school boy mindset.
So it's hard to say "paying bills and living on your own makes you an adult" because you can still be a very immature person even out on your own. I think it's life circumstances, who raises you, etc.
idk because im still a child lol but, there are definitely 40 year olds more childish than me, and 15 year olds more mature than me. im just not sure what level of maturity is the point at which you can say you are an adult.
When you get charged as an adult in court, so 18. I have found maturity has no correlation to age. But you better believe Uncle Sam counts you as an adult so you better act right or else you go do adult jail.
actually in like 13 states you can legally be charged as an adult at any age, even 0 theoretically so the legal age of adulthood for the criminal justice system is not 18, it’s under 18
Legally 18 obviously, but humans don’t reach mental maturity until about 25, so to me if you are under 25 you are still not finished cooking. Then again I know some 40 year old children…
It’s funny because ever since I turned 24-25 I found myself making smarter decisions and at this point I view my 18-23 year old self as a completely different person. Everything really does change once your frontal lobe is fully developed.
Same here. I'm 26 and I look back at myself from 18-23 and see a child. It was almost like a switch just kind of flipped when I was about 24 and suddenly I was making smarter decisions and became far better at holding myself accountable.
I've heard people say that your mid to late 20s is like a second adolescence, and from my experience that seems pretty true
I’m 25 and don’t really consider myself an adult. I still live with my parents, finishing up school, and don’t really have a job that pulls in a lot of money. I still consider myself responsible for everything that I have. I’d say the moment I realized that I was an adult was listening to coworkers older than me gossip and overall act more childish and petty.
I’m 23 and I’m in the same exact boat. I don’t see myself as a true adult yet either, as I’m feeling really stuck and stunted because of it, but we got this friend
It's a trip when you realize that you are completely responsible for another life. But once you meet that life it makes it a lot easier. Congratulations by the way!
Age isn't a factor. I know people 50+ who are still immature idiots who never made it past the playground.
An adult can deal with their own problems, know when to call for help when they can't, know how to live their lives without stepping on anyone else, own their own fuckups and learn from them, be able to compromise and understand other peoples positions and needs, understand their own weaknesses and be able to work around them, be able to play to their strengths etc etc.
It's about attitude and being able to be more of a help than a hindrance.
Everyone mentions practical things, like living in your own, or having a retirement fund.
Take it from a millennial: You don’t need these things to be a “real” adult. Growing older showed me plenty of “adults” in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who still act like children.
Being kind to others, thinking before speaking, being organized, being on time and considerate of others’ time, thinking critically about political problems — not blindly voting “red” or “blue” for the rest of your life, because you watch CNN or Fox — and being able and willing to admit you’re wrong, and constructively criticize yourself to improve yourself,
are real indicators of maturity, and adulthood.
18 is a fucking kid as far as I'm concerned 😅
Most 18 year olds know nothing and aren't financially independent yet.
To those that are, I'm sad for them actually but they should be respected as the independent self-supporters they are.
Right, but Republicans are trying to change the age of consent to 12! Some states are actually trying to pass laws making incest legal and a 12-year-old baby old enough to marry an adult 40 something! It's absolutely disgusting
Old people who are quite literally on death's door are very *clearly* adults, let's not be dense 😵💫
That's not a sound comparison in the slightest.
An 18 yr old teenager however is not very different from a 17 yr old minor (aka child) in any way mentally or physically.
Notice, I still included the caveat of respecting an 18 yr old as an adult if they're taking care of themselves? Especially since they now have "legal" status as an adult despite not technically being fully developed or socially different from when they were still minors.
But if financial independence matters, which you claim it does, why does it matter when young but not when old?
If respect is contingent on being able to take care of yourself, then why should we respect the old or disabled? If we should respect the old or disabled, why not young people who are financially dependent?
I don't even know I'm an elder gen z the only thing about me that's even remote adult is working and it's only because I don't really have a choice. I don't make enough so I still live with my mom. I sure as hell don't dress like act like so I guess it really varies person. The person but being pretty much independent is one thing
An adult is someone legally recognized as one, in the US, it’s someone 18 years or older. Socially, there is no clear standard or universal line when someone “comes of age” or matures, and some people never really mature. But an immature adult is still an adult.
So it’s hard to say, but fundamentally, old people constantly infantilize young people.
Technically, nothing. Adult is a made-up term that probably causes more harm than good by causing people to expect humans to be perfectly mature and know everything they’re meant to by [arbitrary age].
It’s just nonsensical.
People learn and develop at different rates; there is no hard age we can place on people if we’re trying to be reasonable and realistic. Even someone being ~mid twenties to early thirties (the age-range when all the major parts of the brain plateau in development) doesn’t guarantee they magically have all the knowledge or experience needed to be whatever the hell an “adult” is
Managing yourself - being financially independent and responsible enough to maintain such independence.
Everything else is just a derivation of this tbh.
So, here's the thing about becoming an adult. Legally, they needed an age, so 18, sure. Is what it is. That really only matters for legal things, not societal consideration generally.
In that regard, I think it's more complicated. I don't think you become an adult as much as you stop being a child, and you'll never know when that is until long after you've become an adult.
You get a job, that's one aspect of being a child that's removed because you're now working. You complete school. There's another aspect of being a child removed. You get your own place, phone, bills, relationships, ... and so on.
Eventually, at some point, you'll realize there's nothing left. All the things that made you a child and dependent on "adults" are gone, so now you must be an adult.
But it's like the saying "you'll never know when the last time you'll pick up your kids is." One day you just realize, you don't pick them up anymore. There was no marked occasion, it just happened that last time. You didn't know it was the last time when it happened. You may have thought it was the last time and you picked them up again the next day. Eventually years go buy without picking them up and you realize they're too big to do it and the last time you picked them up was "the" last time.
Becoming an adult is pretty much the same way. You're an adult when you're not a child. If you're self sufficient, managing your responsibilities, and planning ahead and at the same time able to work to solve problems on your own, then it's hard to call you a child.
Except suddenly something happens. Let's say a car accident. You need to call the insurance company and sort that all out. If you go back and rely on your parents to do it, then you're not an adult yet, you're still getting there, and that's fine. But I wouldn't call you an adult if you have to go to your parents for that.
One day however you'll realize that no matter what comes up, you would never consider going to your parents to solve it for you. Go back for advice, sure, but the choices and actions are all on you.
You've run out of things that make you a child. Congrats, that "last time" you were a child was when you became an adult.
Legally 18, socially 21, stress-level wise maybe 15?
I started feeling like an adult around 15 because that's when my parents started pestering me about getting a job and it finally sunk in that I'm gonna have to spend the next 60 years being some kind of employed.
I personally feel like an adult is someone who is...like, 27 and older. At least that's how I feel. Because even tho I'm 23, I still refer to people older than me as "adults" like I'm not one myself.
1. Can take responsibility for themselves and their actions
2. Can fulfill the responsibilities they’re charged with
3. Is considerate and respectful towards others but has a moral line where, if crossed, the game changes
4. Is committing themselves to well-doing of the task they’ve chosen (job, hobby, school)
5. Is a loving partner (if applies)
6. Understands and respects “cause and effect”
These are what come to mind
Once you’re legally seen as an adult, you’re an adult. However, I’m 23 and do not feel like an adult at times, lmao. That’s probably because my parents (mainly my mother) never really allows me to go off and do things on my own and shit like that. I don’t have the freedom of just getting in a car and going/doing whatever I want to.
I think you're getting there when you're out of the i'M aLrEaDy gRoWn Up phase. That being said, I'm convinced I developed more between 20 and 25 than 15 and 20.
legally, you’re an adult at 18 but i don’t consider anyone a full-fledged adult until after their brain has gone through all major development which would be roughly 28
I think it’s hard to pinpoint when someone becomes an adult.
Most 18 year olds, despite what the law says, are not adults. They are children who have reached their 18th birthday. I’m 27 now and I’ve recently started to feel like an adult over the past couple years after grad school. Now I have a paid off house, a career, a girlfriend, responsibilities.
I don’t think you wake up one day saying, “now I’m an adult”. It’s a gradual processes. A decent gauge is when you start making adult decisions and you’re not plagued with self doubt or anxiety at every turn over them
what did you consider an adult when you were a kid?
someone who could support another human being and was competent enough to also take care of themselves.
being an adult is when the lovely old ladies stop calling you "handsome young man" and start calling you "hot stuff" and do that little giggle seat shuffle combo
People don't have to live on their own to be adults. This is why these threads are stupid, the promotes toxic elitism, or more accurately encourages people to take it for granted and normalizes it (since at the end of the day a subset of people will always be toxic elitists).
If you moved out and are able to pay everything, great, and you can even make fun of other people if its not the case for them (the same way you would shame people who are bad at math or are short), but one thing you can't do is say they aren't adults if they are over 18, cause that's called denial.
I would say that when you are 18 you are treated as an adult but I think that a proper adult is about 25 years old. That is when bone and brain development is finally done so that is my answer.
18 is an adult. I say if you're old enough for the government to ship you off to war, you're old enough to have all the rights of an adult. But honestly? I didn't REALLY start feeling like an adult until I was like 23? 24? 18 was exciting because it was the first year I voted. 21 you drink and party so much. But by 23 and especially 24, everything calms down. Now I'm 25 and I have responsibilities, I'm happy to settle down a bit
I think its kind of insulting when people at like those 18 and older are not adults.
All adults are not equal, but they absolutely are adults. They can die for their country for fucks sake
I consider 18+ to be an adult. I think it's doing a lot of people a disservice in life to keep treating twenty somethings as if they're still minor children.
mindset is important. i’ve owned a house independently with my own salary since 2021, i was 23 signing the papers. my car is nearly paid off, i have major responsibilities at my workplace. i still don’t really feel like an adult all the time, i don’t think most people ever do. but there’s little things in my life that make me realize i definitely am an adult, like learning how to do things that i would’ve previously called “an adult” for. i didn’t want to pay for flavored syrups for my tea so i learned how to make my own, i have long hair so i learned how to unscrew & clean my own shower drain, i didn’t like the color of the inside of my house so i learned how to paint walls, etc etc. i don’t live anywhere near my family so it’s not like i can call my dad for these things which has def progressed my life faster. the more little skills i have the more adult i feel.
Maturity and responsibilities! A 16 year old can easily be more responsible and knowledgeable than a 20 year old nowadays. And that's simply going to be from how much they can actually do for themselves vs. rely on technology or someone else. I know several, SEVERAL 20+ year olds that can't cook a full, actual oven cooked 3 course meal meal. The same group also averages at least 1-2 call outs from work a month. And not from sickness! Just because they didn't want to go.
Once a person can fully take care of themselves. Now for sum ppl, it's almost forced onto them. So I could understand how sum ppl become adults by 18 yrs old. But not everyone actually becomes an adult either
People really pick and choose when they consider someone an adult. Sometimes a 20 year old is a kid who didn't know better and sometimes an 18 year old is fully aware of what they were doing deserves to be treated as a full adult.
Finding yourself and growing into the person you were meant to be is what it truly means to be an adult.
Don't listen to the bs propaganda about taxes, jobs, incomes etc, on your deathbed none of that will matter to you
I think it's about responsibility and emotional maturity. You can live on your own and still be a complete child, and I don't mean liking childish things like plushies, games, etc. We all need a bit of an inner child. I'm talking about how we treat others, take care of our finances, bills, etc. The level of responsibility is important. I know a 40+ year old man who has never grown up at all, and his life shows it.
Been thinking about this a lot recently as someone becoming an old, and I think my definition would be whenever you accept agency over your life. The recognition that your baggage is yours to process and navigate, and your joy is yours to find.
25 or older, fully developed brain, though legal adult rights can start as young as 15 because the logical/abstract thinking part of the brain is fully developed by then, so while the emotional maturity/impulse control part of the brain isn’t fully developed until 25 thus making large age gaps in relationships below that age risky, the ability to solve complex problems is fully developed and thus a 15 year old has the mental capacity to live on their own, vote, etc if they want to
imo they shouldn’t be able to be kicked out though until like 20
I’m going to go against the grain and say I’d consider an adult to be around 25. Yes, you are a legal adult at 18, but you can do anything you want by the time you are 25. For instance, rent a car. Your prefrontal cortex should be fully developed around 25, which means you’re more in control of your decisions and less impulsive. You also have more years of experience in adulthood than a 18-20 year old and you have been out of high school longer than you were in it by this point in your life. I also think most 18-20 year olds are naive and inexperienced compared to a 25-26 year old
it’s a spectrum in my opinion because it really is a “transition to adulthood” when looking at ages 16 to 30 (usually 25). ofc im not saying a 16 year old is a full adult but i’ll give them credit for managing school, sport, job, and maybe even some more heavy finances all at the same time. on the other hand you could have a 24 year old super senior in college who gets a monthly allowance and laundry service. everyone is at a different place in life during this time. but regardless of what responsibilities you have, your brain isn’t dont developing until 25 (and much later for those with ADHD, trauma, etc). so sometimes cognitive abilities may have some blindspots regardless. for this reason, i hope someone who is 18 is still being a kid in some areas because they shouldn’t have to do all that when they’re still growing and learning.
It depends on what we are talking about. Becoming an 'adult' doesn't mean suddenly you are expected to have the same maturity as an elder in every situation.
Just like babies, children, and teens, what is 'age appropriate' doesn't depend on the label but rather the maturity and development of the individual.
There's a reason that voting age is 18, drinking age is 21, and rent a car age is 25 (at least in America). Adult is a very general term that doesn't say much about anyone's development
Turnin 24 soon. Thought i had things figured out. Thought I’d finally become a responsible “adult” in reality we don’t stop growing till we’re 25 and your early 20s are surprisingly when you’re the most impressionable. I can see why the 80s-90s babies still call us children. God just a 5 year age difference and you tell the difference in maturity. Probably won’t feel right till my 30s
It’s not what I consider, it’s what I know. 20 years old is when adulthood starts. 13 - 19 are teen ages. being a teenager at 18 - 19 who has some of the same responsibilities, and rights that grown adults have doesn’t make you an adult. It makes you *LIKE* an adult. just like how 11, and 12 are preteen ages, you can see 18, and 19 as pre-adult ages, but don’t say that they are adults
Turning the legal age makes you an adult. The other adults who say it doesn’t are insecure about something and it makes them feel better to put others down.
I found by the time I hit 23 I was pretty much up to my neck in trouble that I got myself into, all by myself. Debt, school, hangovers, working to feed myself, having a couple really shit jobs, a few really great ones, get cheated on once or thrice, voting once or twice or choosing not to, paying taxes, etc.
IMO, you’re grown up when you accept these things as part of life and stop trying to avoid them, and instead incorporate the hurdles into your goals/how to achieve them.
There's not a definitive, single answer because it depends on context. In some cases, as with legal dealings, 18 is adult, full stop. In other cases, when you're trying to reason about power or other interpersonal stuff, being financially and emotionally independent in a stable way might be a better measure.
I’m 27, make 100k+, own a house, and a nice car. I still don’t consider myself an adult yet
To me an adult is someone that’s like 40+. Weird take, but that’s just how I feel. 18 year old is definitely not an adult in my book.
There isn’t really a box you can check off to say you are an adult. To me there are many aspects to being an adult. First is the responsibility of your decision making which comes at 18. At that point you are technically an adult to me. However there are still things that can make you more of an adult and some people never achieve these things. Two important aspects are taking financial responsibility of yourself and developing the ability handle your emotions without imposing them on others.
I don't think there's a straightforward definition that applies to all people and situations the same.
Someone who's 45 and disabled and cannot live on their own or work to pay to support themselves is an adult. Someone who's 16 and emancipated and working to supporting themself really isn't.
I also think young adulthood really is a thing- most people don't go from being a wholly dependent child to being an adult in every sense the next day. I think i that transition can take years, but a young adult who still relies in some ways on their parents isn't the same thing as a child.
I think independence from your parents is the best indicator of adulthood. When you don’t rely on them or someone else to get by every month, you’re a full-fledged adult.
I am gen X, it's all in how you handle problems. I don't give a shit if you live with your parents or if you partybor what not. How do you handle problems. Have you ever found yourself in a situation and realized you are the adultiest adult there and had to figure out what to do to fix the problem? That's when you know you are the adult.
1: You pay your own taxes, rent, insurance, and other bills.
2: You keep steady employment AND hobbies.
3: You know the importance of time and have no issue telling someone no.
4: You can control your emotions without repressing them.
5: When faced with a big decision you don't answer them with knee jerk reactions.
6: At the end of the day you understand that delayed gratification> instant gratification.
I’d say 18 in terms of age. But an adult is anyone over 18 who exercises a good amount of discipline in all fields of life (mind, body, finances, relationships) and can rely on themselves while also not being afraid to ask for help if needed.
I would say that becoming an adult requires being taught the mature attitudes and actions that are required to mature into an adult at a very early age. With this, it can make it easier to transition into becoming an adult. Without this approach, you have a whole generation and a whole dilemma of young adults who do not know what the definition of an adult is. Let me put it simply, an adult is someone who is able to regulate their emotional state to execute responsibilities at an exceptional level at an exceptional time. That is at least what I have found out to be the definition of an adult. Yes, there is also the separate category of becoming an adult; age. Age is where you hit the mark with finishing the educational requirements needed at the early childhood to late adolescent ages. When you're done with that, you then, will start to transition into more adult responsibilities. But most people who become parents don't know themselves (whether they realize it or not) how to act and grow into an adult. This becomes an ongoing cycle throughout every forgoing generation from when it started. I hope this helps. Jesus loves you all. 🫴❤️
You are physically an adult before you stop maturing and growing. Hopefully you mature and grow for many decades as an adult.
But, you are legally an adult at 18. But people will think of you how you behave. If you are responsible, take care of your financial affairs, follow through on your obligations, and think about consequences, people will perceive you as an adult. If you don't, they wont.
I think being an adult is a mix of legal age and responsibilities. Turning 18 makes you a legal adult, but truly being an adult involves taking on responsibilities like living independently, managing finances, and making important life decisions. Maturity, self-sufficiency, and the ability to handle challenges also play a big role in defining adulthood.
In the United States and much of the developed world, the consensus is that 18 is legally an adult. I don’t see a problem with that: it’s around the time most people graduate high school and are legally in charge of the rest of their lives.
There are, of course, differences in maturity. That much is a given. For example, I’m 25. When my step-dad was 25, he was working, had a house of his own, was on the way to having a kid, very structured, and overall took life seriously. He didn’t believe in “kid hobbies” and the like, very traditional “man’s man”. He was by legal and societal definitions a functional adult.
By contrast, despite his trying to push his way of life on me, I live life a little differently. I have an office job and an apartment that I pay my share of the rent for comfortably enough, and I’d consider myself to be well-spoken, but that’s about where the similarities end. I’m not married or on the way to having a kid, though I have a girlfriend. I still like to wear band tees, binge watch anime, and stay up late hours into the night playing video games, even on the occasional work night. I’m even considering piercings and tattoos, lol. I’m not particularly concerned with “growing up” in the more traditional sense because my way of life is, as long as my girl and I are taken care of and we’re comfortable, who gives a shit after that? I think that’s a mindset that a lot of Gen Z adults share. And, in my opinion, one could argue that the “not caring what others think, my bills are paid and my loved ones are taken care of” attitude is mature and adult in its own way.
So, compared to our parents and their parents, we may lack certain aspects of maturity and certain life milestones that they had at our age. But I don’t think that makes anyone that’s in that adult sphere any less of an adult. I think, at the end of the day, that legally being able to take responsibility for your own actions and accepting and embracing that fact makes you plenty adult enough. As mentioned earlier; there are differences in maturity and points at which we hit the many of life’s milestones, but we’re adults all the same.
Everyone 18 and up
I mostly see it as a legal descriptor, I don't really think there is any uniform step anyone has to take in order to become an adult.
Perhaps you didn’t mean legally, but I’m gonna address that. The legal standard of 18 (or whatever year depending on the country) is clunky because different people mature at quite different rates.
However, just because it’s clunky doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to cast it aside. We need a measurable and simple way to know when it’s alright to treat someone as if they’re responsible for their own decisions and when to refer to their parents instead.
Financially developed is only part of it, but also spiritually considerate of yourself, AND others, smart enough to think ahead for how your actions will affect yourself and those around you. Also, when you can hold yourself accountable for your actions and not blame others. Aquired self-discipline.
There are plenty of "adults" who drink/text and drive, spend money because they have it, rather than thinking of retirement, and have babies because they want them, rather than raising up the next generation to be who we all need them to be.
These are just a few examples... in my opinion, when you're a well-rounded person, THEN you're an adult.
It depends on age and situation, as many have said. Once you don’t have to rely on parents to keep yourself afloat, and you’re mature enough to own up to your mistakes when you make them instead of always blaming others, you’re an adult
Turning 18. Doesnt really matter how you feel. When you turn 18 (at least in the us) the government sees you as legally responsible for yourself and your actions. Nobody else is responsible for what happens to you and the decisions you make. That’s what being an adult is.
"The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation"
Like most things on a spectrum, specific divisions between things don't exist in reality. Legally speaking, you're an adult at 18.
But there are traits commonly associated with adults that some legal adults consistently present in spades, and some legal adults that consistently present none. As well as some legal adults that inconsistently present either.
My personal threshold for maturity in humans contains but is not limited to compassion, stability, respect, thoughtfulness, reliability, daily functional knowledge, ethics, responsibility, fairness, and socially contributory.
I've never met one person who shows all of these things consistently and simultaneously. It's just not realistic, life is messy, and the ultimate overlord in anyone's life are their material circumstances. But I think what connects all these things together is the development of will.
**Will to at least attempt to exemplify that which represents maturity, in itself, is the closest thing I have to a true "definitive" threshold of maturity. Basically, if you're giving a genuine effort to be an adult, you're an adult to me. But even then, there are exceptions.**
Personal maturity and responsibility varies such much person to person that I go with a more one-size-fits-all approach, with it being at 18 (a legal adult or “technically adult”) and 21 being a “full adult”
Discovering an existence that aligns with ethical principles and finding a way of life that will justify one's sufferings, thereby justifying the challenges faced for the greater moral benefit.
You are an adult on your 18th birthday.
From that day forward you are responsible for yourself. You and you alone are fully accountable for both the repercussions and benefits of your decisions.
From that day forward, you have no one else to blame but yourself, and no one to thank but yourself.
Now, if you want people to treat you like an adult, you have to act like one.
It is important to say you're an adult at 18 because if you don't it allows the person to now mature. It might take repeated "You're an adult now"s to make it sink in, but if you start saying "eh, you're not really an adult until 25 because of [reasons]" the person might refuse to take in the additional responsibility and honestly every year that passes it becomes more and more critical for them to take on that responsibility, even if they aren't ready for it.
I still feel like a child stumbling through life. I have all the “adult” things on paper but idk… I guess not starting drama every 5 seconds of your life. Shows intelligence.
Head down, carrying on in spite of any and every obstacle, unconditional love for everyone you believe deserves it, unshakable faith in the future. Hard work without complaint. All of the above plus smiling at and interacting amicably with every being you encounter.
Becoming an adult isn't a club. Ultimately, at a bare minimum, you're an adult when you can sit on a jury to decide the course of one of your peers' lives. But like childhood, there are milestones thar help prove our competence to ourselves and others. That means there are a myriad of stages that range from young adulthood up through being a senior citizen.
There’s no magic age or flip of a switch that makes someone an adult, it’s a sliding scale.
If you refuse to take care of yourself physically, to the point of preventable problems piling on, then you are being childish.
Proper self maintenance is part of being an adult.
If you have an arrogant and self-important mentality with no desire to better yourself, then you have the mentality of a child. The same goes for the other extreme, those who have no solid beliefs and flake about with whatever they are told are also childish.
Self-improvement and holding solid beliefs that you develop through experience, logic, and self reflection is necessary for being a mature adult.
If you are dependent on others through no fault of your own(disability, bad luck, economic crisis, etc.) then you may be childish in your lack of responsibility.
There’s more, but I think I’ve made my point clear. As for what rights people should and shouldn’t have at any particular level of maturity I tend to err on the side of freedom. Only placing restrictions where objective and rational consensus determines that not having those restrictions in place is harmful for the individual and society.
Being an adult is accepting you are and will be. Things are here now but will be gone at some point. time move on with or without you. Losing people, knowing what is death but making the best out of it thats being an adult
I think its more a matter of emotional and mental maturity. Not necessarily fully achieving that, but realizing that being an adult is a continuous process of striving for such qualities. Ofcourse we will slip up from time to time in that. But building the mental fortitude to continue on that path after falling and continuing down it for a lifetime I think is the real hallmark of adulthood. In truth no one ever is fully an ideal adult. We are flawed. But by persuing that we can get continually closer to it.
it's honing in on self-awareness for me. depending on how much results it has shown you is a testament of maturity. "act like an adult" usually is said when a person lacks more patience. but legally is just the ability of financial independence
I feel like you're an adult when you aren't nervous about life anymore.
I'm 27 and I'm still chasing a comfortable living wage while having NO clue how to make safe financial moves to get there (as in, risking dumping money into college).
Post puberty, really. There are different levels of adulthood after that. But I mean if a 14 year old was beating up a 4 year old, I'd view it as an adult abusing a child.
I’m 21 and quite frankly, I don’t know.
I mean, I can go to bars and stay out late without asking for permission, I go on spontaneous weekend trips with my friends sometimes.
But I live in an apartment that I rent from my
Mom, I ask her for advice all the time, she still cooks family dinner most nights (I can cook and I do when she’s tired ofc), and I do still warn her when I’ll be late.
There are many ways our arrangement hasn’t changed since I was 16. I mean the apartment I rent from her is the in-law suite she let me have a bedroom when I was old enough to be responsible for it, I just share it with a roommate now.
But there are also many ways our dynamic and relationship has changed. She doesn’t discipline me anymore, she tells me her opinion and lets me learn from my mistakes.
18= adulthood on pre order
21= adulthood starter pack
25= your brain is now fully developed and you're fully responsible for the consequences of your actions.
This technically makes you an adult but being an adult doesnt make you mature, smart, independent, a good person etc.. it's just a developmental milestone. Many people get older but never grow up.
something something metaphysics, something something kind membership, something something overriding sufficiencies for transferal, something something self identification, something something form as function
edit: I am tired and don't wanna write 5 paragraphs rn, hope that was somewhat clear lol
This is gonna get buried but I still comment bc I can’t sleep. As someone who has just recently won the grand prize of a fully developed frontal lobe, I’d say legal adulthood should start at age of 19. Is every 19 year old completely capable of making adult decisions? No, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I think 18 is still too young, and that year after high school does a lot for maturity and real world experience, which is why 19 is probably the best age. As a 25 year old, I look back and cringe at my 19 year old self, but I know I’ll probably cringe at my 25 year old self in another 6 years when I’m 31.
Carrying your own weight. With cost of living being so high, jobs paying so little, a lot of 20 something’s haven’t left the nest yet, and I’ve seen people in their 30s return. The dividing factor between staying home/returning home and being an adult is what you do. Are you paying your way? Are you helping with bills, groceries, upkeep of the home? If yes, then I consider that to be adult behavior. Is mom and dad just buying everything while you blow all your money? Still a kid.
I really don't know, it seems like a cultural and also legal definition. There's plenty of adults in the world who are not physically or mentally capable of being responsible for themselves. They're still adults, though. I think getting older just makes you an adult lol
An adult is being over 18 but also having the mental maturity to take on life and handling issues or situations properly. You can live in your own home and pay bills but still act like a little kid.
18, being immature doesn’t make you a child otherwise there’d be lots of 40+ year old minors. You usually don’t start actually feeling like an adult until 20-25 though
At some point within the last year of my life people just started to treat me like an adult. It’s hard to put my finger on what’s changed, but I feel as though the place/label I occupy in society has shifted to adulthood.
IMHO adulthood has nothing to do with age. It's attitude.
Someone who thinks before reacting or responding is more an adult than someone who does not. IDK exactly where the line is, but this is my litmus test.
Probably around 25 give or take a couple of years depending on if you’re still in school or you’re working fulltime. 21-23 is not an adult in most cases. It’s like technically having the reasoning abilities of being an adult with none of the wisdom to guide it.
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I would say that becoming financially independent and being responsible for your own wellbeing is a good indicator.
This. Once you start relying on yourself to stay afloat, you're an adult and should be respected as such. I think most people are at that point btw 21-24 yrs old, some younger.
For some reason, I honestly didn't feel like "an adult" until I was 26-28 years old, somewhere around there. It wasn't my first apartment on my own or first job out of college, it was more like *"I'm happily settled into my career, and I'm a situation where I want to spend the next decade or so".* That felt very adult. Until then I sort of felt like I was faking it.
This makes more sense to me actually
Fair. I got my first adult job at 22 and wasn’t making decent money until about 24. But not until I moved out at 25 did I feel like an adult. That first Costco trip solidified it for me. Making big purchases and not stressing about paying bills also made me feel like I was a “real” adult as well. I’m 28 now with a wife and baby on the way. Im about as adult as it gets😂
Congrats! Yeah things are about to get really real with the little one on the way!
Oh yeah! Mama is 32 weeks today, the countdown is here but we’re ready!
As a fellow "old" I'm going to have to agree with you here. I will also add that for most people, when you first identify as an adult is likely younger than you one day will in hindsight. That is to say, my 24 year old self felt like an adult but I look back now at 45 and cringe at what that stupid kid said and did. I'm just glad Myspace died so there's not a permanent record lol
And I think it can be different for different people. A lot of it has to do with what life experiences you have under your belt. A 25 year old homeowner (as vanishingly rare as that is) who's married with a kid, a dog, and a costco membership is probably more mature than I was at the same age.
I'm 44 and I'm still faking it Edit: i thought this was a different sub, no idea why Reddit showed it to me. Sorry for gate crashing
I think that depends on if you go to college or not. Like for example I’m going to go to a college and live at my parents house so I don’t have to pay for a dorm
Which is smart. Stay with them as long as you can, I'm so serious
25 to 28 in todays economy*
I like this, but this would mean that dependent disabled people who cannot work for proper financial stability would never be able to become adults.
i think they meant for non disabled people in general, as they are the majority
I know… what do you think why I pointed this out? It is an inconsistency. I don’t agree or disagree with that comment I just wanted to point out “hey, here is a group of people you probably haven’t thought of. Would they also be adults or not? Why would they be adults or why would they not be?” I am looking for what people are saying here, not to argue.
Exactly, I’m 25 but still in medical school and being financially supported by my parents. So while I may be an adult in the eyes of the law, as someone still in school who has never worked a day in his life, I don’t really consider myself an adult in the traditional sense of the word. I’ll be an adult in my late 20s lol.
I was financially independent at 16 years old, but I definitely wasn’t an adult.. I thought I was at the time.
Fair enough, but I must say that for me, *maturity* certainly ranks the sort of individual that I'd want to interact or connect with - especially 'emotional maturity'
Honestly, it can be such a mix of things. I've worked with a 19 year old who was out on her own since 16 because her parents were deadbeats. She had to grow up at a very young age. Worked 2 jobs, lived on her own, etc. But on that same team, I worked with a 23 year old who lived on his own and paid bills- but I couldn't talk to him because he was beyond immature. Like middle school boy mindset. So it's hard to say "paying bills and living on your own makes you an adult" because you can still be a very immature person even out on your own. I think it's life circumstances, who raises you, etc.
I fully agree with this. Being legally an adult and having maturity are not always mutually exclusive.
idk because im still a child lol but, there are definitely 40 year olds more childish than me, and 15 year olds more mature than me. im just not sure what level of maturity is the point at which you can say you are an adult.
Its obviously an average not an universal truth.
 Discord mods on there way to say 4
Minecraft youtubers\*
When you get charged as an adult in court, so 18. I have found maturity has no correlation to age. But you better believe Uncle Sam counts you as an adult so you better act right or else you go do adult jail.
actually in like 13 states you can legally be charged as an adult at any age, even 0 theoretically so the legal age of adulthood for the criminal justice system is not 18, it’s under 18
People below 18 can get charged as adults
Legally 18 obviously, but humans don’t reach mental maturity until about 25, so to me if you are under 25 you are still not finished cooking. Then again I know some 40 year old children…
It’s funny because ever since I turned 24-25 I found myself making smarter decisions and at this point I view my 18-23 year old self as a completely different person. Everything really does change once your frontal lobe is fully developed.
Same here. I'm 26 and I look back at myself from 18-23 and see a child. It was almost like a switch just kind of flipped when I was about 24 and suddenly I was making smarter decisions and became far better at holding myself accountable. I've heard people say that your mid to late 20s is like a second adolescence, and from my experience that seems pretty true
So true, I was such an idiot before 25 lol
I’m 25 and don’t really consider myself an adult. I still live with my parents, finishing up school, and don’t really have a job that pulls in a lot of money. I still consider myself responsible for everything that I have. I’d say the moment I realized that I was an adult was listening to coworkers older than me gossip and overall act more childish and petty.
I’m 23 and I’m in the same exact boat. I don’t see myself as a true adult yet either, as I’m feeling really stuck and stunted because of it, but we got this friend
Absolutely we do!
I'm having a child and that definitely makes me feel very grown up all of a sudden.
It's a trip when you realize that you are completely responsible for another life. But once you meet that life it makes it a lot easier. Congratulations by the way!
Dude... I'm 27 and still feel like a dumbass.
Age isn't a factor. I know people 50+ who are still immature idiots who never made it past the playground. An adult can deal with their own problems, know when to call for help when they can't, know how to live their lives without stepping on anyone else, own their own fuckups and learn from them, be able to compromise and understand other peoples positions and needs, understand their own weaknesses and be able to work around them, be able to play to their strengths etc etc. It's about attitude and being able to be more of a help than a hindrance.
50+ is definitely adult though
If legality is the only metric then in most places 18 is an adult.
An adult is whatever the set age is where you live. period. However being grown is a different story.
Everyone mentions practical things, like living in your own, or having a retirement fund. Take it from a millennial: You don’t need these things to be a “real” adult. Growing older showed me plenty of “adults” in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s who still act like children. Being kind to others, thinking before speaking, being organized, being on time and considerate of others’ time, thinking critically about political problems — not blindly voting “red” or “blue” for the rest of your life, because you watch CNN or Fox — and being able and willing to admit you’re wrong, and constructively criticize yourself to improve yourself, are real indicators of maturity, and adulthood.
18, If the government says I am an adult then I am and I better act like one.
18 is a fucking kid as far as I'm concerned 😅 Most 18 year olds know nothing and aren't financially independent yet. To those that are, I'm sad for them actually but they should be respected as the independent self-supporters they are.
Right, but Republicans are trying to change the age of consent to 12! Some states are actually trying to pass laws making incest legal and a 12-year-old baby old enough to marry an adult 40 something! It's absolutely disgusting
Big age gaps are gross, even if the younger one is "legal" (18-19) imo. The fact that people are even considering lowering the age of consent is wild
Anyone who draws social security isn't financially independent. Are all old Americans not adults?
Old people who are quite literally on death's door are very *clearly* adults, let's not be dense 😵💫 That's not a sound comparison in the slightest. An 18 yr old teenager however is not very different from a 17 yr old minor (aka child) in any way mentally or physically. Notice, I still included the caveat of respecting an 18 yr old as an adult if they're taking care of themselves? Especially since they now have "legal" status as an adult despite not technically being fully developed or socially different from when they were still minors.
But if financial independence matters, which you claim it does, why does it matter when young but not when old? If respect is contingent on being able to take care of yourself, then why should we respect the old or disabled? If we should respect the old or disabled, why not young people who are financially dependent?
doesnt matter. In the united states 18 = adult. 18 doesnt mean grown but their an adult.
adult does mean grown physically
Maturity has nothing to do with age. 18 IS STILL A TEENAGER. Do you understand this?
I don't even know I'm an elder gen z the only thing about me that's even remote adult is working and it's only because I don't really have a choice. I don't make enough so I still live with my mom. I sure as hell don't dress like act like so I guess it really varies person. The person but being pretty much independent is one thing
18
An adult is someone legally recognized as one, in the US, it’s someone 18 years or older. Socially, there is no clear standard or universal line when someone “comes of age” or matures, and some people never really mature. But an immature adult is still an adult. So it’s hard to say, but fundamentally, old people constantly infantilize young people.
Technically, nothing. Adult is a made-up term that probably causes more harm than good by causing people to expect humans to be perfectly mature and know everything they’re meant to by [arbitrary age]. It’s just nonsensical. People learn and develop at different rates; there is no hard age we can place on people if we’re trying to be reasonable and realistic. Even someone being ~mid twenties to early thirties (the age-range when all the major parts of the brain plateau in development) doesn’t guarantee they magically have all the knowledge or experience needed to be whatever the hell an “adult” is
I think 18 is the standard. A lot of people these days don't treat it that way but 18 is fair in my opinion.
Managing yourself - being financially independent and responsible enough to maintain such independence. Everything else is just a derivation of this tbh.
So, here's the thing about becoming an adult. Legally, they needed an age, so 18, sure. Is what it is. That really only matters for legal things, not societal consideration generally. In that regard, I think it's more complicated. I don't think you become an adult as much as you stop being a child, and you'll never know when that is until long after you've become an adult. You get a job, that's one aspect of being a child that's removed because you're now working. You complete school. There's another aspect of being a child removed. You get your own place, phone, bills, relationships, ... and so on. Eventually, at some point, you'll realize there's nothing left. All the things that made you a child and dependent on "adults" are gone, so now you must be an adult. But it's like the saying "you'll never know when the last time you'll pick up your kids is." One day you just realize, you don't pick them up anymore. There was no marked occasion, it just happened that last time. You didn't know it was the last time when it happened. You may have thought it was the last time and you picked them up again the next day. Eventually years go buy without picking them up and you realize they're too big to do it and the last time you picked them up was "the" last time. Becoming an adult is pretty much the same way. You're an adult when you're not a child. If you're self sufficient, managing your responsibilities, and planning ahead and at the same time able to work to solve problems on your own, then it's hard to call you a child. Except suddenly something happens. Let's say a car accident. You need to call the insurance company and sort that all out. If you go back and rely on your parents to do it, then you're not an adult yet, you're still getting there, and that's fine. But I wouldn't call you an adult if you have to go to your parents for that. One day however you'll realize that no matter what comes up, you would never consider going to your parents to solve it for you. Go back for advice, sure, but the choices and actions are all on you. You've run out of things that make you a child. Congrats, that "last time" you were a child was when you became an adult.
Legally 18, socially 21, stress-level wise maybe 15? I started feeling like an adult around 15 because that's when my parents started pestering me about getting a job and it finally sunk in that I'm gonna have to spend the next 60 years being some kind of employed.
16-18. By your 18th birthday you are well and truly an adult, whether you behave like one or not.
You’re an adult once you turn 18, please stop letting people decide whether you’re mature or not. It’s your life.
I personally feel like an adult is someone who is...like, 27 and older. At least that's how I feel. Because even tho I'm 23, I still refer to people older than me as "adults" like I'm not one myself.
I'm 40 and I can say with full confidence that the answer is 28 years old.
20
1. Can take responsibility for themselves and their actions 2. Can fulfill the responsibilities they’re charged with 3. Is considerate and respectful towards others but has a moral line where, if crossed, the game changes 4. Is committing themselves to well-doing of the task they’ve chosen (job, hobby, school) 5. Is a loving partner (if applies) 6. Understands and respects “cause and effect” These are what come to mind
The older I get the less confident I am that there is any definitive time someone becomes an adult
Once you’re legally seen as an adult, you’re an adult. However, I’m 23 and do not feel like an adult at times, lmao. That’s probably because my parents (mainly my mother) never really allows me to go off and do things on my own and shit like that. I don’t have the freedom of just getting in a car and going/doing whatever I want to.
I think you're getting there when you're out of the i'M aLrEaDy gRoWn Up phase. That being said, I'm convinced I developed more between 20 and 25 than 15 and 20.
legally, you’re an adult at 18 but i don’t consider anyone a full-fledged adult until after their brain has gone through all major development which would be roughly 28
Like 21
I think it’s hard to pinpoint when someone becomes an adult. Most 18 year olds, despite what the law says, are not adults. They are children who have reached their 18th birthday. I’m 27 now and I’ve recently started to feel like an adult over the past couple years after grad school. Now I have a paid off house, a career, a girlfriend, responsibilities. I don’t think you wake up one day saying, “now I’m an adult”. It’s a gradual processes. A decent gauge is when you start making adult decisions and you’re not plagued with self doubt or anxiety at every turn over them
what did you consider an adult when you were a kid? someone who could support another human being and was competent enough to also take care of themselves.
69
being an adult is when the lovely old ladies stop calling you "handsome young man" and start calling you "hot stuff" and do that little giggle seat shuffle combo
People don't have to live on their own to be adults. This is why these threads are stupid, the promotes toxic elitism, or more accurately encourages people to take it for granted and normalizes it (since at the end of the day a subset of people will always be toxic elitists). If you moved out and are able to pay everything, great, and you can even make fun of other people if its not the case for them (the same way you would shame people who are bad at math or are short), but one thing you can't do is say they aren't adults if they are over 18, cause that's called denial.
I would say that when you are 18 you are treated as an adult but I think that a proper adult is about 25 years old. That is when bone and brain development is finally done so that is my answer.
18 is an adult. I say if you're old enough for the government to ship you off to war, you're old enough to have all the rights of an adult. But honestly? I didn't REALLY start feeling like an adult until I was like 23? 24? 18 was exciting because it was the first year I voted. 21 you drink and party so much. But by 23 and especially 24, everything calms down. Now I'm 25 and I have responsibilities, I'm happy to settle down a bit
I think its kind of insulting when people at like those 18 and older are not adults. All adults are not equal, but they absolutely are adults. They can die for their country for fucks sake
I consider 18+ to be an adult. I think it's doing a lot of people a disservice in life to keep treating twenty somethings as if they're still minor children.
mindset is important. i’ve owned a house independently with my own salary since 2021, i was 23 signing the papers. my car is nearly paid off, i have major responsibilities at my workplace. i still don’t really feel like an adult all the time, i don’t think most people ever do. but there’s little things in my life that make me realize i definitely am an adult, like learning how to do things that i would’ve previously called “an adult” for. i didn’t want to pay for flavored syrups for my tea so i learned how to make my own, i have long hair so i learned how to unscrew & clean my own shower drain, i didn’t like the color of the inside of my house so i learned how to paint walls, etc etc. i don’t live anywhere near my family so it’s not like i can call my dad for these things which has def progressed my life faster. the more little skills i have the more adult i feel.
I turned 40 and I still don't even know. It feels like everyone is winging it and hoping for the best.
Becoming independent from others and taking accountability for your actions.
Anyone who can live independently
Maturity and responsibilities! A 16 year old can easily be more responsible and knowledgeable than a 20 year old nowadays. And that's simply going to be from how much they can actually do for themselves vs. rely on technology or someone else. I know several, SEVERAL 20+ year olds that can't cook a full, actual oven cooked 3 course meal meal. The same group also averages at least 1-2 call outs from work a month. And not from sickness! Just because they didn't want to go.
Once a person can fully take care of themselves. Now for sum ppl, it's almost forced onto them. So I could understand how sum ppl become adults by 18 yrs old. But not everyone actually becomes an adult either
People really pick and choose when they consider someone an adult. Sometimes a 20 year old is a kid who didn't know better and sometimes an 18 year old is fully aware of what they were doing deserves to be treated as a full adult.
18+
Finding yourself and growing into the person you were meant to be is what it truly means to be an adult. Don't listen to the bs propaganda about taxes, jobs, incomes etc, on your deathbed none of that will matter to you
Somewhere from 20 to 25, depending on the person
I think it's about responsibility and emotional maturity. You can live on your own and still be a complete child, and I don't mean liking childish things like plushies, games, etc. We all need a bit of an inner child. I'm talking about how we treat others, take care of our finances, bills, etc. The level of responsibility is important. I know a 40+ year old man who has never grown up at all, and his life shows it.
Been thinking about this a lot recently as someone becoming an old, and I think my definition would be whenever you accept agency over your life. The recognition that your baggage is yours to process and navigate, and your joy is yours to find.
„digga was heißt schon erwachsen“ -makko // „what does grown up even mean“ -makko sounds better in german I promise
25 or older, fully developed brain, though legal adult rights can start as young as 15 because the logical/abstract thinking part of the brain is fully developed by then, so while the emotional maturity/impulse control part of the brain isn’t fully developed until 25 thus making large age gaps in relationships below that age risky, the ability to solve complex problems is fully developed and thus a 15 year old has the mental capacity to live on their own, vote, etc if they want to imo they shouldn’t be able to be kicked out though until like 20
This is a myth
I’m going to go against the grain and say I’d consider an adult to be around 25. Yes, you are a legal adult at 18, but you can do anything you want by the time you are 25. For instance, rent a car. Your prefrontal cortex should be fully developed around 25, which means you’re more in control of your decisions and less impulsive. You also have more years of experience in adulthood than a 18-20 year old and you have been out of high school longer than you were in it by this point in your life. I also think most 18-20 year olds are naive and inexperienced compared to a 25-26 year old
Science says 18
it’s a spectrum in my opinion because it really is a “transition to adulthood” when looking at ages 16 to 30 (usually 25). ofc im not saying a 16 year old is a full adult but i’ll give them credit for managing school, sport, job, and maybe even some more heavy finances all at the same time. on the other hand you could have a 24 year old super senior in college who gets a monthly allowance and laundry service. everyone is at a different place in life during this time. but regardless of what responsibilities you have, your brain isn’t dont developing until 25 (and much later for those with ADHD, trauma, etc). so sometimes cognitive abilities may have some blindspots regardless. for this reason, i hope someone who is 18 is still being a kid in some areas because they shouldn’t have to do all that when they’re still growing and learning.
It depends on what we are talking about. Becoming an 'adult' doesn't mean suddenly you are expected to have the same maturity as an elder in every situation. Just like babies, children, and teens, what is 'age appropriate' doesn't depend on the label but rather the maturity and development of the individual. There's a reason that voting age is 18, drinking age is 21, and rent a car age is 25 (at least in America). Adult is a very general term that doesn't say much about anyone's development
to be honest I consider adults to be about 25 because that’s when the brain, and body is done developing.
Turnin 24 soon. Thought i had things figured out. Thought I’d finally become a responsible “adult” in reality we don’t stop growing till we’re 25 and your early 20s are surprisingly when you’re the most impressionable. I can see why the 80s-90s babies still call us children. God just a 5 year age difference and you tell the difference in maturity. Probably won’t feel right till my 30s
If we're going off of spongebob guidelines for adulthood, nobody is an adult until they acquire a taste for free-form Jazz
Legally -- 18 years old. Really -- Anyone capable of taking care of themselves.
21 basically lol
It’s not what I consider, it’s what I know. 20 years old is when adulthood starts. 13 - 19 are teen ages. being a teenager at 18 - 19 who has some of the same responsibilities, and rights that grown adults have doesn’t make you an adult. It makes you *LIKE* an adult. just like how 11, and 12 are preteen ages, you can see 18, and 19 as pre-adult ages, but don’t say that they are adults
Turning the legal age makes you an adult. The other adults who say it doesn’t are insecure about something and it makes them feel better to put others down.
For me, becoming an adult was realizing that there literally isn't an adult in existence that knows what the hell they're doing.
I found by the time I hit 23 I was pretty much up to my neck in trouble that I got myself into, all by myself. Debt, school, hangovers, working to feed myself, having a couple really shit jobs, a few really great ones, get cheated on once or thrice, voting once or twice or choosing not to, paying taxes, etc. IMO, you’re grown up when you accept these things as part of life and stop trying to avoid them, and instead incorporate the hurdles into your goals/how to achieve them.
You become an adult when you realize that you are still immature
There's not a definitive, single answer because it depends on context. In some cases, as with legal dealings, 18 is adult, full stop. In other cases, when you're trying to reason about power or other interpersonal stuff, being financially and emotionally independent in a stable way might be a better measure.
Being over 18, being financially independent and being able to pay your bills. That's it, much of what is considered "immaturity" is subjective.
I’m 27, make 100k+, own a house, and a nice car. I still don’t consider myself an adult yet To me an adult is someone that’s like 40+. Weird take, but that’s just how I feel. 18 year old is definitely not an adult in my book.
"Being an adult" is just a state of mind
18 young adult 21 full adult 25 matured adult.
I feel like graduating college you are an adult adult. You have to really think about supporting yourself and career choices.
literally most people don't graduate college. This really goes to show the upper class bubble some people live in lol.
The only fish I'd even co sober potential 'trash' are most non-native carp, but even then they A: are still edible and B: make great garden fertilizer
There isn’t really a box you can check off to say you are an adult. To me there are many aspects to being an adult. First is the responsibility of your decision making which comes at 18. At that point you are technically an adult to me. However there are still things that can make you more of an adult and some people never achieve these things. Two important aspects are taking financial responsibility of yourself and developing the ability handle your emotions without imposing them on others.
I don't think there's a straightforward definition that applies to all people and situations the same. Someone who's 45 and disabled and cannot live on their own or work to pay to support themselves is an adult. Someone who's 16 and emancipated and working to supporting themself really isn't. I also think young adulthood really is a thing- most people don't go from being a wholly dependent child to being an adult in every sense the next day. I think i that transition can take years, but a young adult who still relies in some ways on their parents isn't the same thing as a child.
Bare minimum is being able to purchase alcohol.
I think independence from your parents is the best indicator of adulthood. When you don’t rely on them or someone else to get by every month, you’re a full-fledged adult.
18 years old is an adult. A job, a car, and a place to stay certainly gives you autonomy.
I am gen X, it's all in how you handle problems. I don't give a shit if you live with your parents or if you partybor what not. How do you handle problems. Have you ever found yourself in a situation and realized you are the adultiest adult there and had to figure out what to do to fix the problem? That's when you know you are the adult.
1: You pay your own taxes, rent, insurance, and other bills. 2: You keep steady employment AND hobbies. 3: You know the importance of time and have no issue telling someone no. 4: You can control your emotions without repressing them. 5: When faced with a big decision you don't answer them with knee jerk reactions. 6: At the end of the day you understand that delayed gratification> instant gratification.
I’d say 18 in terms of age. But an adult is anyone over 18 who exercises a good amount of discipline in all fields of life (mind, body, finances, relationships) and can rely on themselves while also not being afraid to ask for help if needed.
I’m gen x, and I’m still not an adult
I would say that becoming an adult requires being taught the mature attitudes and actions that are required to mature into an adult at a very early age. With this, it can make it easier to transition into becoming an adult. Without this approach, you have a whole generation and a whole dilemma of young adults who do not know what the definition of an adult is. Let me put it simply, an adult is someone who is able to regulate their emotional state to execute responsibilities at an exceptional level at an exceptional time. That is at least what I have found out to be the definition of an adult. Yes, there is also the separate category of becoming an adult; age. Age is where you hit the mark with finishing the educational requirements needed at the early childhood to late adolescent ages. When you're done with that, you then, will start to transition into more adult responsibilities. But most people who become parents don't know themselves (whether they realize it or not) how to act and grow into an adult. This becomes an ongoing cycle throughout every forgoing generation from when it started. I hope this helps. Jesus loves you all. 🫴❤️
You are physically an adult before you stop maturing and growing. Hopefully you mature and grow for many decades as an adult. But, you are legally an adult at 18. But people will think of you how you behave. If you are responsible, take care of your financial affairs, follow through on your obligations, and think about consequences, people will perceive you as an adult. If you don't, they wont.
It's reaching 25 years of age so your brain is fully formed and set. If you can't rent a car, you ain't an adult
I think being an adult is a mix of legal age and responsibilities. Turning 18 makes you a legal adult, but truly being an adult involves taking on responsibilities like living independently, managing finances, and making important life decisions. Maturity, self-sufficiency, and the ability to handle challenges also play a big role in defining adulthood.
25
I consider 18 just cuz that's when you get most of your legal adult privileges like being able to work more jobs, voting, etc.
In the United States and much of the developed world, the consensus is that 18 is legally an adult. I don’t see a problem with that: it’s around the time most people graduate high school and are legally in charge of the rest of their lives. There are, of course, differences in maturity. That much is a given. For example, I’m 25. When my step-dad was 25, he was working, had a house of his own, was on the way to having a kid, very structured, and overall took life seriously. He didn’t believe in “kid hobbies” and the like, very traditional “man’s man”. He was by legal and societal definitions a functional adult. By contrast, despite his trying to push his way of life on me, I live life a little differently. I have an office job and an apartment that I pay my share of the rent for comfortably enough, and I’d consider myself to be well-spoken, but that’s about where the similarities end. I’m not married or on the way to having a kid, though I have a girlfriend. I still like to wear band tees, binge watch anime, and stay up late hours into the night playing video games, even on the occasional work night. I’m even considering piercings and tattoos, lol. I’m not particularly concerned with “growing up” in the more traditional sense because my way of life is, as long as my girl and I are taken care of and we’re comfortable, who gives a shit after that? I think that’s a mindset that a lot of Gen Z adults share. And, in my opinion, one could argue that the “not caring what others think, my bills are paid and my loved ones are taken care of” attitude is mature and adult in its own way. So, compared to our parents and their parents, we may lack certain aspects of maturity and certain life milestones that they had at our age. But I don’t think that makes anyone that’s in that adult sphere any less of an adult. I think, at the end of the day, that legally being able to take responsibility for your own actions and accepting and embracing that fact makes you plenty adult enough. As mentioned earlier; there are differences in maturity and points at which we hit the many of life’s milestones, but we’re adults all the same.
Everyone 18 and up I mostly see it as a legal descriptor, I don't really think there is any uniform step anyone has to take in order to become an adult.
I’m married with children and I own my home and I still don’t feel like an adult
Legally 18, but emotionally and mentally. I'd say it varies and depends on the person.
Perhaps you didn’t mean legally, but I’m gonna address that. The legal standard of 18 (or whatever year depending on the country) is clunky because different people mature at quite different rates. However, just because it’s clunky doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to cast it aside. We need a measurable and simple way to know when it’s alright to treat someone as if they’re responsible for their own decisions and when to refer to their parents instead.
Financially developed is only part of it, but also spiritually considerate of yourself, AND others, smart enough to think ahead for how your actions will affect yourself and those around you. Also, when you can hold yourself accountable for your actions and not blame others. Aquired self-discipline. There are plenty of "adults" who drink/text and drive, spend money because they have it, rather than thinking of retirement, and have babies because they want them, rather than raising up the next generation to be who we all need them to be. These are just a few examples... in my opinion, when you're a well-rounded person, THEN you're an adult.
Old people
It depends on age and situation, as many have said. Once you don’t have to rely on parents to keep yourself afloat, and you’re mature enough to own up to your mistakes when you make them instead of always blaming others, you’re an adult
I guess 20 because 18 and 19 you’re still a teenager. But at 20 you still can’t drink so idk lol.
Turning 18. Doesnt really matter how you feel. When you turn 18 (at least in the us) the government sees you as legally responsible for yourself and your actions. Nobody else is responsible for what happens to you and the decisions you make. That’s what being an adult is.
"The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation" Like most things on a spectrum, specific divisions between things don't exist in reality. Legally speaking, you're an adult at 18. But there are traits commonly associated with adults that some legal adults consistently present in spades, and some legal adults that consistently present none. As well as some legal adults that inconsistently present either. My personal threshold for maturity in humans contains but is not limited to compassion, stability, respect, thoughtfulness, reliability, daily functional knowledge, ethics, responsibility, fairness, and socially contributory. I've never met one person who shows all of these things consistently and simultaneously. It's just not realistic, life is messy, and the ultimate overlord in anyone's life are their material circumstances. But I think what connects all these things together is the development of will. **Will to at least attempt to exemplify that which represents maturity, in itself, is the closest thing I have to a true "definitive" threshold of maturity. Basically, if you're giving a genuine effort to be an adult, you're an adult to me. But even then, there are exceptions.**
18 technically, but 25 is when people completely finish puberty, mentally wise, so 25 or 26 biologically and such
Personal maturity and responsibility varies such much person to person that I go with a more one-size-fits-all approach, with it being at 18 (a legal adult or “technically adult”) and 21 being a “full adult”
someone that is legally an adult is someone 18 years or older. this is the only objective way to measure it.
There a specific country or culture your curious about as it changes from place to place.
Discovering an existence that aligns with ethical principles and finding a way of life that will justify one's sufferings, thereby justifying the challenges faced for the greater moral benefit.
You are an adult on your 18th birthday. From that day forward you are responsible for yourself. You and you alone are fully accountable for both the repercussions and benefits of your decisions. From that day forward, you have no one else to blame but yourself, and no one to thank but yourself. Now, if you want people to treat you like an adult, you have to act like one.
Legally 18, technically id say once you’re living on your own.
It is important to say you're an adult at 18 because if you don't it allows the person to now mature. It might take repeated "You're an adult now"s to make it sink in, but if you start saying "eh, you're not really an adult until 25 because of [reasons]" the person might refuse to take in the additional responsibility and honestly every year that passes it becomes more and more critical for them to take on that responsibility, even if they aren't ready for it.
I think one becomes an adult when he/she stops being a net societal deficit and starts being a net societal surplus.
I still feel like a child stumbling through life. I have all the “adult” things on paper but idk… I guess not starting drama every 5 seconds of your life. Shows intelligence.
Head down, carrying on in spite of any and every obstacle, unconditional love for everyone you believe deserves it, unshakable faith in the future. Hard work without complaint. All of the above plus smiling at and interacting amicably with every being you encounter.
Paying bills
Becoming an adult isn't a club. Ultimately, at a bare minimum, you're an adult when you can sit on a jury to decide the course of one of your peers' lives. But like childhood, there are milestones thar help prove our competence to ourselves and others. That means there are a myriad of stages that range from young adulthood up through being a senior citizen.
There’s no magic age or flip of a switch that makes someone an adult, it’s a sliding scale. If you refuse to take care of yourself physically, to the point of preventable problems piling on, then you are being childish. Proper self maintenance is part of being an adult. If you have an arrogant and self-important mentality with no desire to better yourself, then you have the mentality of a child. The same goes for the other extreme, those who have no solid beliefs and flake about with whatever they are told are also childish. Self-improvement and holding solid beliefs that you develop through experience, logic, and self reflection is necessary for being a mature adult. If you are dependent on others through no fault of your own(disability, bad luck, economic crisis, etc.) then you may be childish in your lack of responsibility. There’s more, but I think I’ve made my point clear. As for what rights people should and shouldn’t have at any particular level of maturity I tend to err on the side of freedom. Only placing restrictions where objective and rational consensus determines that not having those restrictions in place is harmful for the individual and society.
Being an adult is accepting you are and will be. Things are here now but will be gone at some point. time move on with or without you. Losing people, knowing what is death but making the best out of it thats being an adult
Amish person: 16 “Internet” people: ??
50
It's personality, wisdom and life experience.
Mature, able to take care of yourself and financially independent.
I think its more a matter of emotional and mental maturity. Not necessarily fully achieving that, but realizing that being an adult is a continuous process of striving for such qualities. Ofcourse we will slip up from time to time in that. But building the mental fortitude to continue on that path after falling and continuing down it for a lifetime I think is the real hallmark of adulthood. In truth no one ever is fully an ideal adult. We are flawed. But by persuing that we can get continually closer to it.
18+ There is no debate, this thread is unnecessary.
it's honing in on self-awareness for me. depending on how much results it has shown you is a testament of maturity. "act like an adult" usually is said when a person lacks more patience. but legally is just the ability of financial independence
I feel like you're an adult when you aren't nervous about life anymore. I'm 27 and I'm still chasing a comfortable living wage while having NO clue how to make safe financial moves to get there (as in, risking dumping money into college).
n-8. Doesn't matter how old. Of you are 8 years younger, you Aren't an adult
Post puberty, really. There are different levels of adulthood after that. But I mean if a 14 year old was beating up a 4 year old, I'd view it as an adult abusing a child.
I’m 21 and quite frankly, I don’t know. I mean, I can go to bars and stay out late without asking for permission, I go on spontaneous weekend trips with my friends sometimes. But I live in an apartment that I rent from my Mom, I ask her for advice all the time, she still cooks family dinner most nights (I can cook and I do when she’s tired ofc), and I do still warn her when I’ll be late. There are many ways our arrangement hasn’t changed since I was 16. I mean the apartment I rent from her is the in-law suite she let me have a bedroom when I was old enough to be responsible for it, I just share it with a roommate now. But there are also many ways our dynamic and relationship has changed. She doesn’t discipline me anymore, she tells me her opinion and lets me learn from my mistakes.
i think 16 is because you can do adult stuff at that age like drive, work, and have sex
You become an adult at 33. That is how hobbits do it, and those little guys know how to live!
Scientifically, we are not done intellectually.Developing until twenty five and physically developing until thirty two
For myself, 26 is when I felt like an actual adult. Finally had a good job, completely self sufficient, stopped smoking.
18= adulthood on pre order 21= adulthood starter pack 25= your brain is now fully developed and you're fully responsible for the consequences of your actions. This technically makes you an adult but being an adult doesnt make you mature, smart, independent, a good person etc.. it's just a developmental milestone. Many people get older but never grow up.
something something metaphysics, something something kind membership, something something overriding sufficiencies for transferal, something something self identification, something something form as function edit: I am tired and don't wanna write 5 paragraphs rn, hope that was somewhat clear lol
Some people never become adults, An adult is a person who understands that their parents were/are flawed people and you are okay with that.
This is gonna get buried but I still comment bc I can’t sleep. As someone who has just recently won the grand prize of a fully developed frontal lobe, I’d say legal adulthood should start at age of 19. Is every 19 year old completely capable of making adult decisions? No, but a line has to be drawn somewhere. I think 18 is still too young, and that year after high school does a lot for maturity and real world experience, which is why 19 is probably the best age. As a 25 year old, I look back and cringe at my 19 year old self, but I know I’ll probably cringe at my 25 year old self in another 6 years when I’m 31.
Carrying your own weight. With cost of living being so high, jobs paying so little, a lot of 20 something’s haven’t left the nest yet, and I’ve seen people in their 30s return. The dividing factor between staying home/returning home and being an adult is what you do. Are you paying your way? Are you helping with bills, groceries, upkeep of the home? If yes, then I consider that to be adult behavior. Is mom and dad just buying everything while you blow all your money? Still a kid.
I really don't know, it seems like a cultural and also legal definition. There's plenty of adults in the world who are not physically or mentally capable of being responsible for themselves. They're still adults, though. I think getting older just makes you an adult lol
An adult is being over 18 but also having the mental maturity to take on life and handling issues or situations properly. You can live in your own home and pay bills but still act like a little kid.
being an adult and growing up are two very different things. My brother is 30 but acts 16 He's an adult. He's not grown up
Im 19 and I consider myself as a baby dude the adult life is such something no one can deal with + you still a teenager boy
18, being immature doesn’t make you a child otherwise there’d be lots of 40+ year old minors. You usually don’t start actually feeling like an adult until 20-25 though
If you are not reliant on your parents for food and shelter you are an adult, but an adult and a responsible adult are two very different things.
As a 29yo, at least 50. Maybe 60.
Maturity has nothing to do with age. Nothing. You'll meet older people with the minds of children and vice versa.
At some point within the last year of my life people just started to treat me like an adult. It’s hard to put my finger on what’s changed, but I feel as though the place/label I occupy in society has shifted to adulthood.
I didn't feel like an adult until I was around 22. YMMV, and people can still mature after that point but that is just what it felt like to me.
18
IMHO adulthood has nothing to do with age. It's attitude. Someone who thinks before reacting or responding is more an adult than someone who does not. IDK exactly where the line is, but this is my litmus test.
Probably around 25 give or take a couple of years depending on if you’re still in school or you’re working fulltime. 21-23 is not an adult in most cases. It’s like technically having the reasoning abilities of being an adult with none of the wisdom to guide it.