Adulthood, adolescence, and the in between

This week we examined the theme of transition from childhood to adulthood, seeking to find a definition for the transition. Is it an arbitrary age dictated by the law i.e. 18? Is it a state of mind? Or is it financial security? In examining each of these propositions none of them seemed the right one to me. The age of 18 has nothing special about it, at least not in my eyes. Most are far from emotional maturity. Two years have passed since education was mandatory, and 16 is certainly too early an age to be considered adulthood. One does receive most of their rights at eighteen, however the validity of this legally chosen age must be questioned, as the issue in my mind is what ought to constitute adulthood, not what is legally considered adulthood.

Many may consider adulthood to be the reaching of some mindset or maturity level. However, the problem with this is that one then has the trouble of defining the required mindset. Is it intellectual? Is it ambitious or spiritual? It seems impossible to me to define the adult mindset when all adults have different mindsets and often different opinions on what constitutes maturity. One might define adulthood as the mindset of considering oneself an adult, however this suggests that one can never be mistaken in considering themselves an adult too early. I think adolescents often consider themselves fully grownup before they actually are. They often, for example, consume drugs without readiness or desire to fully consider the implications of their decision. They make rash decisions in an attempt to establish their independence, while being unwilling to accept the consequences.

In my view, accepting full consequences for one's actions defines adulthood. Those still supported by their parents financially cannot be considered as adults, as their college fees are paid for by their parents shielding them from the financial consequences of unpaid college tuition. To attain adulthood, one must take full legal and moral responsibility for all their actions, without protection from such consequences by the law or their parents. Legal adulthood is therefore only the first step in adulthood, representing full legal accountability for their actions. The next stage is cessation of any form of reliance on their parents to help them deal with consequences. A true adult is responsible in all ways for himself and the state of his life. Only when one receives the full blow of his or her decisions can he or she be considered an adult.