50 years ago, defining maturity was easy, especially when it came to men. Maturity was often something that could be purchased. It meant you owned your own home and your own car. Once these items were purchased, you had arrived. You were a man.

Today, however, the mark of a real man isn’t so cut and dry. In today’s economy, the purchases that measured men for adulthood and maturity are too simple for our current culture. In this age of technology and abundance, these purchases can be made by almost anyone, making them insignificant in defining how mature a man truly is.

So, what does define maturity today?

Defining Maturity in Today’s Economy

• Volunteering- While we can no longer gauge the prosperity of our society with the economic benefits of purchasing a house or a car, there is one concept that does boost our economy, while at the same time defining our maturity: volunteering. Whether you volunteer your time, money, skills, or energy to lift of the people around you, volunteering shows you think about others and want to make a difference in our modern day society.

• Family- Back in the day, getting married and procreating was important because infant mortality rates were high and each person needed to do their part to spur growth. Today, however, because of modern health care. What really marks a mature man is doing everything he can to provide for his family, whether children are involved or not, being a part of his child’s life, and being a good role model.

• Education- In older days, education was a concept. It was something that many strove for, but not all actually needed. These days, it is a commodity that shows you are willing to work hard and be an adult. While not everyone needs a formal education for their work, in field that require it, your degree, grades, and extracurricular activities during college can demonstrate your abundance or lack of maturity.

• Style- 100 years ago, a pair of dirt-covered overalls and calloused hands were the mark of a mature man. While this has certainly changed, our society still looks at a man’s appearance as a tool for deciding whether or not he is mature. In today’s world of corporate culture, suits for men are often looked at as a sign of maturity. To many in our society, men’s suits signify ‘growing up’ from children and college students to hard-working adults. Don’t believe me? Consider for a moment what you think about when you meet a man in a stylish pin-stripe suit from Brook Taverner. The first thoughts in your mind are probably that he is successful, educated, and yes, mature.

• Acceptance- In today’s world, we tend to make excuses for almost everything. We always have an alibi, and we tend to blurt out the first thing that comes in our head. Accepting our failures, mistakes, and owning up to them is almost a forgotten concept, but a real factor when it comes to maturity. In our book, a man that can admit his mistakes and apologise is worth his weight in gold.

Owning a house and starting a family are no longer the deciding factors of a man’s maturity. In today’s world, maturity is gauged on a whole new level. So, the question is- how do you rate?

About Susan Grant

Susan has more than 7 years of experience as a Fashion Advisor for several reputed fashion houses and manufacturers including Brook Taverner. Her ultimate dream is to design and sell her own clothing line worldwide!

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