One basic notion of maturity concerns responsibility, the ability to conduct tasks and carry on your life without relying on others. To be responsible, you must know what has to be done, be able to preclude or solve problems that may arise, and carry out the necessary tasks with care and skill, maintaining a level of quality. Yet, responsibility is not simply understanding what has to be done and doing it, doing it in whatever way possible, as soon as possible. Responsibility also demands consideration of long term effects, and the ability to work harmoniously with others in a way that is beneficial to all. It implies a level of maturity that leads a person to be dependable and trustworthy. Being mature also means learning to understand oneself in order to avoid problems caused by others and caused by us.
Understanding Emotional Intelligence and Its Role in Relationships
Emotionally intelligent people can view challenges as learning opportunities and maintain an optimistic frame of mind. When a conflict unfolds, individuals with high emotional intelligence can tolerate emotions, take responsibility for their contribution to the problem, understand and accept diverse views, apologize and forgive, and engage in nondestructive problem solving. All of these abilities help partners navigate conflict, which is the number one issue that most people report negatively affecting their relationship. In addition, emotionally intelligent people tend to have good self awareness, are good at motivating themselves, are empathetic, and are adept at accurately expressing emotion.
What is a mature love relationship?
A mature love relationship is one that is healthy in psychological terms. When people are mature, they are in control of their emotions and are in truly loving relationships. To understand maturity, it is important to clarify the difference between dependence, independence, and interdependence. When people are in a dependent relationship, their love comes with a lot of pain and fear is present. In an independent relationship, one person loves the other as long as they meet their needs, as long as they are cared for, listened to, and feel wanted. Every selfish need has to be met. Maturity leads to interdependence. People love and need each other, but fear is gone. Interdependent love is mature love. Signs of Emotional Maturity in Relationships
People who are emotionally mature are usually naturally who others turn to for advice and support. This is because they are objective, caring, and carry emotional intelligence. When you are with someone like this, it usually means that they can take a step back and look at the bigger picture. They don’t let their emotions cloud their judgment. They understand that circumstances change daily, and they’re not fixed on the moment they’re in but, rather, they are prepared and equipped for what lies ahead.
In a romantic relationship, emotional maturity is vital for both parties because it allows them to communicate better, make rational decisions, and handle situations that lead to a stronger, healthier relationship. To understand where we stand in the spectrum of emotional maturity levels, it is important to know what signs manifest from a relationship built on strong emotional foundations.
Challenges and Benefits of Developing Emotional Maturity in Relationships
There are specific tools that can assist in emotional maturity development. In general, celebrating as a couple by participating in joyous events and life experiences is important. This can include celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, treating each other for special milestones like job promotions, getting a new vehicle or appliance, taking a vacation together, participating in entertaining and creative activities like home decor projects, cooking together, reading a great book or going to a movie. The more joyous experiences you invest in, the more wealth you accumulate. Relationships and wealth both grow if you invest wisely and consistently. Influencing individual relationship skill growth is personal therapeutic work. A strong life partnership relationship is part of healthy, adult, emotional development. Balancing work, personal development, and maintaining deep relationships enhances individuals' trust and confidence in themselves.
Developing emotional maturity does not happen automatically. It involves significant personal growth and growth in couple skills. Learning good communication skills and how to fight fairly are important pieces of relationship building. It is important for a couple to commit time and effort into their relationship. Life is hectic. Between work or college and chores, cleaning, cooking, daily financial processing, it is easy to skimp on relationship time. Relationships are organic entities. Think of your favorite plants. You have to pay attention to their needs which are sunlight, water, fertilizer, and trimming or they will shrivel, drown, falter, or die. The more attention you pay to your relationship, the more it will thrive.
Practical Strategies for Enhancing Emotional Maturity in Relationships
Open your heart
Although it is terribly cliche, it is also an important aspect of maturity and health to be able to open your heart – vulnerability is, well, vulnerable. Being open to love is not just receiving, either it is being a giver as well. Be generous with your sharing, let someone know you're thinking of them, that you're thankful, and that you love them. These are the sorts of simple emotional connections that make up a solid relationship. Having loved and lost is an unfortunate part of human existence. It is not fair, and there are no guarantees of perpetual happiness when you choose to open your heart again – but that's a part of what makes it a brave and compelling choice.
Consider perspective
It is impossible to truly know what another person is thinking until you have walked a mile in their shoes and then they are a mile away – and hey, maybe they aren't even wearing shoes so okay, we will just move on to the next tip. Keep an open mind about other people's experiences and values. Not everyone has the same opportunities or upbringing you may have had. It is also important to note that if your partner sees things differently, it doesn't necessarily make them wrong, it makes them unique, just as you are.
Accept the compliment
Most people have a pretty hard time accepting a compliment. People deflect or deny compliments for a variety of reasons – maybe they don't want to seem conceited, or maybe they don't feel they deserved the compliment. The thing is, when you just give a simple "thank you", it often puts a smile on the person's face who gave the compliment. Accepting a compliment with dignity can also help to build an atmosphere of support and goodwill.
Look at yourself with a sense of humor
Let's face it, people are goofy! We all have our funny little quirky side, as well as some slightly more embarrassing aspects of ourselves. Rather than get down on yourself for every mistake or shortcoming, try looking at yourself with a sense of humor. This is not switching with the old "if you can't laugh at yourself, no one else will laugh with you", we just mean give yourself a break. When you can enjoy a laugh with your partner about your little mix ups and failures, you model self forgiveness and how to handle slip ups in the future.