This became so long that I had to chop it in half and post the second half in the comment section.
Adulthood Definitions Overview:
Definition 1: From a scientific perspective, an adult is a someone who finished developing/growing physically, ie, they have reached their final form (short of bodily degeneration).
In humans, this could happen as early as 12, or as late as 30, depending on ethnicity mix.
But here is where it gets really complicated. There are no set of shapes and sizes that are standard for adulthood, so the only way to know when any given person has reached that point, is to notice they haven't changed at all for a decent chunk of time, and the way they look at say 25, might be closer to how another person looked at 12, or 14, or 16, or 18, or 22, or even 40.
So each person's adult form is going to be drastically different looking from many others, in both height, weight, body and facial shapes and proportions, body hair amount (or lackthereof), scalp hair amount (or lackthereof), etc.
You might be 6' 2'' at age 12, or 4' 3" at age 40, and your facial and body stucture might be way different than your same aged peers.
This makes it hard (if not impossible) to define what an adult looks like.
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Definition 2: Legally speaking, an adult is whatever age your area set being an adult as (usually a number between mid to late teens to early 20s). This version of the definition is almost always based on what a given politician or ruler is used to seeing as the average adult in their family and friends circle, or it's based on the third definition.
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I'd say it depends on the person but I do think it's fair to be legally an adult at 18 but then outside that you are still very young and have many years left to grow and develop.
Maybe in the future we will have more knowledge of the brains development and we can better determine rights and responsibilities based on that. For now I think 18 is a good middle ground.
Personally I see 18 as adults but at the same time also still a kid in a way because you are quite dumb. I feel that way about myself in that age and I might feel the same about 25 year old me in the future. It's all about perspective.
I’m not an adult. Always learning, keep making mistakes, keeping my childish innocents.. as I heard somewhere it’s the most important thing. Refuse to grow up. Still keep pixies in the garden to dust me daily.
At the very least keep a light humor about life, it helps with the weight of the shovelfuls thrown at us.
Everyone’s going to have different idea’s about when you should start ‘maturing’. After college, when you settle to marry or marry, children.. I say you be you.
Someone who has reached a point in their lives where they are responsible and resilient. They have eschewed entitlement, blame and victim mentality. They have dedicated their lives to something worthwhile.
Some rare wise souls become adults at a very young age. Many who are in their 60s, 70s and 80s never reached adulthood.
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I would lose the definition from an age because for me the real adult shows from the behavior. If a person can really take for their life, meaning they have a legal and solid way to get the money they need to have, if they have a well structured life with a good balance of work and private life, plus if they can be taken by their word and know what they want in life.
Mentally some people never grow into adulthood. Chronologically, I'd wouldn't be opposed to 21-22 anymore after seeing how out of touch with reality and the lack of common sense the 18-21 group has been turning out over the last couple decades.
I would make the exception for full adult status and all rights (drinking, smoking, voting, etc.) for those 18-21 with an active military ID.
When you're responsible for your choices and you are aware of your role as a member of society. But the number of adults is shrinking fast in western society... even tho the number of legally aged "adult" people is increasing.
To me a "real adult" is one that behaves like one... Not just in being responsible for providing for themselves. But in being responsible for own actions, mistakes instead of always trying to blame others
Legally it is anyone over the age of 18. Except you cannot legally buy and consume alcohol.
However to be considered an adult you should be mature enough to be able to provide for yourself and take responsibility for your actions.
A ten-year-old has been known to have a baby. So that eliminates that argument.
I've read that a 16-year-old graduated college. So is he an adult?
There are folks that are mentally challenged that will never be able to take care of themselves.
As for the average person, male or female, that is able to make their bed, shop for and cook well-balanced meals daily, are keeping themselves clean, and are earning the money to support themselves and any dependents, I consider an adult.
After late teens it's more a state of mind (if you exclude brain development lasting until around 30). If you are talking about physical growth, some women become adults in their 30s since some have amazingly lengthy periods of boob growth, like Leanne Crow.
Somebody stable in conduct and character and not superficial
When you can understand both sides of a story, and are not so self-centered that you only care for yourself.
That is when you are an adult in my eyes.
There's "adult age" and then there's "adult maturity". One rarely has to do with the other.
Self sustaining and responsible.
Working towards a future and making your own way.
Anyone who takes accountability for their actions and doesn't let their emotions rule them in the public space.
A real adult is someone who knows how to prioritize things in their life and takes responsibility for their actions
A ''real'' adult... is someone who makes his mistakes on his own and accepts to be held responsible for it personally.
18 and up.
I don't give a FLYING fuck about what other people think of adulthood, I go into a store and people see I am an adult.
End of.
Mentally, I think most Americans are not really adults until they are in their early 20s.
Am man who is willing to go through hell and back in order to support his family!
When you’re living out on your own
I’m grown when people are mad that I’m having sex with 15 year old girls
In my opinion someone is adult when they reach to puberty completely. Like at age of 15, 16
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