Maturity...Who Needs It? (A Rant by A Frustrated Mature Person)

Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate that a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctual, and is not determined by one's age. Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act in serious or non-serious ways. (definition courtesy of Wikipedia.com but the BOLD print is mine)
~~Maturity...who needs it?? This is a question that I have been pondering casually for quite a while. There has been a serious outbreak of 7th grade behavior among grown adults recently and I for one am tired of the mess. (Note*, these are my own personal ramblings about behaviors that I see not only in the people that I know personally, but across the board...they do not pertain to anyone in particular nor were names changed to protect the innocent...if this applies to you, well...deal with it!) Whatever happened to personal responsibility, not airing your 'dirty laundry' in public and/or being able to deal with one's OWN personal issues?? Why does it seem that 'young people' today are apparently incapable of managing their own lives?? Where did the idea of extended adolescence even come from? Forgive my rantings, but I just can't understand when 7th grade maturity level became the norm for adults. When 2 full grown adults well into their twenties need me to moderate their arguments because they can't behave without 'adult intervention', when fifty year old men need me to remind them that the drunk people aren't allowed to decide who is capable of driving, when not getting their way leads to pouting, whining and relentless insistence at having their own way...what has the world come to?? Seriously, 7th grade behavior! When did parents decide that it is better to be friends with the kids than to hold them accountable for their behavior and (gasp) correct it? ~~Maturity comes from dealing with difficult circumstances and coming out the other side bearing the battle scars...not from letting other people bear the consequences of our poor choices. From making the correct decision through pondering, asking for advice from those wiser than us and prayer and then dealing with whatever backlash might come from that. From being humble enough to know when you don't know enough to make the right decision. 7th grade behavior is only acceptable if you are IN the 7th grade...and barely then, HA! Give up the gossiping, the attention seeking behavior, and the DRAMA!! Stop looking for more drama, as most people have more than they want anyway and don't want to be involved in yours. Pick a mate and then stick it out....take care of your kids and don't pawn them off on other people....pay your bills and don't ask for handouts...get a job and be thankful for it! UGH, the absolute ungratefulness of our society at large, and our young people in particular sickens me. Starbucks everyday, fashion (read~ridiculously expensive) clothing, laptops, fancy vacations and cellphones are not, repeat NOT necessary for survival! I don't understand where these ideas come from, but the only reasonable explanation (to me) is that we as parents are not doing our jobs well. We have become a society that is afraid to say No to our kids...when did THAT happen?? We are obsessed with our kids having the newest, the most expensive, the best of everything and then we wonder where they get the notion that they DESERVE everything we can afford and then some. We schedule them to within an inch of their sanity with this class, this activity and that lesson and then wonder why kids are bored when we don't entertain them endlessly. Oh my, don't even get me started about family values! Somewhere along the line we have lost sight of the real goal of parenting...to raise our children to be prepared to face the adult world....capable of managing homes, jobs, finances and most importantly, their personal lives well. We want them to enjoy their childhood since it is fleeting and while this is a good intention, I'm not sure it's a good idea in the long run. Giving the idea that life is always pleasant, never difficult and choices are easy to make leads to disappointment with adult life. Not knowing how to make a difficult decision and then deal with the repercussions of that decision is asking for trouble at best and disastrous at worst. We must teach the realities of life, however harsh they may be. It's the only way to raise mature, independent, emotionally healthy adults.
~~UGH...I know that this is disjointed and certainly NOT my best post to date, but sometimes things just come out the way they come out. I can't seem to get this one to make sense to anyone but me...LOL! Well, I'll just post my wild rantings about maturity and let everyone deal with it on their own level. If this offends you, you may want to consider your own maturity level and seek professional help...Muahahaha!