Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to re: Oh, cripes yourself.

You forget who I work with.
Mary Anne — (archived)

It's not an insult to describe people according to the developmental level typical of their age.

Only the rare youth has an emotional understanding of his own mortality. In Victorian England, he was called sensitive. (For an example, see A.E. Housman.) These days, he is often identified as depressed, and then medicated.

Once people begin to witness violent death, regardless of their ages, their expectations and emotional understanding change radically. This usually occurs after the average young recruit has signed the papers. (In the case of a kid who gets shot at around his neighborhood, the learning curve is much flatter.)

"Immature" is one of those words that has come to be seen as a synonym for "airhead" or "childlike", even though it refers to a stage of development, not a state of being. In any case, it's not a word I used. Maturity comes in various stages suitable for the individual's age and growth. "Immature" only applies to someone whose maturity level has not kept pace with age and growth.

One can be mature for 20 years old and still not have reached the level of maturity exhibited by a 40-year-old.

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