Immaturity

[Reluctantly]

What the hell is it?

I often here people using this as a way to suggest that the behavior of another person is somehow unintelligent or childish. But then I wonder what the implications of asserting that are. I can't help but think of the person accusing someone else of being immature as a judge in a court banging their gavel.

When did they get to decide what is unintelligent or childish or when fun is taken too far? Why should I not feel like they are policemen enforcing their own agenda of the way they think people should behave and act? That sets off a mental alarm, if someone has to resort to calling someone immature in order to make another feel some social shame and stop what they are doing. It's as if they are intolerant to how other people naturally wish to be and are incapable of dealing with other people in an eye-to-eye manner. Wouldn't a truly intelligent person be able to deal with someone, without condescending them?

I mean what should the role of shaming be and what the hell is immaturity exactly?

 

[Jason]

Psychic vampire maybe? http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Psychic-Vampires

 

[Bunny]

Anyone who goes on about how intelligent they are, or tries to hold it over someone, probably isn't all that intelligent to be honest. I think that in of itself is immature.
But I think immaturity and childishness are a little different. I think being called immature is meant to be seen in a negative light, implying someone has the intellectual capacity of a child. I think being called childish, while also meaning the same as immature, could also be seen in a more positive light, implying childlike qualities - which can be endearing.

Either way, unless someone has an irrational outburst, calling them immature is just being mean.

 

[ObliviousGenius]

If I call someone immature, it's because they are saying or doing something immature that's annoying the crap out of me. I could care less if that person is immature, just don't be immature with me or that person'll just be called out on it for the purpose of getting rid of a major annoyance.

 

[KMaki]

I'd say calling someone immature in the context you described has a meaning of disapproving the person's lack of conformity. Immaturity would be seen as something like "acting like a child that does not know the social rules of the current situation even though the rules actually ARE known." Lack of respect towards socially enforced rules.

--
I'm quite sure there is an evolutionary background for that sociopsychological function. There is force in numbers, meaning a conformist is the probable survivor in the group with conformists and dissidents.

--

Let me withdraw that. I was probably off.

When thought further, it seems more like that the act of calling someone immature is more like presenting disrespect to the 'immature' persons deliberate ignorance of something the other person considers an obvious fact. And the act of calling someone immature also contains a notion that the fact is ignored with the purpose of pissing the other person off.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

What the hell is it?

Relative under-development. It is childish in that sense, and so is a person from the perspective of another with greater development.

Kids are immature compared to adults, because they are not as experienced, don't exercise a great amount of judgment, and are generally unwisely predisposed to impulse and immediate gratification.

Adults can be immature compared to kids, for example when they are arbitrarily authoritative or are arrogant and overly argumentative to where they must always win and be right especially among themselves.

Negligent immaturity is annoying, whether by one's emotions, thoughts or actions. It doesn't have to be a shame, but it can be rude and undesirable. If someone wants to be intentionally immature, they have the right, and so does that person's neighbors have the right to disapprove and shun.

 

[Reluctantly]

Just so you know, I don't mean to pick on you, but your post leaves room for debate/discussion.

Kids are immature compared to adults, because they are not as experienced, don't exercise a great amount of judgment, and are generally unwisely predisposed to impulse and immediate gratification.

I kind of see what you mean, but if I told a kid he was being immature, the kid would feel insulted and probably wouldn't understand why. By calling him/her immature, would they even care why? Should I expect them to care if I know they feel insulted?

Adults can be immature compared to kids, for example when they are arbitrarily authoritative or are arrogant and overly argumentative to where they must always win and be right especially among themselves.

By this reasoning, wouldn't that technically make all politicians immature?

Negligent immaturity is annoying, whether by one's emotions, thoughts or actions. It doesn't have to be a shame, but it can be rude and undesirable. If someone wants to be intentionally immature, they have the right, and so does that person's neighbors have the right to disapprove and shun.

What do you mean by negligent immaturity? Shunning would be a form of trying to be right or wrong when the party accused of immaturity does not agree that it is negligent immaturity, which would then be immature in itself by your previous definition of how adults can be immature.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I kind of see what you mean, but if I told a kid he was being immature, the kid would feel insulted and probably wouldn't understand why. By calling him/her immature, would they even care why? Should I expect them to care if I know they feel insulted?

The insult comes from general scolding, so the kid is supposed to feel that they're being inappropriate and then they would modify their behavior. It's just parental supervision.

I think it's pointless to tell a kid that they're being immature. Kids will be kids, they need more direct guidance than that.

By this reasoning, wouldn't that technically make all politicians immature?

Definitely

What do you mean by negligent immaturity?

Not caring about how your immaturity is affecting others, when it's intentional.

Shunning would be a form of trying to be right or wrong when the party accused of immaturity does not agree that it is negligent immaturity, which would then be immature in itself by your previous definition of how adults can be immature.

Maybe it would be immature, it's not necessarily about being right or wrong though. If someone's intentional immaturity is viscerally repulsive, you as a neighbor don't have to put up with that, especially when the other person completely does not care about how they are affecting you. So you know, if they don't care, then you don't have to care, so shunning is acceptable.