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“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault...” In the movie ‘Good Will Hunting,’ Prof. Sean McGuire says these words to Will Hunting and he hugs the professor tightly crying a lot. About his twisted values, the professor says the words. “It’s not your fault.” Through the words, he changes his view point for
looking at the world and becomes a person who can love others. It is showing
that he changes and becomes mature. Then, when do you feel you are an adult?

Most university students may have a moment that makes you feel that you have became mature. What does ‘Maturity’ mean? In a Korean Language Dictionary, there are four meanings related with spirit and physics. What is important is that all of the four meanings have a keyword such as ‘Change.’ Yes, ‘Maturity’ accompanies a change of the environment, others and myself. Being an adult is different to maturity. However this article unfolds on the assumption that they have a common meaning which is developing one step and one step. Then when do dankookians feel they are adults? I interviewed many fellow students.

Woo-Haeug Heo (Theater and Film Major, Freshman, 31)

I entered university again. In the 20s, when I wrote reports and studied, I quoted the internet or books but now I make an effort to build up my thoughts and to write. I also said anything depending on my mood and I wasn’t honest with myself so I lied, rationalized myself but now everything I say carefully after I know how much words are important is. Taking a philosophy class now, I think that what I’m honest for myself is an opportunity to be mature. If I am not honest for myself, it may be meaningless no matter how many books I read and try various things. Whenever I face myself and have changed a lot like this, I feel that I am mature now.

Hee-Jin Kim (Dept. of English, Freshman, 20)

When I started a part-time job for the first time, it’s not easy for me to deal with customers. I have to think and
behave only for customers not for me. As I was paid and thought about the
concept of economic self-reliance, I thought ‘I have been an adult.’ Also I used not to eat alone outside. However, after I went to eat the ricenoodles alone as a brave action, I had self-confidence and now I have tried everything independently.

An-Seob Lim (Electronic Engineering Major, Junior, 24)

I met all kinds of people since entering the university. In middle school and high school, there were a narrow range to meet people. By sharing people’s attitudes towards life and values, I took the time to think about others. Especially, when I correct my false thoughts from others, I think I have been growing.

Yoo-Kyung Ha (Dept. of Food and Nutrition, Freshman, 21)

I went to study abroad in New Zealand for two years. With the minimal
financial support from my parents, I looked for homestay and a university by myself, and I earned my living cost by taking a part-time job. Even though there were hard times, my attitude which I did my best for everything made me mature more.

Besides, there are many various opinions. When drinking alcohol because of
love, when feeling responsibility for myself moving to a dormitory, when realizing that there are times which I have to refrain my emotion from an unpleasant things, when compromising with actualities, when deciding my dream and endeavoring to achieve it, when taking hard times because of human relations and etc. There may be more times when feeling I have been growing. Then what does being an adult and being mature mean? Does just changing mean being mature?

Reporters of the Dankook Herald(DKH) interviewed with Hyun-Shik Yoo, Prof. of School of Liberal Arts in Dankook University, who has a broad view for maturity. When do people feel to be adults? It’s impossible to be adult on my own. When having thought that ‘What I have to do as~’ by other’s expectation, people mature. For example, even though a senior has no choice but to be because of juniors, but it seniors change for words and attitude to do a role as a senior.

Books and experience also make people mature, but maturity is just never
given. It is that first social problem exists and psychological problems follow.
With the way things are going, people start to look the world more in three dimensions and multiply. I think that main stream is from entrancing universities
even though each person may have a different time. In universities, people become self-regulating person who can decide things by their own judgment.

What is changed feeling to be adults?

The most important thing is responsibility. You may have to think a lot of what you take the responsibility for something. It generates when inner maturity is accompanied and you think how you communicate with others in a social environment. Many people think that adults are gentle and do self-reflection. Howeverthere is a trap. The more a person becomes an adult, the more a person
looks at things indirectly. If you look at it positively, it is to do discernment well
and to sublate the immediate decision. However if you look at it negatively, it
is to be more cunning. Children don’t commit fraud, but adults commit various
frauds using their own head.

There are a way you should go as an adult and a way you should throw as an adult. How you harmonize between a good point and a bad point as adults may be a true way to become mature. I also think that, it is important for adults to express their own emotions like children. Being glad when you happyand crying when you sad aren’t childish. ‘Living sincerely’ is an attitude of life, as yourself. Suppressing own natural emotions with thinking ‘Because I’m an adult’ is to put on a mask. Being honest and be yourself is necessary for adults.

Why is maturity necessary?

Maturity is necessary. Since people who are not mature express their own desires directly and look at the world in a fragmentary way, so they cause others damage. Children have a factor of autism. Namely they don’t have sociality and want to meet their desires. Therefore maturity is an essential element for smoothness of human relations. In an immature society, there is lack of consideration for others and there is social chaos and backstreet culture. Thus
maturity is necessary as humans not animals. 

This DKH reporter worried because of the difficult meaning between being adults and maturity. However we made sure by meeting a lot of people and listening to professors’ opinions. It is that people want to change and become mature through changes and society develops through changes. Being an adult’ could be a timid thing or could be a high position that no one can reach. However, don’t you agree that aiming for being an adult and trying to reach maturity are making you as yourself?