Emotional maturity is the process of learning how to manage your emotions and understand what they are telling you. It’s not just about being able to express your feelings, but also about knowing how to control them.
It’s about knowing how you feel about something in the long term and working actively to change your present and the source of negative emotions in your life.
Emotional maturity is also about improving and solidifying the relationships that bring you joy and fulfillment. Being emotionally mature means being able to make life choices and decisions; that will benefit your mental health and make you happier in the long run.
What having an emotionally immature partner means:
While some people may not be bothered by their partners’ emotional immaturity, others may find it difficult to cope with the lack of empathy and the obvious difference between them and an emotionally immature partner. Especially as they won’t be on the same wavelength, at all.
Some people who are emotionally immature often have a hard time understanding what is going on in the minds of their partners and vice versa. These challenges can lead to a lot of arguments and misunderstandings, which can cause unnecessary stress and strain on relationships.
Emotionally immature partners are a common issue in relationships. They may be unable to express their feelings and often make decisions that are not in the best interest of their partner. They exhibit an attitude that could be understood as not caring enough or not wanting to put much thought into or invest anything including feelings in a romantic relationship.
Emotionally immature people are not experienced enough or wise enough to understand what they want in life or what type of relationship they’d rather be in. So sometimes, they just “be there” and let things happen as long as no expectations, responsibility, or commitment is awaited from them.
Here are some signs of your partner being emotionally immature:
A few signs that you could pay attention to, in order to be able to tell if your partner is emotionally ready for a fulfilling give-and-take strong relationship or if they’re emotionally immature are:
– Being too focused on the physical touch or intimacy: Someone who focuses on physical touch is more interested in the superficial aspects of relationships than what’s going on in your head, your life aspirations or your true identity as an individual.
They may be more focused on intimacy than anything else, which can lead to a lot of issues down the road if you don’t have similar interests or intentions, or if you have higher expectations and if you’re envisaging commitment.
– Indifferent: People who are indifferent often lack empathy for others and can come across as cold and uncaring. They may not take into account other people’s feelings, thoughts, or opinions when making decisions or choices. They may display signs that they’re not interested or engaged when you need their support and love.
They probably think they’re being inconvenienced, if something happened to you or you display a weakness or vulnerability that requires them to do the bare minimum effort or show empathy or any form of support.
-Impulsiveness: Another sign of having an emotionally immature partner could be if they act out of anger or impulsiveness. If you’re dating someone and they start acting like a child, and just “what they want when they want it”; then this could be a massive red flag.
A partner should understand that you’re also a human being, with your own needs, moods, expectations, emotions, and aspirations. They cannot at any point in time, impose something on you and wait that you to become submissive or just allow it, out of love. Sooner or later, your “love” will be mistaken for weakness or foolishness and before you know it you’ll find them crossing many of your red lines and boundaries.
Someone who is emotionally immature might be someone who acts like a child and avoids responsibility for their actions. They might be someone who has a hard time taking criticism and is quick to react or to shut you down when you’re right and they’re wrong.
-You cannot know their true intentions and thoughts: A final sign is that emotionally immature partners are often people that say what you want to hear. They might say things like “I’m sorry” and “I love you” just to make you feel better and quickly move on from a bad situation. They may do anything and say anything just to get a green pass and move on from having gotten caught red-handed in a bad situation.
They will never tell you their true wants, needs, expectations, or what it would take for them to move the relationship to the next level. Instead, they will just tell you exactly what you want to hear and do anything to keep them going, keep them off the hook and just “let them be”.
Emotionally immature partners will often say what they want to hear, rather than being open with their emotions and wants. This makes it hard for them to have healthy relationships with other people because we never know what their real intentions are.
The signs of having an emotionally immature partner are often subtle and difficult to detect. However, when you notice these traits in your partner it is important to take a step back and assess the situation before getting too invested in the relationship.
The bottom line:
In most cases, an emotionally immature partner will not be able to understand the emotional needs of their loved one in a romantic relationship.
It is important that both partners have a mature understanding of their emotions, their boundaries in the relationship, their expectations and needs, and also to be able to communicate them clearly in a healthy way to each other.