Growing Older vs. Growing Up – LOH #258

Have you ever met someone who’s 40 but acts 14? Or someone barely 18 who carries the wisdom of an old soul? That’s when you realize that growing older is something time does to you, but growing up is something you do for yourself.

They say time makes you older and experience makes you grown.
Well… I don’t completely agree.

Over time, I’ve met so many people who prove otherwise—some “grown-ups” with years of life experience yet a shocking lack of maturity, and some younger folks, even teenagers, who seem to handle life’s chaos with such grace and self-awareness. It always makes me pause and think: maybe experience alone doesn’t make one mature after all 🤔.

That’s where the saying “Aging is an obligation, maturity is a choice” really hits.

Before we delve right into it, let’s first understand the concepts; ‘age’ and 'maturity’.

^{Quick selfie 😁📸}

Well... Age is simply a figure. It’s just the count of how long you’ve been in existence—nothing more, nothing less. I mean, being 22 years old, doesn’t define who I am. It only shows how long I’ve been on earth, not how much I’ve grown within. Aging is natural. You don’t have to try to age—it just happens. Time does the work for you.

Maturity, on the other hand, is deeper. It’s the ability to think and act with understanding, to respond to situations with calm, empathy, and reason. It’s choosing patience over impulse, reflection over reaction, and growth over pride.

And unlike aging, maturity doesn’t come automatically. It’s a choice—one that takes effort, wisdom, and humility. It’s shaped by how open you are to learning, how honest you are with yourself, and how intentional you are about becoming better.

There are different kinds of maturity: physical, mental, emotional, and social. Even financial and spiritual too.

Physical maturity happens naturally. But mental, emotional, social, financial or spiritual maturity? Those take work. They grow through experiences, relationships, disappointments, and the quiet moments when you reflect and decide to handle things differently next time.

For me, true maturity shows in the little things—how someone apologizes, how they handle criticism, how they stay calm in chaos, or how they treat people with equity. A mature person communicates rather than argues, listens instead of reacts, respects instead of ridicules.

And the more I grow, the more I’ve come to realize that growing older and growing up aren’t the same thing.

Growing older is involuntary, it happens to everyone whether we like it or not. But growing up? That’s intentional. It’s deciding to take responsibility for your emotions and actions. It’s admitting when you’re wrong. It’s refusing to let age define your wisdom, and choosing to learn from every situation life throws your way.

So yes, I do agree that aging is an obligation, and maturity is a choice. We don’t just mature with age, we mature with awareness, humility, and the courage to grow, no matter how old we are.

THANKS FOR READING! ❤️

^{Oh and by the way, what does “growing up” mean to you? Do you also believe it's a choice?}

^{Please share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear your take on this 😊}