Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: The basics
• Method 2 of 4: Part one: be polite
• Method 3 of 4: Part two: communicate in a mature way
• Method 4 of 4: Part three: adopt a mature attitude
• Tips
• Warnings

Tired of all the childish conversations and arguments around you? Do you want people to have more respect for you? Would you like your parents to see you differently? It's not always easy to act like an adult, but it will make you feel a whole lot better in the end. It doesn't matter how old you are; if you act adult, you are always the wisest of the group.

To step

Method 1 of 4: The basics

1. If you have a hobby that you find very interesting, learn as much as possible about that hobby. Look up things and don't be afraid to tell others about it. An important part of being an adult is realizing that you are unique!
2. Realize that bullying is wrong. By bullying you show yourself as a loser and no one wants to be friends with you. If you are friendly, more people will like you.
3. Get good grades. Most adult people get good grades. Study a lot and take your school seriously.
4. Don't make strange noises or talk with a fake accent. People will then think that you are a fake and being a fake is not good. Most people just won't like you and others probably think you're weird.
5. Don't be obnoxious. Irritating behavior is seen as immature. Annoying behavior also has many consequences, such as arguing or being dismissed. It can also happen that other people don't want to be around you.
6. Don't be arrogant. Arrogance is immature and people quickly get tired of hearing you brag. You can brag a little bit, but don't be arrogant. Sometimes also admit that you are unsure about something.

Method 2 of 4: Part one: be polite

1. Use good manners in your interaction with others. Shake hands firmly and look people in the eye. When you meet a new person, do your best to remember their name.
   • Listen carefully and maintain eye contact during conversations. Don't try to play and fiddle with random objects. Don't let your mind wander during the conversation. Don't play with your phone or send text messages while you have to focus on the person in front of you.
   • Sometimes you may be in an uncomfortable situation and you don't know how to behave.
   • If you are in an unfamiliar situation or in unfamiliar company, observe the situation first and see how others behave. It's not up to you to tell others how they should behave. Instead, keep a low profile and show respect.
2. Adhere to netiquette. If you also adhere to the etiquette online, you will appear more mature and your (online) friends and family will respect you more. There are not many people who are really decent on the internet, so take your chance to excel in your adulthood.
   • Avoid using the caps-lock key. Capitalize names and the first word of each sentence, rather than just lowercase.
   • Review your text before sending your email or facebook status. Use whole sentences.
   • Don't use too many abbreviations, slang and smileys. It is best to write that way in a message to a friend, but not in an email to your teacher or in any other situation where you want to appear mature.
   • Avoid unnecessary number codes in your text. In other words, don't write messages like “1k h3b v33l vr13nd3n”. Those kinds of texts are difficult to read and come across as very childish.
   • Remember the golden rule, both online and in real life: "Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself." If you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them too.
3. Be helpful. Keep doors open, pick up something for someone, and offer help to those who need it.
4. Try not to be the center of attention all the time. Immature people are often insecure. If you consistently have the highest say and often talk about yourself instead of letting others speak, people will soon get fed up with you.
5. Accept both compliments and criticism in an adult way. When someone compliments you, say “Thank you” and leave it at that. If someone criticizes you, say, "I'll take it." The criticism may not be justified, but dealing with it in a polite and calm manner will make you appear more mature.

Method 3 of 4: Part two: communicate in a mature way

1. Control your emotions. Don't overreact to things that don't really matter. If you overreact to every detail, people will soon think you are a drama queen (or king). Be selective in the things you want to fight for.
   • When expressing your opinion, speak calmly and provide some reasonable arguments to explain your point of view. If your conversation partner would rather argue, walk away; it is not worth it.
   • If you are angry or in danger of becoming emotional, take a deep breath and count to ten. It may sound silly, but it really works.
   • If you have a hot temper, people might like to provoke you. If you learn to control your emotions, after a while they won't like to provoke you.
2. Don't try to swear all the time. Cursing comes across as very childish. Try to expand your vocabulary to eliminate the need to swear. You can then use better words to express yourself.
3. Speak politely. Don't yell even when you're angry. This comes across as immature and prevents others from wanting to be around you. You come across as more mature if you manage to control your voice.
4. Talk about adult topics. Talk about school, the news, life experiences and life lessons. You can of course just have fun with your friends from time to time. However, if you're just having fun, you come across as superficial and immature.
5. Say something polite. If you can't say anything positive, you better say nothing at all. Immature people often find it necessary to criticize others, and they don't mince words. Sometimes they justify this by saying that they are “just being honest”. Adult people think carefully about the words they use and they would never hurt people in the name of "honesty." So watch your words and don't say hurtful things.
6. Sincerely apologize for your mistakes. No matter how consciously you handle your words, you can always say something wrong or accidentally hurt someone. Then it is important that you put your pride aside and say "sorry". You show that you are an adult if you can apologize in a sincere way.
7. Tell the truth, but be compassionate. If a friend asks you, “Do I look fat in this outfit?” Answer honestly without hurting her. Don't say, "You look great," if it's not true. Also, don't say "You seem pretty fat." Instead, you can say, "The shape of that dress doesn't really fit your figure." Then suggest a different outfit for your girlfriend.
8. Stop nagging. If you're wrong, then be an adult and just admit it. If you are right, people will automatically realize it. You don't have to constantly remind them of that.
9. Don't gossip or say mean things about people. Adults don't belittle others to make themselves feel better. If an adult is angry with someone, he or she takes the responsibility of talking to them personally. Complaining and gossiping behind someone's back is very childish.

Method 4 of 4: Part three: adopt a mature attitude

1. Try to think positively about everyone. Adult people think positively about others until proven otherwise. Even if people treat you badly, it's best to treat you right; even though they don't actually deserve it.
2. Stay sensible if someone is unkind to you. Make sure you are above that. If you're having a hard time keeping calm, don't answer. By being silent, you also give the other person the feeling that what he or she said was not okay. If you still want to say something, you can indicate that his or her comment was rude. If that person apologizes, accept it. If the other person doesn't apologize, just walk away.
3. Have confidence. Don't apologize for your crazy habits or habits. As long as you just behave socially and don't disturb anyone, there is no reason to apologize. Feel free to show your personality. Adult people do not doubt themselves or try to pretend they are.
4. Be open minded. Adult people are not narrow-minded. The fact that you do not know something does not automatically mean that you should reject it. Instead, see new things as opportunities to broaden your horizons.
5. Select adult friends. Your friends influence your behavior. So make sure you choose friends who bring out the best in you and avoid people who influence you in a negative way.

Tips

• It's not easy to always act grown up. Make sure you don't change your personality to appear more mature. Try to be yourself and be a good person at the same time. At some point, it's not about age anymore. If you want to be taken seriously, make sure you act and think in an adult way. Once you have made that transition, support your new attitude to life and present yourself as such. If something goes wrong, stay calm and take responsibility. Don't blame others. Be mature, be responsible.
• Don't show it if you don't like certain people. Especially if the person in question has always been nice to you. Ask yourself, "Why don't I like them?" Do you feel insecure or jealous? Do you feel threatened?
• When you have a conflict, avoid arguing. Try to resolve the conflict calmly and rationally. If the conversation does end in a fight, stop it as soon as possible.
• When in a group, try not to be the center of attention all the time. Also give others the opportunity to voice their opinion.
• Treat others as you would like to be treated. Basically this is the basis of maturity.
• Know how to present in different situations. Your hair dyed purple may be an expression of your personality, but in formal situations it can give the impression that you are immature, even if that is not true at all.
• Don't say hurtful things. If that happens, apologize.
• Make sure you have a positive attitude. If you whine all the time, people will see you as an immature person.
• Be nice, understanding, and kind to everyone. Keep that up for more than one day. When you act in a mature way, people respect you. Don't lose your temper, be polite and understand the feelings of those around you. Always be friendly, but also stay strong so that you can defend yourself verbally if necessary. Stay yourself; then everyone around you is also more relaxed. If you are satisfied with yourself, people will also be able to get closer to your true self. If you pretend to be different than you are, people are reluctant to come near you. Good luck!
• Make a plan of action to become more mature and put this plan on paper. For example, you can try to calm down and stop talking about yourself first. Keep this up for a week and write down how it went. If you don't do it perfectly the first time, keep trying.
• Make sure you are always the most calm and mature person when you want to achieve or arrange something.
• If you want to show a girl that you're grown up, or at least not childish, be polite to her, and don't make stupid jokes. Also, don't laugh loudly about conversations she doesn't understand. Show her that you are a mature and sensible guy.
• Try to get enough sleep. 8 to 9 hours a night is perfect. It's hard to act grown up when you're tired.
• Wear a classic dress and take good care of your hair. A neat appearance radiates maturity.

Warnings

• Don't overdo it and don't come across as overly grown up. Don't forget to have fun and be yourself.