what does growing up mean to you?

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We all hear or heard it. "Grow Up".

We don't like to hear it, sounds harsh or at least like NTs don't understand our condition.

1 How many of you liked to grow up when you were children?

2 How many adults hate aging, growing old?

3 What does growing up mean to you?

1. Me

2. Me, only cause I'm fuckign 19 and my hair's already receding.

3. Maturity.

mine started receding when I was 17...I realised only so much later it was due to depression

My childhood was horrible. I would never want to go through that again, at least not without what I know now. I love being an adult.
For some reason I cannot fully understand the concept of growing old. I cannot imagine myself old even though I am in my fifties. I had a very vivid dream about six months ago where I was old and about to die. I get a little depressed when ever I remember that dream.
Growing up means not being dependent. To the extent that we are all dependent in some way to some people we are still babes.

mine started receding when I was 17...I realised only so much later it was due to depression

I hated growing up, and tried to stay as far as I could from the adult world, and I have always had this feeling inside I won't age, like "this is not going to happen to me but to others) but of course I see it happening and I got get depressed. I associated adults with dullness as a child, I remember an animator who was only 17 but for a kid of 7 he looked old already.
I still feel like skipping on the street when I walk, I find it difficult to sit and behave like an adult at the table, it can do it, but it seems so unnatural, would rahter go 'play outside'.

Growing up and maturity is rather a confusing thing. For me its trying to better myself, become more self sufficient, dealing with people better. I really didnt like my childhood, I missed out a lot. I really dont know whether the adult world will be much better. Im afraid of being fully thrust into the adult world just yet. Im legally adult (19 almost 20) but in many ways Im not an adult. I naturally put on up a wall of being very mature and serious. But when you really get down to things, I am soo not mature especially emotionally. Emotionally I can be a screaming, crying child of little things.

I wonder if they meant by "grow up" become like us (NT), but of course I didn't know what that meant...

Last edited by Loborojo on 07 Sep 2008, 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

depression causes it? . i gues it makes sense!

but also, massage your scalp daily..


And I truly would like to 'grow up' but I dont think that I ever will.. in fact most musicians that i know of never grow up.. there is a sort of anti - maturing benefactor that comes along with it.. not just lack of maturity but the child remains within. To see the world through visceral eyes

I have a difficult time because parts of me are still immature. I don't really understand the term "growing up". Technically when you reach a certain age you are literally "grown up", physically when your body has stopped growing and developing. Unfortunately, it can still get fat:(
Psychologically, it happens at different times for everyone. I guess it means being able to handle any kind of crisis and being really adept at saving money.

Wouldn't it be cool if being all grown up meant you never got taller or fatter?

1. I always liked learning new things when I was growing up.

2. I don't like the idea of getting old. Growing old for me is not defined by chronological age, but by state of mind. I always want to be able to learn and grow, even if I live to be over 100, which is possible given my genetics.

3. Growing up means learning to function in the world. Under this criteria, I still have a lot to learn. Academically, I have accomplished quite a lot in my almost 44 years but, socially, I am still playing catch-up.

1. I was forced to grow up too early, because my mother was sick and I had two special needs brothers (one a significant way farther down the spectrum from me and an adopted one who has Fetal Alcohol Effect and schizophrenia). I didn't particularly like having to be adultlike, or the concept of ever becoming that way, other than some fleeting thoughts ('when I'm a grown-up I'll be able to drink soda whenever I want,' etc.)

2. I don't know because I'm not old yet. I'm just 18 but already the stress of my life has caused premature aging; I have wrinkles and huge shadowy arcs under my eyes, and worry lines etched into my forehead.

3. Growing up is doing the things you have to, even when you don't want to, and accepting that in stride. It is taking on responsibility and caring for the people around you.

1. I always felt that I had too little time to get used to one "stage" of things before moving onto the next one - like I had just learned the rules and then I had to learn a whole new set of them all over again. It also seemed like there was always too many more responsibilities and far too few freedoms that I actually cared about.

2. I never want to FEEL like an old person. It's really hard to conceive for me, mostly because I don't even feel like a twenty-something, or even a teenager, most times. I'd also really, really like to avoid all the medical complications that come with aging. I've set foot in a hospital far too many times in my life already, I'd rather not have to again.

3. That's... hard. Do you mean in the way that it's usually meant, or what I think should qualify as maturity? If the former, "grow up" usually means to give up your dreams, settle down and do what everyone else does because it's socially appropriate. If the latter, I'd say that means doing what you have to do in order to get to where you want to go, thinking things through before you act, doing your best to maximize good things and minimize bad things you do when it comes to dealing with other people, and consciously trying to make the best possible mark on the world in the time you have in it.

1. Me

2. I guess I don't like the idea of getting old, but I don't really mind getting older because at this point in my life every year I'm increasing my skills, independence, financial means, and "grown-upness".

3. When you are completely financially independent, not living at home, and not on your parents insurance or anything like that.

If I was 11 or so I wanted to be 18. Now I'm cool with my age and wish I was younger due to several BS laws



BS term to say stop being who you are, stop having fun, etc...that and 'childish things' you like..

1. How many of you liked to grow up when you were children?

Growing up meant I had more responsibility which also meant I was able to do as I saw fit without anyone throwing a fit saying I was too young to do what I wanted. So the answer to that question is a yes.


2. How many adults hate aging, growing old?

I look forward to growing old. There won’t be as much pressure to ‘fit in’. I can be the crazy cat lady and not many people will try to change that.


3. What does growing up mean to you?

I’ll give you the accepted definition of ‘grow up’ as it pertains to the natives in my area.

You need to get a job so you can afford to buy all those neat toys like the ones that we have. After all; life is a competition to see who can obtain the coolest toys before they die. If you can’t obtain said toys, you will be shunned at social gatherings, because adults love to spend money to show that they are worthy human beings.

You need to find a mate, because a woman wants to take care of a man and a man needs a woman to take care of him. There will be none of that, “I can take care of myself” bull hockey going on around here.

You need to pop out a couple of kids, because you aren’t really a man/woman until you done so and because God says so.

And for god’s sake, toilet humor is not an acceptable form of adult humor. [/sarcasm]

Granted, everyone in my area does not think that way about growing up and being an adult.

My definition of growing up is simply; pay your bills. It’s no fun trying to explain to you parents why you need to borrow money to pay a past due bill. “I was being an immature dumb dumb by wanting instant gratification.”