We have lots of people of various ages on these forums, but how many adults do we have? Its fine if you're not, I'm just curious.

Anyway, what makes you an adult? Did you fall asleep one night when you were 17 years old and then poof, magically you woke up as an adult the next morning? And just for fun, when did you first realize that you were an adult?

Legally speaking I am a firm believer that legal adulthood should be 18 years and not 21. It is absolutely asinine that we can fight and die for this country and vote in it's elections and not be able to enjoy a drink for our troubles. Total malarkey.

That being said, I think true adulthood comes when you finally choose responsibility over fun, and that can come at any age. Some kids that are forced to raise their siblings can hit adulthood at the age of 16, while idiots like me don't hit it till they're well into their twenties.

Even now I think my adulthood is debatable.

I agree with JB and his Sig is further proof.

I think that when you choose responsibility over fun you can claim being an adult. Like when I had that pregnancy scare and just DROPPED everything "Bad" I was doing for Amanda and the "Child". Of course it was just a false alarm and hell, I gave up everything for nothing, but I have no regrets. I picked age 21 as that is when I made that "massive decision". Regardless, I still don't think I am a "Full Adult", still trying to find my way there.

I agree with JB as well. There is no set date. When you realize there's more to life than fun, and deal with it in a mature way, you're an adult.

I really can't narrow down when I became an adult because I've always been mature for my age. But in the sense of not being so naive was between 18-19 .

If I had to pick an age for when a person becomes an adult, I think someone should legally be an adult in every way at the age of 18. I totally agree with JB that it's insane people can die for our country but not drink. Total absurdity. Not to mention we're the only country I think with that high of a legal drinking age. No wonder we have so much under-age drinking going on.

I think most agree though that it's a lot more than age. I think knowing when to choose responsibility over fun and being able to support yourself are two major factors though.

I became an adult at 22. Probably more like 21, but eh, my breakdown happened when I was 22 so that's what I put, lol. It's when I realized the world was more f'd up than I could possibly fathom. My world anyway. I felt like I lived in this bubble of "innocence" so to speak before that, then all of a sudden that year it was popped and I got to live in the REAL world for the first time.

Anyway, that's my take on it. Although like JB said, I also question my adulthood at times

Well Im going to post something that going to piss prolly 90% of you off.

Thirteen replies and all but one said that they were an adult. In all honesty, and basing my observations on THIS BOARD only, Id say that number was WAY the hell off.

There are several people that feel that they are "adults" when I really dont think they even "get" what it means to be an adult.

Just my 2 cents, feel free to bitch about it.

Oh and for the record, Im the one who picked 29-30 for when I finally considered myself an "adult.".

yeah that 1 was me.

I am an adult in age but not in mind, heart or soul.

JP, sometimes, when you have bad parents, kids need to learn ho to raise themselves. I couldn’t turn to my parents for help, so I had to help myself. I didn’t get any sort of reasonable discipline, so I had to discipline myself. I’ve had to go through a year of horrible depression and apathy because I couldn’t go to my parents and only had myself to deal with. And I pulled myself together. I realized I’m not the center of the universe, that what I want isn’t the most important thing in the world and that only I can help myself. I feel I can survive in the cold harsh world on my own without my parent’s money and as soon as I turn 18, that’s what I’m doing. Maybe I’m not quiet an adult yet, but I’m ready to be one.

i know legal age is 18,im 33 but does anyone really know what or when you are an adult!

Not me and I dont intend too find out.

Adult is a state of mind that I refuse to enter.

We will never be adult until our inner childs are dragged out kicking and screaming and then callously shot through the faces. But since thats unlikely to happen, we have to accomodate for them.

Mine still plays Snes, watches Star Wars and listens to Slayer.
Its kept me sane(ish) through the kinds of valleys of darknesses that even belief in a deity couldn't help with.

When we can truly percieve death through true contemplation and other things like seeing that those wise folks that were gods in your life: your parents, are just the same as we are: a bunch of crazy confused kids forced against their will by the passages of time to be folks known as 'adults'.

Look at 'Cocoon' for example.

"You'll never take me alive, copper....!!!! Yer seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....????!"

You truly an adult when you run your own home and can live on your own money.

I think living alone and travelling and seeing other cultures help a lot too...

Like many others have said, I believe that being an adult includes taking responsibility for your actions, being able to support yourself, and probably living away from your parents....

Hmmm, I consider myself an adult (sorta ), but I still live with my mom. Although I had the ittiest bittiest taste of being on my own for about one day (not in the house I live in) and it was pretty darn nice, and I have to say I felt just a little bit more grown up and responsible then.

Though I doubt I'll ever really grow up completely, like Sada said

See, but that works for you
I wouldn't consider myself as an adult until I flew the coop...which will happen sometime soon...hopefully

i chose, 18,yes,16-18

I read somewhere that being an Adult is when you learn not to think about your needs but the needs of others. Something along those lines. (And no, I didn't read that off a fortune cookie. )

According to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, you're an adult when you reach the "formal operations period", at around 12-15 years. This means a person develops the ability to speculate and think in abstract terms.

Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of moral development states that the final stages of moral development are the "Postconventional Level" that takes place (or can take place; many people never reach the postconventional level) from 13 years. This means a person doesn't act out of fear or a need for approval, but actions will be guided by a sense of right and wrong and the development of a moral conscience.

Abraham Maslow's theory of social development states that the "mature adulthood" stage occurs when there is a need to answer the question, "who am I?" and develops potential. Also, a need to place long-term benefits to self and society before short-term pleasures. and a need for a secure sense of identity that can lead to 'self-actualisation', or 'a true sense of understanding who one is and what one believes'.

I know it's an adult only poll, and that's why I don't intend on voting, or giving any real opinion. I'm not trying to prove anything, but I thought that you all may find it interesting to read the opinions of sociologists, though

Yet I've known people who have had their own flats for years and are the least adult people I know.