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[eemurray]

on this trip i was told that one does not reach full maturity until one has children.
i became very angry and disturbed by this comment and have been allowing it to stew in my mind for weeks.

any thoughts or discussion on the question/idea: Does a person need to experience complete self-sacrifice to be mature? And what is maturity anyways?

Comments

[docjen]

As a soon to be mother, I know it is going to have a HUGE impact on me.

Part of me wishes I could retain the free-spirit life of doing what I want when I want with who I want. There is a lot more I before a baby.
With a baby everything shifts. Perhaps for the first time, something becomes more important than you, at all times, for which you are responsible for, all of the time.

You definitely mature with child -
Is it the only way to mature? Certainly not - but it sure expedites the process.
Not to mention the physical process which you can't escape at all when pregnant, that definitely matures the body.

[krazyhippie]

a.) No.

b.) Having children doesn't always = total self-sacrifice.

c.) One can experience complete self-sacrifice in contexts other than that of parenthood, and I find the idea that parenting is the only way to get that quite offensive.