When you get involved with an adult who insists on being a kid about adult issues, it can be frustrating to say the least. Hindsight is always 20/20 and you will usually find out too late that you've partnered up with a person whose emotional clock has stopped growing up.
Here are five easy ways to spot an emotionally immature person before you invest your heart and soul in a relationship that won't work.
1. Chronic tardiness is a really quick way to spot someone who doesn't respect you or others. Whether it's poor planning or negligence; someone who doesn't make others' feelings a priority ahead of their own, is not someone who has what it takes to make a marriage or partnership work. It happens sometimes when we're late for things, totally understandable; we're talking about habitual, constant lateness. When someone continually throws a wrench in plans due to their inability to be on time or early, they are stuck in a parallel universe where their needs overshadow the needs of their loved ones.
2. Continually needing to be the centre of attention is a big sign of emotional immaturity. Whether it's a "one-up-man-ship" with buddies or a competition for attention and praise, it's a sure thing that the person you have in front of you is emotionally stunted. Craving the spotlight is a way to get the constant praise that an immature person needs to feel self-worthy. When this focus shifts off of them, they will do just about anything to shift the focus back on them. These things can be at the expense of the feelings of close friends and loved ones.
3. There is no accountability. When there's an issue or a problem. the emotionally juvenile adult will always find something or someone else to blame for their bad choices or shortcomings. They are always ready with an excuse so that they remain in a favourable light.
4. Being emotionally immature means that you have not moved past your petty childish way of dealing with things. When something good happens to someone that they know; instead of being happy for them, often time jealousy and bad feelings begin to show. Instead of wishing them well, this person secretly will begin to wish ill of them for their success.
5. Continual childish patterns of thinking and/or behaving makes it difficult to be in a relationship with the emotionally challenged individual. Over-spending or making choices without weighing the consequences is a recipe for disaster. Often an emotionally immature person will have many problems with debts and responsibility, making a union with a person of this mind-set a continual challenge.