GM

Our lives are quite simple, but we complicate them. We combine love with a lack of rules and think that putting up boundaries is offensive. When someone really cares about us, they want the best for us, which often means putting up boundaries.

We push away our elders and parents because we find them uncomfortable, only to realise later that they were right. When I was younger and made many mistakes, my parents and elders warned me that this would not lead to anything good. Unfortunately, no one set rigid boundaries for me, so I suffered no real consequences. Which led me almost from death. Now, at over 45 years old, I can see what it cost me.

When I talk to young people today, I see the same attitude. They don't believe that I care about them because I challenge them and set boundaries. They think life is about being happy, and to them happiness means feeling good.

I watch them chase this idea of happiness, losing themselves in momentary pleasures and missing the opportunity to build the character needed for a mature life. Society, unfortunately, encourages this by keeping people in a state of perpetual childhood. My peers still talk about the same things they did when they were 15 or 20, and events such as the new Godzilla vs Kong film are a big deal for both children and 'adults'. The world has turned into a playground.

But this is only a facade. Underneath it all are conflicts, violence, challenges, anger, hatred and other difficult emotions that young people avoid.

Life is simple. Love does not mean agreeing with everything.

What does being mature mean to you?