Conceptions of the Mature Personality from Dr. Graves' Research

Nodal ER

"After giving rational thought to what is the mature personality I have come to the following list of characteristics which add up to what it is.

1. The major characteristic of the mature person is that he is an independently operating individual. He goes it alone, so there is no such thing as a mature person. There are only people who behave maturely in their various ways.

2. The mature does what has to be done. He is not held back in his actions or judgments by that which other people do or believe.

3. The mature does not accept without questions existing data, theories or practices.

4. He is energetic, outspoken and expressive of what he believes regardless of where others stand.

5. The mature does for himself and thinks for himself. He does not look to others for their guidance or support and he does not need their acceptance or acclaim.

6. The mature person is absolutely objective. He does not let his emotions interfere with what has to be done. He is an acting person who keeps feelings out of his actions. He goes by the facts as they are not by sentimentality. He does not get entangled in emotional problems, his or others.

7. The mature personality is goal directed. He knows what he wants to do and does what he has to , to get there. He does not resign himself to his fate or surrender to the inevitable.

8. The mature person does not conform to arbitrary standards. He conforms to what he has established to be right. He goes by his data until his data proves him wrong and then he changes however the data demand that he change.

9. The mature person is not afraid to do what has to be done. If a person has to be told his weaknesses, the mature person does so without being squeamish. He does not go out of his way to spare feelings. When people need to be shaped up, a mature person shapes them up. Wanting to be liked is not a weakness of the person who is mature.

10. The mature person does not feel guilty or ashamed for doing what rationally has to be done.

11. The mature person being rational and objective is a shrewd appraiser of that which is to his best interests.

12. The mature person accepts that he is human but he controls such tendencies when it is to his welfare to do so. He does not get sentimental and maudlin about such tendencies. He controls them himself.

13. The mature person has a reasoned, risk taking, calculating mind. He uses objective procedures to make his decisions. He places faith in that which he knows works, he does not get caught up in non-workable theory or speculation.

14. He is not afraid to stand alone, even in opposition to others, but he plans so as to have the best chance then goes ahead regardless of what others say or what effect it has.

15. The mature person is not afraid to get his hands dirty in order to do what has to be done. He plays hard when he plays and he plays to win, but he does not waste his time in activities which he sees as hopeless.

16. He is not satisfied with yesterday's ways unless he has found them to work and he holds to them only so long as he sees them to work.

17. The mature person is not one who resigns himself to his fate or surrenders to the inevitable. He changes his course rather than accept what works against him. He never gives up control to his environment. He seeks rather to get the control that will enable him to do what he knows needs to be done."