It’s only natural to be influenced by others, but ideally our response to this influence is one of a mature response and not merely an immature reaction.
When men are the good boy/puppy dog
We’re prone to it to go through the extremes, and so on the one hand we’re the good boy, the puppy dog that does everything that people expect him to do, and in many ways we’re able to keep the peace, to fake the peace, just to go along and not rock the boat.
When men are the bad boy/rebel
At the other extreme we realize that the puppy dog is no longer working then to become the bad boy, the rebel, that does his own thing without care or concern about the consequences of his decision.
When men are the mature man
The mature man, on the other hand, doesn’t go to one of these extremes, but knows how to make decisions full for himself, standing on his own two feet, while still willing to accept the influence of others.
The mark of mature men
And so maturity is not disregarding the influence of others, nor is it merely caving in to the influence of others, but it’s learning how to discern, to take in the feedback, take in the insights, take in the wisdom from others, filter that through our own core values and beliefs and then make a decision accordingly.
This is the mark of a mature man. This is the mark of maturity.
