I'm 18...no, really, I am...

[forficula]

I know I really shouldn't be complaining. A lot of people have it ten times worse than I do (or more), but this has been bothering me for a while.

 

Yes, this is going to sound silly, but I'm tired of feeling immature for everything and constantly thinking like a little kid. I get angry over little things (rarely openly) like if I feel like someone talked to me in a patronising way (aka little kid way), etc. If I do show that I'm mad over something, it seems like people are expecting me to do that and it's just one more immature move out to pick from out of hundreds more that I've done.

 

And then (this is going to soound even sillier) I've noticed that I'm really just not that smart either. I'll try reading, writing, thinking, talking to people, etc., but logic and words, etc. and I just never totally match up. I have to say that what I think about 75% of the time is myself and it's completely embaressing. I'll try to think about other things, but they almost come out to bizarre/dumb/off topic/ending up about myself. I really wish I could raise me IQ, even by a few points, just enough to be able to actually have coherent opinions on things that make some sort of sense and not be known as the stupid/immature girl that doesn't just roll off the opinions/personalities of others.

 

So, if anyone could lend some advice, that would be awesome, thanks a lot.

[rocio]

why do you want to be smart and mature anyway? You sound fun. I'd rather be friends with you than some know-it-all mature person.

[Caldus]

Yeah, and either way, you sound like a smart gal anyway. The fact that you're acknowledging all of this stuff says something at least. Most 18 year old girls would not even realize that they go off of the opinions of other people. You're very ... I guess I should say ... conscientious if that's the right word for it. You're pretty cool so don't worry about it. Maybe you're involved with the wrong crowd?

[EvaGina]

it doesnt sound like your dumb, it sounds like you may have a literacy or learning problem or something...

Perhaps its a problem with relating to people?

 

as much as I hate to analyse people, it sounds like it could almost be mild autism...

studies have shown that autism is more common than we may realise, although it is more common in men.

[LostInMyThoughts]

I think getting angry about things is okay. How you deal with your anger is something different. If you percieve that someone is being condescending towards you, and you're not sure, you can always ask them what they mean. If you feel like they are talking to you like a child, then let them know that you feel like they are talking to you like a child.

 

As for thinking about yourself, I think its just that time in your life where it's important to focus on yourself, nothing really wrong with that. It's the time where you'll be picking a career, or attending school, or traveling to new places.

 

Raising your IQ, well, IQ means nothing. If you want to smarten up about current events, try reading the news paper, or find a few blogs, or news portals.

 

At the risk of being off topic, lets practice: What's your opinion on the current War in Iraq?

[Altruist]

It could be the hormonal changes in your body that's giving you the mood swings

[washburn1243]

From my own personal experience, maturity is nothing more than the product of our experiences. Being serious is too often mistaken with maturity. People naturally mature with the more experiences they go through. People become tend to become more serious about life when they are forced to deal with the tough no-win situations adults too often face.

 

In other words, be yourself. You will become more mature with time. If you can become mature without becoming too serious you are way ahead of the game. What you are feeling is completely natural. You are entering adulthood, and are faced with a whole new world. The more you read, experience, and face, the more knowledgeable you will become. Judging by how you write, you are more knowledgeable than many at your age. Embrace your passion and thirst for knowledge and advancement. Never let that go away. The fact that you have such passion about life at such an early age tells me enough about your character. Be proud of who you are, because you are great. I hope this helped. I felt nearly the exact same way when I was your age.

 

 

"Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means." Albert Einstein

[Caldus]

If you can become mature without becoming too serious you are way ahead of the game.

 

God do I agree with that.

[Altruist]

So do I. It makes the learning experience that much more fun.

[forficula]

hey, thanks a lot for all the advice. It's actually really surprised me how not paying as much attention to the whole too-immature-to-conduct-my-life-thing has worked for me. It seems like the more i try to think less about myself, the easier it is to sort of 'go with the flow' a little more.

[AntiLove_SuperStar]

I think you assume that others think about you more than they actually do!

 

That isn't an insult. It is meant to be a liberating thought.

[AntiLove_SuperStar]

Hazey Amber is right. I'm smart. And mightily irksome? ho ho

[Spugly Fuglet]

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