Red Flags of an Emotionally Immature Man (Yes, We’re Going There)

I don't have to tell you that age doesn't necessarily mean maturity. You'd like to think that growing up equals maturity, and it does in many ways, but emotionally, it can be tough for lots of men.

Look, I'm not saying that women can't have issues with emotional maturity, but according to Psychology Today, from girls to women, females have quite the edge in emotional maturity and intelligence, and it only improves with age.

(Like we needed any publication to tell us that.)

That said, not all men are created equal in this department, and while there are plenty of emotionally intelligent men out there, it's nice to know the red flag behavior, whether you're a guy or a girl.

OH and sidebar: According to the Psyculator website, Emotional maturity and emotional intelligence aren't the same thing.

Emotional intelligence involves recognizing and managing emotions, while emotional maturity is the application of these skills in real-life situations, demonstrating consistent, appropriate emotional responses and behaviors. 

Basically, according to the Medium website, emotional maturity means feeling your emotions as well as recognizing and empathizing with others' emotions. According to the Parade website, men often don't even realize they behave this way.

RED FLAGS OF EMOTIONALLY IMMATURE MEN 

• He doesn't "Man-Up" and take responsibility for things; instead, he deflects and often blames everyone else.
• He has issues with constructive criticism, gets defensive easily, and even gets visibly angry.
• He uses events from his past or perceived slights to justify his bad behavior.
• He has a hard time talking about or processing emotions and even withdraws or avoids them altogether.
• He's insecure and needs almost constant validation as well as contact with you.
• He doesn't show much compassion or empathy for others.
• His relationships with others tend to be unhealthy.

Consistency is the key to these red flags. After all, we can all have emotionally immature moments once in a while.