Maturity is the balance between courage and consideration.
This is the definition of Maturity in Steven Covey’s timeless best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change.
To understand his definition we need to know the emotional maturity first
Emotional Maturity – “The ability to express one’s own feelings and convictions balanced with consideration for the thoughts and feelings of others”
– Hrand Saxenian
Covey mentions that to achieve the balance between courage and consideration is the essence of real maturity and it is fundamental to Win/Win thinking where you think about a win for both parties involved, sort of like finding a golden mean in the midst of contrasting opinions.
Let’s see why the balance between courage and consideration is important.
If I am high on courage and low consideration, how will I think? I will be strong and ego-bound. I will have the courage of my convictions, but I won’t be considerate of you. I will think about winning myself and not care about what happens to you.
If I am high on consideration and low on courage, I will be so considerate of your convictions and desire that I won’t have the courage to express and actualize my own.
That is why high courage and consideration are both real mark for maturity and essential for Win/Win. If I have it, I can listen, I can empathically understand, but I can also courageously confront.
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The Good Giver 