Believe it or not, truly emotionally mature men aren’t all that common. 

Instead, we have a lot of men who are physically grown but emotionally still lagging. 

This can be problematic. 

When you lack emotional maturity, you aren’t in tune with your feelings and often struggle to connect with others on a heightened level. 

If you have an emotionally mature man in your life, hold onto him tightly. 

You’re one of the lucky ones. 

And if he isn’t quite there, it’s never too late to improve. But first, you have to know the signs. 

In this article, I’ll take you through some of the common behaviors of men who haven’t matured emotionally. 

Let’s get to it! 

1) They avoid responsibility 

The thing about taking responsibility is that it’s not easy. 

It takes strength and character to admit fault and deal with consequences. 

Emotionally immature men aren’t ready to tackle such feelings quite yet, hence they’ll often opt for the easy way out: blaming others.

It takes a real adult to admit wrong and take accountability rather than slyly try to place fault in other people or external circumstances. 

After all, extreme cases aside, there’s nothing more human than making the odd mistake… it’s how you handle the aftermath that will ultimately define you as a man. 

2) They can’t handle criticism 

Speaking of being wrong or having shortcomings, nobody is perfect. 

We’re all liable to make mistakes and slip up now and then. 

Hence, as men, we should collectively be open to feedback, both good and bad. 

We should actively seek it to help us become better people. 

Emotionally immature men don’t often share this mindset; instead, they may react defensively or angrily to any form of criticism, even when constructive. 

Rather than learn from it and bounce back, they might take negative feedback as a permanent reflection of their worth. Not cool. 

3) They have no empathy 

As we grow as humans, as we’re more exposed to the struggles of other people, we tend to develop a sense of empathy and compassion. 

This is because, as mature men, our energy is no longer just focused inward; we become less self-absorbed and more selfless. 

Emotionally immature men, however, don’t often make this transition. 

Instead, they might have a difficult time understanding or even truly caring about the feelings and needs of others. 

They remain focused primarily on their own needs and emotions… a lack of concern that ultimately indicates a juvenile way of thinking. 

4) They act impulsively 

Emotionally immature men often act rashly. 

Maybe they’ll go on angry outbursts when they don’t get their way, like spoiled petulant toddlers, without considering the implications or other people’s feelings. 

Maybe they’ll go on all-night benders, without considering they have work the next day or a wife and kids waiting at home. 

Emotionally immature men are vulnerable to impulsive behaviors. 

They’ll often act on whims with minimal consideration for the consequences–which means reckless and irresponsible actions, broken relationships, unfulfilled responsibilities and promises, and so on. 

When you’re truly emotionally mature, you have the discipline and self-control to keep your impulses in check, rather than allowing them to rule over you. Pretty powerful.

5) They need constant validation 

Genuinely confident men get their validation from deep within. 

They don’t often need flattery or praise to feel good about themselves. 

This is not exactly the case when you’re emotionally immature. 

Emotionally immature men tend to be pretty insecure in themselves. 

Thus, they’ll often actively seek validation and affirmation from other people, whether in person or on the interwebs. 

Maybe, they’ll consistently overshare on social media, posting selfies and bragging about achievements and material possessions, as a means of feeling good about themselves.

 They crave validation in all forms, however fleeting and superficial. 

6) They avoid emotional intimacy 

Emotionally immature men also struggle to form and maintain deep, meaningful connections. 

They don’t quite have it in them to be vulnerable and open, and hence they’ll keep things shallow, always surface-level–a quality that will invariably frustrate those close to them, as their own needs are neglected.

When it comes to communicating their feelings and desires, they can struggle here too.

Emotionally immature men tend to conceal their feelings and act erratically and inconsistently, making it difficult for others to genuinely rely on them and take what they have to say seriously.

7) They lack self-awareness

Earlier, I mentioned how emotionally men tend to have their energy focused inward. 

I think it’s worth honing in on this point.

You see, emotionally immature men often struggle to see things from other people’s perspectives. 

They struggle to see things from the outside looking in. 

They constantly want to have it their way, regardless of how their behavior affects others–and how it affects themselves. 

They’ll be so hyper-focused on themselves that they overlook their own flaws. 

Because they struggle with self-awareness, an emotionally immature man can be a major liability in life.

8) They have a strong sense of entitlement

As you grow up, you begin to realize that the real world doesn’t revolve around you. 

You’re a grown man and embrace that fact and the work that comes with it. 

If you want to achieve great things in life, you have to put the time and effort in. 

You can’t expect great things to land on your lap or for people to bail you out and do you favors all the time like you’re the Queen of England

In this world, you have to be prepared to fend for yourself. 

Emotionally immature men don’t always come to this realization though. 

Instead, they’ll often feel entitled to special treatment or believe they deserve more than others without putting in the effort… which is essentially child-like behavior. 

Final words 

Many emotionally immature men are the way they are because of how they were raised. 

They didn’t choose to be brought up a certain way, but that’s how it played out… a scenario far more common than you’d think. 

So, in a sense, they’re victims too. 

But there has to come a point where you move past all this and embrace your manhood, putting in a continual effort to rid yourself of deeply ingrained, negative, juvenile behaviors. 

This is a process that won’t happen itself overnight. 

Be patient with yourself. 

You’re committed to change; that’s the most important thing. 

Stay the course… soon you’ll get to where you want to be and at that point, you’ll be unstoppable.