With all our means of communication and education, how is it possible that many fundamental concepts and principles continue to remain a secret or a mystery to most people? What kind of educational system can call itself "education" and fail to discuss and explore fundamental human qualities like maturity?

The research for this book uncovered a myriad of different ways of approaching the same basic answer for the secret of maturity: Maturity is responsibility. Most of the answers to "What is maturity?" come from either psychology or philosophy. The answers are listed or briefly described throughout the text, but it is your job to decide what to do with all the answers. So be responsible for how you assimilate the answers and put them into practice.

Quite a few of the paragraphs in this book summarize concepts that are expounded in entire volumes elsewhere. Since this book is so condensed, it will be most effective after it has been read and studied many times.

Might we suggest that you first pursue those concepts that strike you as personally relevant? That will do you the most good today, because those concepts will be emotionally valuable to you. Read the suggested references to those concepts, and locate other related works at the library or through Internet searches.

If you learn and apply the lessons contained in this book, then the results are guaranteed.