Unlike Biological Age , which determines our state of physical health and wellness regardless of our chronological age , Emotional Age is how empowered or disempowered we think , act , and feel . It ’ s how we show up in the world .

For example , we ’ ve all seen those sixtyplus-year-old people behaving like angry teenagers when upset — yelling , screaming , slamming doors , and stonewalling . Conversely , we ’ ve also witnessed the young , twentysomething-year-olds who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders , acting way too mature for their age , silently burdening their worries and fears while taking on those of their loved ones . We often call them old souls when , instead , perhaps they are simply showing up with an older Emotional Age than their peers .

Emotional Age helps explain how we ’ ve been communicating , compromising , negotiating , socializing , and interacting with others ; it drives most of our choices , even the most insignificant ones , whether we realize it or not .

The more empowered ( not necessarily “ older ”) your Emotional Age , the better your life will be ! The best part is that managing your relationships gets much easier once you understand your Emotional Age and can recognize it in others .

WISDOM & SELF-GROWTH

The Empowerment Spectrum outlines the concept of our identities being formed by a combination of three Dominant Emotional Archetypes — the Parent , the Child , and the Adult . Within these three archetypes , we communicate on a scale from passive ( disempowered ) to peaceful ( empowered ).

For years leading up to writing about Emotional Age , I ’ d halfjokingly refer to these three Dominant Emotional Archetypes