Quote:
Originally Posted by Silent Wanderer
Most people that age are not emotionally mature enough to be "adults". And even though people may have been considered adults back then at that age, they still understood they usually aren't that mature.
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Most people at age 18 or 20 aren't emotionally mature enough to be "adults" either. But half-sarcasm aside, it wasn't about maturity but procreational capability and supporting your family through dowry, reputation, gaining ties to a powerful lineage, or other such things (regardless of any unfairness or opportunism involved on the parent's side).
Back when children were expected to work and learn the harshness of life first-hand (often brutally so), they also arguably grew up quicker emotionally. Modern parents have a tendency to think that hiding the unfairness of the world from their children will result in them being better-adjusted and mature more quickly, which is an interesting shift in perspectives.