Immaturity is the incapacity to use one's intelligence without

"Immaturity is the incapacity to use one’s intelligence without the guidance of another." — Immanuel Kant

Thus spoke Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher of Königsberg, whose words were like thunderclouds breaking over the age of ignorance. In this single sentence, he defines the very heart of enlightenment — the sacred call for the human spirit to awaken. To him, immaturity is not a matter of age, but of the soul’s bondage — the failure to use one’s own intelligence, the unwillingness to think, to judge, to decide without leaning upon the authority of another. When he wrote these words in his essay “What Is Enlightenment?”, the year was 1784 — an age when men bowed before kings and dogmas, when minds lay chained by tradition and fear. Kant’s call was a trumpet blast to all humankind: “Have the courage to use your own reason!”

In these words, immaturity is not mere ignorance, but a surrender — the mind’s submission to external will. The one who cannot think for himself is like a bird born with wings, yet chooses never to fly. Such a person may possess intelligence, but lacks the courage to use it. The guidance of another — whether a ruler, a priest, or a crowd — becomes a crutch that dulls the will and blinds the eyes. Kant saw this as the great tragedy of mankind: that so many, though born free, live as children, obeying others’ voices rather than listening to their own reason. For maturity begins not when one knows, but when one dares to know.

The world has ever been divided between those who think and those who follow. The former illuminate history; the latter remain in its shadow. Consider Galileo Galilei, who looked upon the heavens and saw truth beyond doctrine. When the Church forbade his findings, demanding that he silence his mind for the comfort of authority, he stood defiant. Though forced to recant publicly, he whispered, “And yet it moves.” Galileo’s maturity was not his knowledge of stars, but his refusal to let others dictate his reason. His courage to use his own intelligence — without guidance, without permission — became the seed of modern science.

Kant’s words are not an accusation of foolishness but a challenge to courage. He knew that thinking for oneself is not easy. It requires effort, discipline, and at times, solitude. The immature mind seeks comfort in the opinions of others — in leaders, traditions, and dogmas that promise safety from doubt. But the mature mind embraces the burden of freedom. It asks, “What is true?” rather than, “What am I told?” Such independence is the mark of all progress. For without it, no truth would ever be discovered, no injustice overturned, no art or philosophy born. Every act of creation begins with one who dared to think alone.

Yet the danger of immaturity still haunts the modern soul. We live in an age overflowing with voices — leaders, screens, and systems that tell us what to believe, what to fear, what to desire. It is easier than ever to surrender thought, to let others think in our place. But Kant’s warning still resounds: the one who does not use his own reason remains a child, no matter his years. True enlightenment, then, is not about knowledge alone, but about intellectual independence — the courage to stand before truth without the armor of authority.

To awaken from immaturity is to accept responsibility for one’s mind. It is to question, to analyze, to discern. It is to replace obedience with understanding, and faith in others with faith in reason. The wise man listens, yes, but he does not kneel before opinion. He honors the teachers who guide him, but he walks his own path when the lesson is learned. This is the essence of freedom — not rebellion for its own sake, but the disciplined exercise of thought. As Kant wrote elsewhere, freedom is the ability to obey the law one gives oneself.

So let this teaching take root in your heart: think for yourself. Do not seek the comfort of being led; seek the strength of being conscious. Study deeply, question everything, and trust that your reason, though imperfect, is sacred. Learn from others, but do not become their echo. For in the end, the measure of your life will not be how well you followed, but how bravely you understood. To live maturely is to rise each day with the resolve to see with your own eyes, to judge with your own mind, and to walk by the light of your own intelligence. Then, and only then, will you be free.