You’ll know you’ve grown when you stop needing to win every argument in your head at night.

Rehearsing a conversation you already had, at midnight, is a sign that part of you still needs somebody to rule in your favour. As that need loosens, the rehearsals thin out, not because you stopped caring about being right but because you no longer require their agreement in order to put it down. That shift is a fair marker of having grown.

When you catch yourself building the perfect reply in the dark, ask what would actually change if they never agreed. Usually nothing. Then let the imaginary court adjourn and get some sleep.