Their ‘Quarter Life’ series, which this article is a part of, is a good fit for this community IMO: https://theconversation.com/topics/quarter-life-117947
An excerpt from the article:
By a certain age, the story goes, you should have a few things locked down: a successful career, a loving partner, a couple of children running around in the house that you’ve purchased.
If you miss these markers, dread tends to set in. You may feel everyone else is moving forward, and that somehow you’ve fallen behind. This is one of the most common anxieties we encounter in life. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.
As a developmental psychologist, I want to offer a more accurate and liberating account of what’s actually going on. The feeling of being behind is real. The timeline producing it, is not.
Some psychologists call this schedule we set in our minds as a society, the “social clock.” In 1965, American developmental researcher Bernice Neugarten and colleagues described these age norms as a set of shared expectations about the “right” age to finish school, marry, buy a home or start a family.
These age norms may feel like natural law. But they are not. They are cultural conventions, and like all conventions they vary from place to place and shift from one generation to the next.
Yeah so most of my mates have all those things. And in complete transparency, they look tired, out of shape and frustrated.
So I think I’m all good lol
I also have not followed the cultural conventions and now in my seventies feel quite liberated. That’s not to say that every aspect of my life is hunky-dory but I m at peace with my choices. Life continues to be interesting, I am doing what I want to be doing.
Thanks for pointing out the 'Quarter Life ’ series. There’s some interesting topics there even though I am nowhere near the age group. Unless you do so, I’ll put one up every once in a while.
Yes please :)
I’m a bit behind on posting things, so please feel free to post them
I graduated uni, got a job and bought a house with my partner at 21. Had 3 kids by 30.
My 20s was an absolute slog.
Deepends if you want kids or not.
If not, then there is no right age. Do what you like and enjoy life.
If you want kids there is a right age for that.
