> As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities
As somebody who far away from 40, how is one supposed to "look forward" to getting older given this likelihood?
As somebody who far away from 40, how is one supposed to "look forward" to getting older given this likelihood?
You don't have to take Responsibility A if you don't want to, but you have to live with the consequences of your decision (good or bad). It's a trade off. I want a house. I make that decision for that responsibility. I now own that responsibility knowing the duties that come with home ownership will take a portion of my time and therefore will reduce the availability of time once given to a different responsibility.
Of course, mistakes will be made, but the best part is you can most often correct mistakes in healthy and meaningful ways.
People plan towards retirement which is usually just looking forwards to not having to work anymore.
People look forward to having children and grand children.
I don't know anyone who looks forward to getting older except for the young.
But that's a very sad kind of survivor bias. You were born with your quickness, but you have to earn the experience. Not everyone ends up middle-aged with useful experience. You hear only from the ones who do. And nobody has a time machine.
So look forward to reaping the benefit of experience, but let that be a warning that experience doesn't happen for free. Use your youth to acquire as many lifelong skills as possible. Use those skills in challenging ways to develop judgment. Use your skills and judgment to develop meaningful relationships with people who have chosen similar strategies.
Being able to offer solid skills, judgment, and relationships, rather than the ability to work consecutive 18-hour days, is what you'll have to look forward to.
Such as: owning property, owning car(s), having children, getting married, getting a mortgage, etc.
You can chose to not do any of those things and basically live like you're 20 when you're 80 (in terms of responsibilities).
It's just the mind's way of coming up with problems when there aren't any.
You're damned if you do (give up control) damned if you don't (walk through life unmarried with no kids in an apartment wondering what could've been)