Age- Mind over Matter
A quote by Mark Twain, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter” corroborates with my view on if age really matters. Age is defined as the number of years a person has lived since their birth. Should age matter in a world where every individual is unique and evolves and grows at their own pace be at 16 or 40 or any other age?
People think that once you reach a certain age you should have clarity on what you want to do and what career choices you should take but I believe that going for your dreams should not be constrained by your age but rather it is a testament to the various skills developed and life lessons gained that will help you in achieving your dreams.
Even though I believe that age should not matter in some situations, I do concede that age plays an important role in reaching milestones from childhood to adulthood. From the time we are born, age plays a crucial role in our development in terms of reaching the milestones determined by our age. Age is very important especially when we are babies and toddlers as it is during this time period that we develop the necessary skills, such as taking our first step, smiling for the first time, saying our first word, etc. Though each individual develops at their own pace, if they don’t reach the age-related milestones, it indicates a greater problem, and so age plays an important factor in the health and well-being of individuals.
Age is also important in education and learning - Age-related learning is highly dependent on age and the education system is deeply focused on age as children develop different skills and learn different things at different ages, and thus education must be centered on the development and readiness of the child. Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist, goes on to say that how children perceive the world and react to stimuli depends on their age, and thus the education system must take age into consideration when designing their system.
People put so much pressure on age, at 18 we are expected to move out and be independent, at 21 we are supposed to know what we want to do career-wise, at 30 we should be married and have kids, at 65 we should retire, but I believe that each individual is different and goes through life at their own pace. An 18-year-old may choose to move out and live independently once they turn 18 or a person may choose to move out later in life but rather than societal norms, this decision should depend on a mutual agreement between family members. What’s wrong if you choose to boost your career at 30 and have kids later on or you might have kids earlier and focus on your career in your 30s once your kids are independent?
Focusing on another aspect, relationships, does age make any difference? There are people who argue that the age gap is a significant factor in relationships and there are others who view age as insignificant. I personally agree with both perspectives to a certain extent. There are many factors on which a relationship is built on, such as trust, love, and respect, which seem more significant compared to age. Furthermore, age does not influence the maturity of a person, a person who is very young can be more mature compared to a person considerably older than them, and thus if both people are at the same level of maturity and understanding, age should not be an issue.
If there is a large age gap between two people, age might be a factor in pursuing the relationship because they could be at different levels in their lives. People have different expectations for relationships depending on their ages. Career, time commitment, children, and marriage may also be mismatches caused by age differences. For example, one person may be looking for a fun and easy relationship because they may still be trying to achieve different things in life and have different priorities, while the other person may be looking to be serious and settle down.
In my opinion, while in some cases, age could play a significant factor in relationships but age should not be the only factor taken into consideration while in a relationship. Age does not define a person, people should also pay equal focus to the person’s character and personality.
I have heard the saying many times that childhood or when you are young should be the happiest time of your life, and as you grow older, the burden of responsibilities will make you want to be as happy and carefree as you were in your childhood. Though we experienced a lot of happiness in our childhood due to our innocence, the happiness we experience in our adulthood is actually the same, the difference is that it is a different type of happiness. I believe that as we grow older, we learn to appreciate what we have and to revel in the small moments. In fact, there are quite a few studies that have been conducted about the same, such as a recent paper by Heather Urry and James Gross that shows that it is a misconception that younger people are generally more happy.
Age should not stop one from achieving their dreams but rather should be a motivating factor to pursue them. The primary factor that should be at the forefront when deciding whether to pursue your dreams or not is to determine if you are ready or not in terms of knowledge, skill, personal circumstances, etc. Everyone’s journey and goals are different; we can’t put a concrete factor, such as age to determine when a person should pursue their dreams and goals.
While age matters in some aspects, it does not define maturity. As far as I am concerned, at 18, I still gain joy from doing childish things, but it’s the experiences I gained over the years that change the way I look at life and will guide my future actions. In conclusion, age shouldn’t be a barrier when it comes to relationships, career choices, personal and emotional happiness, and most importantly reaching your dreams.
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