What exactly is it that you “hate” about “becoming a ‘typical adult?’”

this makes me hate life too.

How is one expected to be when one grows older?

don’t overmedicate your kids :(

The expectations one has when they grows older is different for everyone. I’m sure you have yours that don’t apply to others just as I do with mine.

I suppose when I do speak of expectations I am talking in a very broad sense hoping that everyone will immediately understand what it is I am talking about but clearly that is not the case. I am hesitant on leaving examples specifically because they may not apply to you or that they may not seem like a big deal or something to fret over.

But maybe I can answer it this way:

I think a difficult thing for me to get around is seeing people give in to those expectations when I am not. Leaving me in a position of giving in as well or finding new people to associate with. Which by itself seems easier said than done. But, finding new people to associate with that are in the same position as me or cutting ties with those of who I can no longer relate with isn’t as easy for me as it may be for others.

hmm, I want to respond / react to Happy Noodle Boy’s comment…but I don’t know how.

And it’s NOT, oddly enough, because of the dicks in the sand comment.

I think you assume that everyone lets go of their dreams because they “settle” when many people have never actually settled at all. And who’s to say that children don’t settle? I think I actually settled way more as a child than I ever have as an adult. I settled because I didn’t realize who I was and what I could actually accomplish. I have only become more self-aware and confident with age, and that is why adulthood doesn’t frustrate me.

And what does “settle” and “complacency” even mean? You have said to my face that you think I am complacent. You aren’t wrong. I am complacent about many things, and I admit that about myself. Sometimes I even wish I was more of a maverick. I admire people who are.

But I genuinely believe that there are situations and circumstances in life that I have no control over (temporarily or permanently). Trying to control them is both arrogant and ignorant. I am bound to fail if I try to play God, even to my own life. Failure will lead to disappointment. Frequent disappointment to cynicism. And you know what? “Settling” for contentment, or inner peace, is not settling at all. It is actually the greatest achievement in life.

Yet, I am not as complacent as you (and even others) think I am. I am always bettering myself, or at least attempting to. Because I can clearly see what is attainable for me, and what isn’t, I actually move forward. My entire life has been one upward climb to a peak that I admittedly may never reach. I may not be racing to the top, but I am not aimlessly wandering around the mountain wondering why other people are ahead or behind me on the climb either. I am going at my own pace, and reaching my own goals. Maybe only going one mile in one day is “complacency” or maybe slowing myself down to walk with another person who is slower than me is “settling.” But I ain’t sitting down, I haven’t gotten lost, and I’ve never been looking for any disasters to give me an excuse to stop moving up.

I don’t know if this makes any sense to you. What you wrote was very vague and I may not have understood. But your responses haven’t helped me comprehend anything at all about these societal, adult “expectations” you feel pressured to live up to and this “complacency” that you focus on in other people all around you, that you think you are not a part of too.

complacent girl, I don’t know anything about was said, but I have to admit that I agree with most of your sentiments above in terms of the general ideas and questions.

I like when you said, “And who’s to say that children don’t settle?” I think that’s an interesting point! I think children settle just as much as adults do, even if in different ways. Although I think the idea behind the cartoon and the other’s comments is that adults lose their imagination, and thus their lives become mundane, traditional, and routine, which is a huge shame.

I also like what you said about understanding your abilities and limits and taking action based on that. I can definitely relate to those ideas.

Miles, I agree that your response to the original question (which I happened to post) was very vague, but I understand that at the core you are saying that you are expected to give up on “fanciful” notions to become another “pencil pusher” who falls into the routine of “adult” life. When you have ideas other than that, people think you are foolish or idealistic. I too can relate to this on some levels, and understand your frustration. I have definitely been guided down a “conservative” life path by my own family, and sometimes wonder what else I might be doing if I had made different choices.

I think these newest comments (although they seemed to get personal) are interesting because on another post I wrote about incidents in my life that made me feel “old” and this makes me want to write something similar about incidents in my life that made me feel “young!”