When is it time to grow up?
The article explores the ambiguous concept of "growing up," questioning whether it is tied to specific milestones like career, marriage, or parenthood, or if it's a more subjective, ongoing process of personal responsibility and self-awareness.
Background
- This is a personal essay by an anonymous writer on Infinite Scroll, a Substack publication focused on tech, culture, and internet life.
- The piece reflects on the feeling of being "too old" for certain behaviors or phases of life, asking when someone should move on from youthful pursuits — particularly those common in tech and startup culture (e.g., grinding on side projects, living frugally, chasing status through work).
- It touches on the tension between treating life as a game to be optimized (a mindset common in rationalist, effective altruist, and Silicon Valley circles) versus accepting maturity, stability, and conventional milestones.
- The essay is representative of a broader conversation in online intellectual communities about "growing up" — not in a moralizing sense, but as a practical question of when to shift priorities from ambition to contentment.