Anyone who says ‘These years are the best of your life’ are really just telling you that their life peaked at that age.
If you play your cards right and have a large serving of luck, this will not be true for you.
It’s rose-tinted glasses in play as well. I have many fond memories of my university days and deeply miss all the time I had with my friends that I now rarely see. I would encourage any student to cherish that aspect. There were many, many, difficult aspects of that time as well though, and a decade or so on I deeply appreciate the autonomy I have now.
I interpret it to be more about the weight given to different pros and cons about different stages in life.
Some people really, really prize autonomy, and don’t get to experience that until pretty late in life. For these people, the stifling limits of adolescence, without their own money or independence from parents, can be miserable.
Some people really, really prize being free of responsibilities. To this group, sometimes adulthood comes with too many challenges and responsibilities that they find independence to be stifling.
Some care about physical health, which may correlate with younger ages.
Some love the ease of friendships in adolescence and early adulthood, and long for that dynamic when they realize that making new friends or maintaining existing friendships gets harder after 30, and even more so after 40.
Some feel very strongly about the loved ones they’ve lost since their childhood, and wish they could’ve appreciated those shared experiences more in the moment.
And we all have different experiences. I have no idea if my best years are ahead of me or behind me, but I could see an argument in either direction.
There are certain unique experiences you don’t get later. There are a few places that have field trips in college, but for most people that is only during regular primary school.
The nature of those unique experiences varies from person to person. My field trips might have been good memories had it not been for the fact that the horrible assholes I was stuck going to school with were there.
I still remember being told that in high school, and at 35 I can say with reasonable confidence that it was in fact the worst part of my life, not the best. Fuck you Mr. Ford, you were wrong, and you were an asshole, and if I can ever be arsed to locate your grave, I’ll piss on it.
If anyone tells you that your teenage years are the best years of your life: Smile, nod, and slowly back away. Then never talk to that person again if you can help it.
Even if it was your mommy?
Especially if it’s your mommy
Fuck all the adults who say this to kids with less privileged childhoods.
My experience is the opposite. Adolescence was horrible, young adulthood was hard, adulthood has been better. I am taking care of myself and I am happy with my relationships.
I’m glad things have improved for you and that you are doing well.
That’s just shit people say, because their memory is skewed to remember some stuff.
After drinking that much lead you won’t remember anything better
The whole “high school is the best years of your life” thing was always total bullshit. The drugs are much better in college.
I can’t remember which movie, but some basic rom-com. Girl was in a fight with her ex and trying to make him feel bad said, “I gave you the best years of my life.”
And dude, utterly confused, responds, “those were your best?”
The movie was forgettable, but that absolutely savage line stuck with me.
Kate: I wasted the best years of my life on you.
Stuart: Those were your best years?
How i felt when i was told nobody would love me more than my parents.
I’ve never really had much of a family. The whole family bond thing seems like a farce. I love my parents because they were good parents, not simply because they were my parents.
No, it will get so much better. And so, so, so much worse. Sometimes in the course of like an hour.
Don’t listen to people who peaked during high school.
Nah, I think my 30s are looking better now that I have a good job and the right meds.
Yeah the people who say that tell boring stories of glory days.
You will see the positives looking back. It will look much better than it was
I think this is just a saying that lost its meaning. Youth is the time you don’t have to worry about much and you can live without regrets because most of your decisions don’t have real consequences (aside from the obvious ones).
Obviously to young people they don’t see it that way. In hindsight I could have done a lot more as a kid but I didn’t for fear of whatever the hell I was afraid of. Definitely not the best years though.
