Adulthood is a Myth

The Illusion of Growing Up

When you're a kid, you think adults have it all figured out. They know what to do, how to handle things, and they never get scared. Then you grow up and realize-it was all nonsense. Most adults don’t feel like adults at all. We’re just kids who got taller and have more responsibilities. And back pain.

The Myth of Feeling Like an Adult

Ask anyone, and if they're being honest, they’ll tell you they don’t feel as grown-up as they expected. Some still feel like they’re in their twenties, even as their knees betray them. Others still hesitate before calling the bank or panic over booking a dentist appointment. Somewhere along the way, we thought there’d be a switch-that one day we’d just become an adult. But that day never really comes. The only real sign of adulthood is getting excited about buying a new air fryer.

Improvising Through Life

Adulthood is just a series of improvised decisions. Some people fake it better than others. Some step into the role with confidence, while others feel like they’re pretending. But deep down, we’re all just winging it.

And when things go wrong-when we’re stressed, overwhelmed, or out of our depth-we don’t suddenly unlock some deep, wise, adult instinct. We go back to what we know. We hesitate. We crave reassurance. We avoid things. We react like the kids we’ve always been, just in bigger bodies with more bills to pay. And somehow, despite years of experience, most of us still have no idea what to do when the WiFi goes out.

The Impostor Syndrome Effect

It’s no surprise that so many people struggle with impostor syndrome-the feeling that we’re not really qualified, that at any moment we’ll be found out. We assume everyone else has it together while we’re just bluffing our way through. But the truth is, most people feel this way at some point. That’s because adulthood isn’t a certification you earn. It’s just a long-running improvisation where everyone is doing their best to seem like they know what they’re doing.

Embracing the Reality

Maybe that’s not a bad thing. Maybe the best way to get through life is to accept that nobody really knows what they’re doing. The confidence we see in others? Usually just well-practiced uncertainty.

So if you ever feel like you’re still a kid trapped in an adult’s life, don’t stress. You’re not alone. In fact, that might just be what adulthood actually is.

For those of you early in your careers feeling like you should have it all figured out-trust me, none of us do. We’re all making it up as we go. And that’s completely fine.

And for those further along, still battling impostor syndrome-you're not alone either. Even the most experienced professionals have moments of doubt. The truth is, everyone is just doing their best with what they know, no matter how far along they are in their careers. That inner child never really goes away. The same kid who hesitated before raising their hand in class now hesitates before speaking up in a meeting. The same kid who looked for reassurance from a teacher now seeks validation from a boss. Maybe the trick isn’t to silence that inner child, but to acknowledge them, reassure them, and keep going anyway. And yes, even that “adult” you admire probably still eats cereal for dinner sometimes. (Or as I like to call it, Brinner)

Because the truth is, we’re not meant to do this alone. We figure things out together. We rely on each other, just like we always have. Maybe adulthood isn’t about having all the answers-maybe it’s just about knowing who you can turn to when you don’t.

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