Growing up/Coming of Age

[weezerspider]

Hey guys I'm writing a thesis on growing up and coming of age and I really wanted to give a survey out for research to find out a wide view of many people's view of this topic. I would love some feedback. Basically give some thought to each question and try to give more than one word/one line answers. Thanks for the help! Or not!


What does growing up mean to you?
What are/were you fears about growing up?
What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?
What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)
Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

 

[Black Narcissus]

Hey guys I'm writing a thesis on growing up and coming of age and I really wanted to give a survey out for research to find out a wide view of many people's view of this topic. I would love some feedback. Basically give some thought to each question and try to give more than one word/one line answers. Thanks for the help! Or not!


What does growing up mean to you?

When out of nowhere you realize you look like chewbacca down there.

It was a total shock.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Emotionally or physically? My physical coming-of-age happened more than a decade before I became an adult emotionally.

Physically when you notice your first pubes and start …. well…. *********ing. Liking girls. Experimenting with drinks and drugs and staying out late. That kinda stuff.

Emotionally I think it's when you become financially self-reliant, choose a career path, get in a stable, long-term relationship, start prioritizing other things besides getting wasted every weekend or having hedonistic fun.


Other people may disagree, but purely speaking for myself.

 

[Hobgoblin]

What does growing up mean to you?

Taking responsibility for your actions and considering how your actions affect others.

What are/were you fears about growing up?

I worried about who I was and if people would accept me. Was I strong enough to handle adult responsibilities.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?

Being quietly angry.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)

Getting into college was my top priority, as was keeping in touch with my newfound friends.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

I assumed that I'd be living on my own, working as a high school teacher. None of that happened.

 

[C. Lee]

What does growing up mean to you?
Learning to take responsibility for your actions. Thinking of the welfare of others before yourself.

What are/were you fears about growing up?
Don't remember having any fears about it while growing up...now that I am in my late 50's and have a seven year old child, the only thing I really worry about is not being there long enough for my daughter and seeing her grow into an adult.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?
Discovering books and reading hundreds and hundreds of the classics from all genres.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)
Unfortuantly I had no priorities, so I flittered from one to the other. On the plus side, I have experience with many many things.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?
In 10 years...sitting on the porch with a double barreled shotgun glowering at the young punks coming to take my daughter out on a date.

 

[Octoberist]

What is fascinating about being in my stage, in the late 20's and early 30's stage, is how 'learning to take responsibility' may not register with some people.

In fact, I'm seeing how I've matured throughout the years, and see others (including some friends) kinda falling behind. Not just in careers but also on an emotional level, and it's scary to think how they're going to be like in 10 years.

You see things being set in motion. A middle-age drunk alone in a bar? You can see that in some people even in their mid 20's.

What I'm glad that I've got is a good sense of intuition and not allowing myself to have a limited view on the world.

 

[runawayboulder]

What does growing up mean to you?

Being fully responsible for all aspects of life. How you treat people, how you act, how you make money, how you spend money. Pretty much overall management of your life without anyone telling you how it needs to be done anymore.

What are/were you fears about growing up?

More responsibility and less fun.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?

Probably hanging out with friends and not having a care in a world.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)

The top priority was a job. I always liked having money and being able to buy the things I wanted. Friends, girlfriends and sex were after that. Work hard, play hard and all that stuff. I regret not factoring school in there somehow. It would be the one thing I would change if I could go back.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

Not sure. I'm in a weird place right now, it's hard for me to visualize anything that far ahead.

 

[Octoberist]

It's best to follow Taoism and other Eastern philosophies and just focus on the now, then that can shape the future.

I think when people think too far ahead, they become dreamers and not doers. Or ironically become shortsighted in what has to be done now to get to that goal.

 

[runawayboulder]

It's best to follow Taoism and other Eastern philosophies and just focus on the now, then that can shape the future.

I think when people think too far ahead, they become dreamers and not doers. Or ironically become shortsighted in what has to be done now to get to that goal.

I agree with that. I like to set short term attainable goals for myself instead of saying things like "I want to live in a mansion with a nice car and a boat".

 

[Octoberist]

I didn't realize that till maybe a few months ago. I'm a late bloomer but it happens.

 

[Fallen Angel]

What does growing up mean to you?

Take responsibility of your actions and taking care of people around you especially the younger generation.

What are/were you fears about growing up?

I wouldn't make friend's and people wouldn't like me.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?

Teen years just enjoying life at the time but I went through rough years in that period too.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)

Getting a good education first but having fun when I could.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

In ten years married/kid(s)

No to the second part of the question but I've accepted it and I'm happy where I am now.

 

[weezerspider]

Thanks for all of the responses guys! These are all wonderful answers! It's amazing almost everyone mentioned responsibility.

 

[runawayboulder]

I guess no one here has done jail time....

 

[PalmerTheThing]

What does growing up mean to you?

Finding out who you are as a human being, and using those gifts to help the world you live in.

What are/were you fears about growing up?

That one day I would make a mistake growing up, and would put someone other than my self, or others in great amounts of danger.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?

Being curious to everything's response. No matter how much I got bullied, I remained my true character in high school and it never broke...ever. I was just my self deep down.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)

Becoming someone I am comfortable with, because if you grow up and spent your whole life up until that point not knowing who you are, and what benefits and values you have as a human, you can deteriorate inside out. So essentially, my goal was to not fail as a human.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

Hopefully, I have learned a lot in 10 years, learned a lot more values, have a lot more stories to tell, and of course, hopefully being happy and I want to see the start of a family in the next 10 years.

 

[jmc]

What is this 'growing up' you speak of?

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

What does growing up mean to you?

Being brave enough to follow your dreams but in a realistic way.

Or simply being selfless enough to sacrifice your time and energy to something bigger than yourself.

What are/were you fears about growing up?

I feared tradition since I didn't want to follow a normal path for my entire existence. Now a I balance tradition, which offers comfort, with subversive worldviews, which offer a sense of self-determination.

What do you(think you will) remember most about/from your teens?

Trying to be a casual street philosopher and wanting to separate myself from the social norms of my peers.

What are/were your top priorities growing up?(School,Job,Friends,Sex)

Determining my own values and identity.

Where do you see yourself in ten years/Did you think you’d be where you are now?

I didn't think too far into my own personal future and never imagined I would have a wife and kids. I lived day to day going through the motions of a 20-something, thinking only about sex and entertainment.

My life now is far more rewarding. Having a family offers me purpose, grounded perspective and genuine redemption.