Does being older means being more free?

[CuriousPony 156]

There are a few freedoms gained, but for the most part, I'd say getting older gets you even more locked up oftentimes. 

 

You're suddenly expected to act mature. You can't go play whenever you want. You have rent to pay (and a million other bills, because suddenly everyone wants money from you, whether you have it or not). And everyone expects you to work for a company you probably don't like, doing things you probably hate and/or don't care about until you die. 

 

Some freedom. 

 

If only our society would let people live the lives they want to live... maybe that lifestyle works for some (and if it does work for them, that's great! Everyone should be allowed to live the way they want to, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone), but some people just aren't meant for that. 

[RainbowMau 291]

@Age groups discussion: according to classes I've taken, your brain finishes maturing at 25.  Meaning adulthood starts around then.  Really though, it depends on context.  Marketing, sexual maturity, identity integration theory, and brain maturation will all have different models.  You know, like how a tomato is a fruit to science but a vegetable to chefs.

 

Skull stops growing at 35, you start getting old at 30-35, middle age starts at 35-40, you start losing hair at 35.

So? Why does the growing brain is the only one involved? I'm not in the same stage as a 50-year old! I can't be!

[TenorSounds 831]

I've said this before @@RainbowMau, but you focus way too much on age.

 

The short answer to your question is it's complicated. You certainly have more expectations of you as you get older, but you generally have infinitely more control of your own life. If you think that other people expectations of you are limiting your freedom, you're looking at it the wrong way. You're free to do whatever the hell ya want, within reason/legal limits.

 

The issue is you're letting other's expectations of you control your life. Just go to the dance classes, attend the cons, wear the anime shirts. As long as your adult responsibilities are taken care of (the price for having control of your life), just do what makes you happy. You'll find friends and relationships in the circles you put yourself in, so don't worry about that. Age norms, like gender norms, are just arbitrary societal constructs anyway.

Edited January 5, 2015 by TenorSounds

[catnet 9,353]

From what I understand of it, being older provides you with more freedom in choosing what path you will be/are taking, but the freedom offered on each of these paths is mixed. If your childhood was restrictive as hell, then you were practically stuck with that. Growing up at least gives you the potential to escape that sort of life, but it also brings about new barriers (I'm tempted to say 'limits', but it's still possible to pass by and overcome them...) and life directions that may leave you more constrained than before.

 

So no, aside from freedom of choice, I don't think getting older means being more free. I don't think the opposite is true, either. Freedom varies too much depending on the person for there to be a definitive answer- it's down to people to make themselves free, not what age they are or the meanings society ascribes to that age.