Perhaps the crisis of our generation isn’t a lack of intelligence, opportunity, or freedom.
Perhaps it’s a lack of meaningful rites of passage into adulthood.
Of course, not everyone. Many are quietly building families, businesses, communities, and meaningful lives. They simply become less visible because real responsibility rarely demands an audience.
Spiritually, every civilisation understood a similar principle: growth requires initiation. There must be a transition from “What can life give me?” to “What can I give to life?” The moment responsibility becomes greater than desire is often the moment adulthood truly begins.
Psychology tells us that people mature through responsibility, delayed gratification, accountability, and meaningful hardship. Neuroscience shows that the brain adapts to the demands placed upon it.
Today, many of those forces have weakened. The individual has become the centre of the story. Self-expression has gradually overtaken self-sacrifice. Identity has become a lifelong project rather than a foundation from which to build.
Previous generations were pulled into adulthood by necessity. Marriage, children, community expectations, economic responsibility, and social roles created friction that demanded growth. Whether they felt ready or not was often irrelevant.