Do We Care Less As We Grow Older?

I don’t think so

Photo by Toa Heftiba

They say you care less as you grow older. I believe the opposite is true, at least if we have done the work.

Critical Years

During the critical years when we shape our character and personality, we can afford to care as little as we want. Everything is new, so we might as well not give a damn about what we do. Indeed, sometimes I wish I had been more reckless, less circumspect. Before a sea of possibility, we might as well dive right in. I had more time for books, shows and music on which I wouldn’t spend a minute these days. I found almost everybody interesting in their way because they all had lessons for me. Naturally, while I try to preserve a minimum chance for anyone to prove me wrong, I feel like most people teach us the same lesson over and over, a class we can safely skip.

The Present

At present, I care very much about how I use my time. Fret not, I am over the phase of trying to squeeze every minute in a day doing something productive. It turns out it isn’t the most productive thing to do after all. Instead, I value my time so much that I attempt to use it to find joy. There must be a very good reason for me to spend any effort doing something that doesn’t please me. If happiness is what we are after, wouldn’t it be foolish to invest our resources…