In your 20s? Welcome to the real world. Although you’re now an adult, you’re still a child when it comes to making important decisions about your life. This uncertainty that plagues many twentysomethings is what we call the “quarter life crisis”.
Here are five signs you might be suffering from a quarter life crisis:
1. You’re uncertain most of the time
During this part of your life, the decisions you make can hugely impact your future trajectory – where you go in life. Because you are still at the beginning, there are so many potential paths ahead of you, but you’re unsure which one to take. You are always reflecting on and changing your dreams.
2. You always see negatives
Stemming from your desire to be more of a realistic person rather than the teenage idealist, you tend to focus on the negative sides of people and situations. This attitude is the reason why people in their 20s are so much more likely to have drama in their lives and complain about everything. In Egypt, twentysomethings are the largest demographic in society. We’re always criticizing so-called “traditions” and many are seriously thinking about immigrating elsewhere.
3. You over think everything
You find yourself acutely observing your own actions and decisions. To you, everything has a meaning and people’s preferences can say a lot about their personality (even something as simple as one’s favorite color). You are questioning everything, from your beliefs and job satisfaction to your choice of friends.
4. You’re always making comparisons
If you’re comparing yourself with your friends and how your achievements and goals match up with theirs, you may be suffering from a quarter-life crisis. You find yourself becoming judgmental. You might find yourself thinking snide thoughts about developments in your friends’ lives, like “What’s so great about being married at 22-years old? How boring…” You might even compare yourself with your parents and what they had achieved by the time they were your age. And finally, comparing yourself with your own expectations.
5. You always can’t wait
Your list of wishes and desires, which you amend everyday, are never ending. You want everything to be done immediately and now means NOW. And after you’ve achieved each wish, another one emerges. Patience for twentysomethings is measured in weeks rather than months.
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