> Why do so many people talk about youth as some sort of idyllic time in one's life?
If you look into how memory works, negative details fade and positive memories remain. I keep pretty extensive journals, and it's absolutely staggering how much less pleasant my earlier life was than I remember it.
Also, most people accidentally wind up in a secure, relatively unchallenging position early in life, and never get out of that. Youth was their only time questioning authority, learning, and growing at a rapid rate. But the people I know that kept those attributes into their 20's... 30's... and 40's and beyond enjoy their later years as much or more than their earlier years.
If you're looking to run your own companies, projects, write your own papers, and do your own work, then you won't be nostalgically remembering your youth later. You're in line for a very challenging, but very stimulating and enjoyable life that gets better as time passes.
This may be a bit controversial, but I'd recommend you ignore the "play around and enjoy it while you can" crowd - most of the people I know that skipped that advice are quite successful and quite happy with that choice. Play around is good advice if you're looking for a very stable and secure life later. If you're in control of your own destiny, go ahead and build like crazy now - it'll have a compounding affect for the rest of your life, and will lead to a very fulfilling and prosperous life (and you're much likelier to end up quite wealthy, which has surprisingly become underrated as of late - consumerism sucks and you can't buy happiness, but wealth opens up so much freedom and opportunity. By starting now when you have no heavy expenses and aren't accustomed to a high standard of living, you put yourself in line to be very wealthy later)
Life is a balance. I agree with your point that if you are looking to run a company or multiple companies you will live a challenging and rewarding life. But to be successful you will need to foster relationships.
You should not shut out people just because they talk about sports, cars, or whatever when they first meet you. Everyone has something to teach you. Even when you are the smartest kid in the room you can always learn something from someone. Your challenge is to get past the bullshit smalltalk and get to the meat of conversation that you both find mutual interest in.
If you look into how memory works, negative details fade and positive memories remain. I keep pretty extensive journals, and it's absolutely staggering how much less pleasant my earlier life was than I remember it.
Also, most people accidentally wind up in a secure, relatively unchallenging position early in life, and never get out of that. Youth was their only time questioning authority, learning, and growing at a rapid rate. But the people I know that kept those attributes into their 20's... 30's... and 40's and beyond enjoy their later years as much or more than their earlier years.
If you're looking to run your own companies, projects, write your own papers, and do your own work, then you won't be nostalgically remembering your youth later. You're in line for a very challenging, but very stimulating and enjoyable life that gets better as time passes.
This may be a bit controversial, but I'd recommend you ignore the "play around and enjoy it while you can" crowd - most of the people I know that skipped that advice are quite successful and quite happy with that choice. Play around is good advice if you're looking for a very stable and secure life later. If you're in control of your own destiny, go ahead and build like crazy now - it'll have a compounding affect for the rest of your life, and will lead to a very fulfilling and prosperous life (and you're much likelier to end up quite wealthy, which has surprisingly become underrated as of late - consumerism sucks and you can't buy happiness, but wealth opens up so much freedom and opportunity. By starting now when you have no heavy expenses and aren't accustomed to a high standard of living, you put yourself in line to be very wealthy later)