Life Stages by Age

Commenters share experiences and advice on how perceptions of time, priorities, career, family, and satisfaction shift across ages, particularly from 20s to 40s and beyond.

📉 Falling 0.3x Career & Jobs
4,940
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#9063
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
15
2008
43
2009
55
2010
104
2011
117
2012
120
2013
226
2014
161
2015
216
2016
209
2017
230
2018
381
2019
310
2020
301
2021
371
2022
805
2023
531
2024
326
2025
390
2026
29

Keywords

YOUNG IT DO HN ENEOUGH FWIW ARE LCOL YES SS 40 40s 20s 30s 30 young kids late having kids life

Sample Comments

endtime Apr 3, 2009 View on HN

Well, how old are you? If you're in your 40's, that might make sense. If you're 22, not so much.

woodylondon Apr 8, 2015 View on HN

wait till you are a few weeks away from 40 and have the some thoughts :-(

01100011 Jul 6, 2022 View on HN

Same, but I'm in my late 40s so maybe that's expected.

datalus Oct 30, 2013 View on HN

Good advice, I'm in my latter 20s and I'm already there.

jm__87 Apr 30, 2018 View on HN

I'm guessing you're young... once you hit 30, your mind is probably going to change on this.

Jerky Oct 23, 2011 View on HN

So, if I'm over 30, there's no time like the present!

WJW Aug 28, 2023 View on HN

Can't confirm tbh. I'm now in my late thirties and enjoying life quite a bit. Definitely better than when I was in my twenties.Looking forward to hopefully another 40+ years of this.

quickthrower2 Aug 15, 2023 View on HN

You don't have to be that "old". Late 30's it is possible

whozman Apr 13, 2011 View on HN

I am in my early 40s. I have started family young. With my son in university now I feel that I have the same amount of time (if not more) then when I was 20 and yet I have far more commitment and experience. There is a burning feeling to make something grand at this stage of life - working at an industry giant does not qualify as such.

timinman Feb 6, 2013 View on HN

I'm nearly done with my thirties - a time when many of us start to feel uncomfortable about how much time we have left to make our mark.I didn't make a ton of money or change the whole world in my twenties, but I did marry a great woman early (at 20), and begin to raise 3 great kids. I feel good about those decisions, but won't settle, I still feel that I've more growing up to do and greater days are ahead.