As we grow, we learn to accept certain ideas to help us make sense of the world around us. However, as we mature into adults, a lot of what is accepted deserves a second look to see if it makes sense.

For example, the general roadmap of life consists of birth, school, career, marriage, children, retirement, death. This is narrowing things down quite a bit but you get the idea. Now, consider the timing of these activities. Debate is active about the ideal age to get married, how that decision relates to a career, as well as its relation to when to have children. But few recognize that you don't NEED to get married. And who says you have to have children? With the general statistic that the divorce rate is about 50%, isn't marriage hit or miss? Because it is so ingrained in our mindsets, we rarely challenge the idea.

The same applies to the general concept of retirement. Working hard for 40-50 years and then deciding to enjoy the finer things in life doesn't sound like a great plan to me. I've read most recent retirees find that they have too much time on their hands anyway and need something to keep them occupied. This is something that's more difficult to control as people need to earn a living somehow, but there are ways to work around it.

Similarly, even school becomes something to rethink. If college tuitions continue to increase at the rate they have been for the past few years, education will cost the next generations of students well into the six figures to attend. Considering this, maybe that return on investment doesn't make sense anymore. Perhaps it's better to go the experience route and supplement it with self-study.

There are a lot of things we accept as given, whether it's from personal biases or shaped and influenced by outside factors. Whatever the reason, it's important to evaluate these assumptions to logically assess and understand their role in our lives.