The twenties are undoubtedly a period in which we are expected to take our most solid steps, yet we often move with the greatest hesitation. We find ourselves on the edge of a cliff, ready to fly, though our wings have not yet fully developed. While trying to convey the impression that we are fully certain of our decisions, we often feel as if the ground beneath us is slipping away.
The twenties represent a period in which individuals are caught in dualities and conflicts in many aspects of life. The sense of “I am no longer young, yet not fully an adult” begins to emerge. The time to feel like an adult has arrived; yet it remains sufficiently chaotic for the individual to understand where they are headed. Just a few years ago, the world may have seemed comprehensible, but now even what we once knew feels uncertain. Eventually, one realizes they are caught between the innocence of youth and the realities of adulthood. This tension often transforms into an unnamed anxiety. At this point, the concept of the Quarter-Life Crisis helps us make sense of this complex experience.
Quarter-Life Crisis: From Safe Harbor to Open Sea
The Quarter-Life Crisis was first defined by Robbins and Wilner (2001) through their research. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with individuals aged eighteen to twenty-nine in the United States, exploring their life experiences and stressors during this period. Their study highlighted the particular significance of the challenges encountered during the transition out of higher education. Based on these findings, Robbins and Wilner (2001) defined the quarter-life crisis as “the period encompassing the transition from the academic world to the ‘real’ world,” during which “individuals relentlessly question their future and how the events of their past will shape it.”
Although an individual’s effort and achievements play a major role in higher education, the academic system, by its very nature, maintains control through boundaries, programs, and clear guidelines. The tasks we are assigned and the steps we must follow are generally clear; not only what we should do but also what we should avoid is largely defined. The real world, however, is shrouded in the dense fog of uncertainty; familiar definitions of success appear in unfamiliar forms, roles become clarified, and competition becomes evident. The burden of “choosing the right path” can make an individual feel as if they are in an echo chamber, left alone with their potential. For this reason, the transition is often painful; learned truths no longer yield results, the individual must establish a new life rhythm, and they confront their responsibilities for the first time in a meaningful way.
Emerging Adulthood: Transition to Independence
Arnett (2000) coined the term emerging adulthood to describe an unprecedented new life stage between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. During this period, life can take many different directions; the future is not yet determined, and the opportunity to independently explore life’s possibilities is greater than at any other stage of the life cycle. This vast field of possibilities can turn one’s mind into a labyrinth, complicating the decision-making process, as abundance often weighs like a burden rather than granting freedom, making the next step uncertain.
Emerging adulthood is characterized by the simultaneous experience of seemingly opposing but complementary emotions. On one hand, the desire for independence arises, while the need for belonging persists. A continuous balance is sought between freedom and responsibility, risk-taking and the search for security. Emotional poles such as hope and anxiety, excitement and worry, courage and hesitation also define this stage. The interplay of these poles forms the foundation for the complex emotional experiences and personal transformation that occur during emerging adulthood.
Crisis and Transformation
Erik Erikson (1950), the life-span developmental theorist, was the first to write extensively about psychological crises and their significance in human development. According to Erikson, a crisis is a period in which an individual’s “wholeness” is disrupted, leading to both internal and external fragmentation. He noted that crises are a normal part of the developmental process and play a formative role in growth. Caplan (1964) examined crises more closely, aiming to help individuals experiencing a crisis use it constructively for personal growth. Developmental crises are triggered by transitional periods between stable life structures and exert a powerful influence on development.
The uncertainty, hesitation, and self-doubt experienced during this period are actually a natural part of transformation. The inertia and fatigue generated by the crisis, combined with an increased sense of “being late,” are common experiences shared by almost everyone today. Yet life is not something that escapes us and requires a frantic chase; it is something that waits to be rediscovered at every stage.
Vera Wang launched her career later in life, creating her own fashion brand in her forties; Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book at sixty-five. Matt Haig experienced a depressive collapse in his early twenties, and later built his writing career after overcoming this period. In his book Reasons to Stay Alive, Haig quotes lines from Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore:
“And when the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure the storm is really over. But one thing is certain: when you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That is what this storm is all about.”