At what age do you realize you were wrong about life?

When you're a kid you think that when you grow up you'll be special. Maybe you'll be rich or famous or powerful. An astronaut, scientist, explorer, inventor. You'll do something unique, be remembered forever, work hard and succeed at something.

Then, as you get older, you realize that in fact you're not special. You're pretty mediocre. There are millions of people like you. There are millions of people better than you.

You have accomplished very little, don't have much money, you are physically past your prime. At what age do you finally realize you will never become the adult that you dreamed about as a child?

I say 30. In your teens, you're still very young and naive. You still think you're special, and you haven't started college or lived on your own in the real world.

In your 20s, you start to get an inkling that maybe you won't be a smashing success after all. But you're still hopeful! Maybe you'll catch that break! Maybe something's going to change.

By the time you hit 30 it's sunk in. Sorry, you ain't special. You still have a small chance, perhaps, but probably will never be the roaring success you thought. You're running on the treadmill faster and faster, just to maintain.

This could lead to depression (mid-life crisis in 30s or 40s). Hopefully you will simply accept it and move on. Try your best at the few things you're good at. Or maybe you'll be motivated to try even harder and become the success you dreamed.

Who knows?