It all depends on what you value. As an older person, my experience is that those who view life as a mission to accumulate up as much wealth, possessions and skills as possible end up miserable. Life is a journey to be enjoyed each day, not some sort of mission with an achievable end-point. You don't "win" life by accumulating the largest pile of tangible assets. I've found that those who are the happiest work hard enough so that they have enough money to do the things they want to do, with a little extra saved up for contingencies. Its a cliche, but life truly is a journey and not a destination.
Yes. When young, we do not know, nor can we plan with any certitude, what may come. Que sera, sera. We can turn the wheel on the kiddie cars at the carnival, but we can only pretend we're steering. (For most of us.)
But when we are 20 years old, we can be certain we'll only be under 30 for a short time. With all that being under 30 entails ... of unreplaceable value. With good health and some luck, it will never be easier to travel, to meet a broad range of people ... to learn from and share with. To have the surplus energy to enjoy becoming good at something that might become a career (while realizing that advances in technology may make it obsolete!).
Life in a well-worn rut may be the only choice for some ... but those who stay free may find new paths.
