I think the real reason is that exploration is a stage in life; it naturally ends with parenthood. Our goal in youth is to explore the world until we find a way to succeed. In adulthood, our goal is to maintain a stable environment so that our children and students can safely explore.
For a person with an average income (relative to their peer group), you are right. Keeping a competitive job and taking care of your family takes almost all your energy and time, and you can’t take risks.
However, if you have enough money to retire early, you can take care of your kids and keep exploring the world (while the kids are at school). You can even explore some things together, if your kids are interested at doing something you never did before.
In families that can live on one income, the other partner is similarly free to explore the world (while the kids are at school, or with them). I know a stay-at-home mom who started a successful online business.
Success raises the degree to which you can explore without wrecking the stable environment you’ve built; it also raises the bar for what you consider exploration. A waiter with two kids might dream of backpacking across Mexico but be too tied down to do it; an executive could easily afford a family vacation in Mexico but would dream of something larger that he’s too tied down to do (start his own company, learn to code well, become a doctor, whatever).
I think the real reason is that exploration is a stage in life; it naturally ends with parenthood. Our goal in youth is to explore the world until we find a way to succeed. In adulthood, our goal is to maintain a stable environment so that our children and students can safely explore.
For a person with an average income (relative to their peer group), you are right. Keeping a competitive job and taking care of your family takes almost all your energy and time, and you can’t take risks.
However, if you have enough money to retire early, you can take care of your kids and keep exploring the world (while the kids are at school). You can even explore some things together, if your kids are interested at doing something you never did before.
In families that can live on one income, the other partner is similarly free to explore the world (while the kids are at school, or with them). I know a stay-at-home mom who started a successful online business.
Success raises the degree to which you can explore without wrecking the stable environment you’ve built; it also raises the bar for what you consider exploration. A waiter with two kids might dream of backpacking across Mexico but be too tied down to do it; an executive could easily afford a family vacation in Mexico but would dream of something larger that he’s too tied down to do (start his own company, learn to code well, become a doctor, whatever).