Sixteen-year-old me declared “I’ll never be system’s slave.” Now I fill Excel sheets in office cubicles. The boy who swore “never compromise authenticity” now gives clients false smiles.

My teenage self would say: “You sold out.” But I know it’s more complicated. I didn’t betray—I evolved. Or is that rationalization?

Adolescent consciousness trapped us in binary thinking: black or white, pure or corrupt, authentic or fake. Adult life exists in grey zones where compromise becomes survival strategy, not moral failure.

Most haunting realization: my teenage dreams weren’t naive—they were impossible. Instead of changing the world, world changed me. Idealistic fire died in pragmatic calculations.

Yet does this transformation only bring loss? My teenage arrogance existed without empathy. I thought others compromised from weakness. Now I understand they were responsible.

Perhaps mature acknowledgment: I disappointed my teenage self, but his expectations were unrealistic. Real heroism lies in maintaining dignity amid daily compromises.

But one fear persists—am I rationalizing adaptation or experiencing genuine growth? Is my pragmatism wisdom or defeat?