At twenty-two, I watched father struggle filling forms, asking my help. The man who knew everything in childhood now Googles “how to file tax returns.” My worldview collapsed.

Childhood mythology made parents omniscient beings possessing infinite wisdom, unlimited problem-solving capacity. Every “why?” had ready answers. Actually, they were sophisticated actors improvising brilliantly.

Our parental illusion runs so deep this realization traumatizes. We discover they were more clueless at our age. All major life decisions—school, career, marriage—they guided through educated guesses.

Most unsettling discovery: they parented without manuals. Every decision was experiment. Our upbringing was massive trial-and-error project.

This recognition shakes existential foundations. If ultimate authorities don’t know, who does? This births adult anxiety—realizing safety nets were illusion.

Perhaps maturity begins accepting authority as performance. Everyone improvises; nobody got scripts. This shared ignorance defines human condition’s core.