[webkike]

I think there are some arguments here to be made about the development of the prefrontal cortex. You may not be as “intelligent” as someone who is 17, but if you’re over the age of 25 your decision making capabilities are likely much much better.

There’s a lot of evidence to support this. I will present my own anecdotal evidence because hacker news loves that stuff. I acutely felt my decision making improve a few months before I turned twenty five. It hit me like a wave, and reflecting on my past decisions felt like looking at the actions of a completely different person. If I were in different, more difficult positions when I was younger, it is unlikely that my decisions would be as rationally thought out as they would be now.

[chrononaut]

> I acutely felt my decision making improve a few months before I turned twenty five. It hit me like a wave, and reflecting on my past decisions felt like looking at the actions of a completely different person.

I don't know if this actually exists, but I experienced something similar: Starting at around 17 I decided to ask myself at every birthday whether I thought I was more mature as a person than the year before, which I think relates to proper and holistic decision making. I kept saying "yes" to this question until I was 24.