Growing Pains

Mark Twain, George Washington, and Stephen Sondheim understood

Scott Monty

Dec 03, 2021

∙ Paid

The last painting in Thomas Cole's series "The Voyage of Life," this one, titled “Old Age,” shows how the stream of life has reached the ocean of eternity where the voyager floats aboard his broken, weathered vessel. All signs of nature and “corporeal existence” are cast aside. The guardian angel, whom he sees for the first time, directs his gaze toward a beckoning, soft light emerging from the parting clouds—the vision of eternal life. — *The Voyage of Life: Old Age* by Thomas Cole, 1842 (public domain - Wikipedia)

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

“All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” ― Ellen Glasgow

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

I’m going to warn you right now, at the beginning of today’s essay, that I’m going to grow your inbox. There are two newsletters I’ll recommend today.

But that’s not the kind of growing pain I want to talk with you about.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Did you ever have growing pains as a kid? Joints sore, tired all the time, constant moodiness. It’s inconvenient, right?

That may be so, but it’s also a part of life—part of growing up.

Is there any kind of growth that comes without pain?

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

Some people go through life with nothing but success, buffeted not by failures, setbacks, or traumas, but buoyed by an unrealistic assessment of their abilities and the good fortune to have been born at the right time, in the right place, or of the right class.

I would argue that their development—while a progression of sorts—isn’t growth at all. Growth ought to require self-realization…

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Timeless & Timely to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.