'Most people I've known peaked somewhere between 25 and 30': Youngsters debate whether your 20s or 30s are your true prime

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

Apr 21, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Ever since I was a teenager, I've been afraid of "peaking." The idea of reaching a point where you feel like "everything's downhill from here" was and still is terrifying. I remember being in the car with my high school girlfriend's dad, and we talked about peaking in high school. I mentioned not wanting to peak in college (because I clearly wasn't peaking in high school), and he said, "Well, you've got to peak sometime." That sentence still sends a chill down my spine.

Even if I don't 100% buy into the idea of "peaking" and "being in your one and only prime," that doesn't mean others don't. I know so many people in their twenties who are frantically wondering, "Is this as good as it gets?" Luckily, there are many people in their thirties sharing the good news that life does not end after 29, and in fact, it gets better.