Are We Too Harsh on Young People Who Achieve Early Success?

 

Are We Too Harsh on Young People Who Achieve Early Success?

A 23-year-old guy gets slammed for driving a luxury car. A girl not yet 20 faces ridicule for speaking about sadness. A young person pulling their game from the market is deemed "lacking courage," even though their silence is precisely how they save themselves from a wildly shouting crowd.

Who are they? Does it even matter? What matters is that these things keep happening, every single day.

And the question is: Are we being too harsh on young people who achieve early success?

 Why is early success so often met with suspicion?

Why is it that as soon as a young person gains fame, they're hit with questions like, "Do they have connections?", "It's probably just luck, right?", or "If they're really talented, how long can it last?"

Why does society assume that talent must come with age, and that achievements are only credible after long, hard struggles?

Perhaps, deep within that harshness lies insecurity. We — the adults — feel threatened by a generation that seems to be moving faster, stronger. And because of that, we cast suspicious glances their way, sometimes just to protect our own self-esteem.

But few realize that behind that early success are hours of loneliness, quiet stumbles, and "stone-throwing" incidents they're not experienced enough to defend against.

Success doesn't come with a timer. Extraordinary ability doesn't wait until age 30 to appear. If a young person is skilled enough to shake up the market, stir the art world, or lead a community — then perhaps, what we should do isn't to doubt them, but to genuinely learn from them.

Is harshness a necessary "test"?

Is it true that young people will have an "inflated ego" if they aren't challenged? Is it possible that too-early success easily makes them think they're invincible? And if no one warns them, no one scrutinizes them, will they truly mature?

Success is a double-edged sword. It's sharp, but it doesn't teach you how to hold the knife. Young people sometimes need "real-world bumps" to learn how to carry themselves.

Society's harsh reactions — if appropriate and constructive — can sometimes be the necessary mirror for them to reflect on themselves and slow down.

But a "test" shouldn't be poison. If criticism turns into disparagement, if doubt transforms into verbal abuse, then we're not helping them grow — we're pushing them down. Challenges should make young people stronger, not shatter them right at the starting line.

What do we need to change in how we view successful young people?

Why do we automatically assume that young people "haven't matured enough"? Why does creativity have to wait for age to be heard?

Perhaps society is applying an outdated standard to a generation that has followed an entirely new trajectory?

Young people today are growing up in a high-speed world, where they are forced to adapt, be flexible, and develop faster than previous generations.

They don't choose when they shine. They're just doing their best with the abilities and inspiration burning within them. And that, ideally, should be welcomed — not censored.

We need to shift from judgment to understanding, from doubt to guidance, from scrutiny to dialogue. Because: If a society doesn't know how to encourage young talent, then it's missing out on its own future.

 Let Young People Shine in Their Own Way

Maturity isn't about age, but about the ability to take responsibility for one's choices. And young people — if brave enough to step into the spotlight of early success — also deserve trust, kindness, and space to continue learning.

Because who knows, our trust today might just create a stronger, kinder, and more profound generation tomorrow.

If you are a young person experiencing success — don't bow down to prejudice.

If you are an adult observing — give them what you also once hoped for when you started: fairness and a generous perspective.