The Systemic Failure of Adulthood

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Sally Kohn: If everyone in a generation is saying that they're really struggling with how to enter this next phase of what it means to be an adult, that's not an individual problem. She says we have crafted an American society where wages and salaries have not kept up with the cost of living. Kohn: Another societal macro thing is how a lot of young people were raised. But guess what? You are powerful and you can figure this out.

Whether it’s grades and test scores, cushy jobs or big salaries, our ideas of “success” tend to be incredibly narrow and often start incredibly early. Julie Lythcott-Haims is a New York Times bestselling author and former Dean of Freshmen at Stanford, and she is dedicated to helping people reconsider what really makes a happy, “successful” adult. Julie shares wisdom for parents and anyone who has been parented on why it’s crucial to question societal expectations, how to find your own path and why empathy towards yourself and others are the true key to loving who you’ll grow up to be. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts