At twenty-five, the fear of an ordinary life often runs louder than any other fear. What the fear is actually protecting againstThe fear of being ordinary at twenty-five is often described as ambition. An ordinary life, by contrast, would mean the rehearsal was for nothing in particular. The people who describe being quietly relieved they were ordinary are rarely describing a life without ambition. The younger self needs the fear because the identity question is still open and any early closure feels like defeat.