The Proximity Problem: Why Your Twenties Feel Uniquely Unstable

This essay reframes generational anxiety not as evidence that the world is uniquely broken, but as the inevitable result of bearing responsibility during uncertain times. Previous generations faced equal instability—financial collapses, market crashes, technological upheaval—but didn't experience it while responsible for their careers and livelihoods. For young professionals navigating rapid AI adoption and career volatility, the insight matters because it shifts the narrative from personal failure to structural reality: instability isn't new, but your front-row seat to it is.