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I’m a big fan of James S. A. Corey’s Expanse series. Some of the best narratives and insights appear in the side-quest novellas.
In the Auberon novella, one of the two main characters suffers an emotional break. He has to confront the fact that what he wants in his heart contradicts the duties he’s sworn to uphold. In response, the other main character shares the value of experience in a brief monologue that continues to stick with me.
“There's this thing when you get older, where you have to make a choice. Everyone does.
You have to decide whether you care more about being your best self or your real one. If you're more loyal to who you ought to be or who you really are.”
As I get older and sport a grayer beard, I get more requests from people who are trying to figure out their lives. I’ve shared this with them, hoping they’ll find it as helpful as I do.
