Millennials had some rather strong opinions growing up. They were the generation who grew up writing AIM messages and obsessing over their MySpace Top 8. But somewhere between reality checks and student loan payments, many of their beliefs disappeared. Here are seventeen beliefs they mostly abandoned. Which of these did you use to believe like it was gospel?
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If You Follow the Rules, You’ll Be Rewarded
Millennials didn’t question the rules much. They believed in doing their homework and saying the right things so that good things would eventually come. For a while, it felt like it might work. Then they watched people who cheated or just got lucky skip to the front while the “rule followers” were stuck grinding with nothing to show for it. No wonder they stopped believing.
You’ll Definitely Have One Career for Life
On career day in high school, the idea was that you should pick a job and stick with it for 40 years before getting a gold watch. But nope. The Great Recession and entire industries changing overnight meant that this plan didn’t pan out. Millennials are more likely to say they worked in marketing, but now code and freelance on weekends.
Loyalty to a Brand Means Something
Once upon a time, Millennials were ride or die for brands like Hollister or Vans because if you had the logo, you were legit. It’s not that way anymore. Most people in this generation will check prices and read 100 Amazon reviews before buying the dupe version. After all, it’s basically the same thing. That brand loyalty has disappeared entirely.
You’ll Meet People Naturally After College
A lot of Millennials assumed adult friendships would fall into place like they’d one day simply stumble into a brunch group or some magical friend circle at work. However, it turns out that making friends post-college is a lot like dating. You have to try, whether it’s through apps or events. It takes a lot of effort now.
Success Means a Fancy Job Title
Once, being called “Associate Director of Regional Operations” sounded like winning, but experiencing burnout and meaningless meetings put an end to that. Many Millennials realized that titles don’t always mean better pay or less stress. They’d rather have a more relaxing job with a better work-life balance, as it’s a much greater win than “VP of Whatever.”
Having Kids is the Natural Next Step
For a long time, the plan was to have kids by a certain age because that’s just what adults did. However, these days, a lot of Millennials are choosing not to, often because of the cost or climate fears. Some of them just want their freedom. Either way, that “next step” isn’t so automatic anymore, and the idea that you must have kids doesn’t seem right.
Your 30s Are Old
As teens, 30 felt ancient because that was the time when you’d have a mortgage and go to bed early. Then, Millennials actually hit 30 and were still wearing graphic tees as they tried to figure things out. The truth is that your 30s aren’t old. They’re just your 20s with slightly better skincare and a little more money for takeout.
You’re Supposed to Feel Like An Adult By 25
Likewise, many Millennials believed the idea that some invisible switch flips in your head at age 25. They thought they’d wake up one morning suddenly craving life insurance and green smoothies. Instead, most of them hit that age and still felt like kids who just happened to pay taxes now, which led to them abandoning this belief.
Your Apartment Should Look “Adult” Right Away
At some point, having a “grown-up” apartment involved buying matching towels and hanging abstract art while also pretending you care about thread count. Millennials leaned into it hard at first, mostly because they thought they were supposed to. Eventually, though, they realized that no one cares if your mugs match, and as long as you like it, you’re good.
You Have to Settle Down In One City
Millennials once thought that adulthood involved picking one city and building a life there, so they tried to find their place and lock it down. But rent spikes and remote jobs led to that idea no longer making sense. They’d rather stay flexible because it feels more stable. Some bounce around every year, while others live where they can afford groceries.
Life Will Look Like Your Parents’ Life
A lot of Millennials went into adulthood thinking they’d have the same structure their parents had, with a steady job, mortgage, two kids, and a backyard. Then, they realized that version of life was based on a completely different economy and timeline. As a result, their plans shifted. They realized what used to feel like the only path turned out to be one option, not the rule.
Buying a House is Always Smarter Than Renting
Millennials were fed the line that renting was money down the drain, and if you didn’t buy, you were doing it wrong. However, a quick glance at interest rates and the size of down payments changed that idea very quickly. They stopped looking at renting like a mistake and started looking at it as a form of freedom, so they quit apologizing for it.
You Have to Figure Everything Out By a Certain Age
There used to be this pressure to “have it all together” by a certain point, almost like there was a checklist you had to complete by 30. But real life doesn’t come with one. People started careers late and changed their minds, sometimes moving backward before going forward. There isn’t a single schedule because life doesn’t really care how old you are when you get it together.
Being ‘Well-Rounded’ Makes You Successful
School made it sound like you had to be good at everything to get anywhere, whether that was math, sports, music, or public speaking. As such, Millennials filled their time with extracurriculars and burnout. But they soon came to the realization that no one hires you for being pretty good at eight things, and it’s much better to lean into one thing you’re good at.
Life Should Follow a Linear Progression
Most Millennials were raised on the idea that life would happen in a specific order, with each step being a reward for the last. School. Job. Marriage. House. Kids. Repeat. Then everything went sideways. Eventually, they let go of the idea that they were behind just because they did things out of order, and life became more about figuring it out when they could.
There’s One Right Way to Be an Adult
Every generation has an idea of the “real adult” routine, like grocery shopping on Sundays or caring a lot about taxes. Millennials really tried to live up to that image for a while, but they later stopped trying to fake it. There’s no official stamp that says you’re doing it right or that being an adult involves a specific set of criteria.
If You’re Not Working, You’re Wasting Time
This generation learned early on that they should use every minute to be productive and constantly do more. Free time? That feels like failure unless it involves side hustles or self-improvement. But that constant pressure burned this generation out, so Millennials decided to give themselves permission to turn off their brains without apologizing for it.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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