Why We Keep Seeing 30 Under 30 Lists

Summary

The author critiques the prevalence of "30 under 30" lists, advocating for "40 over 40" or "50 over 50" lists to provide inspiration without the pressure of youth-centric achievement benchmarks.

Abstract

The article expresses the author's skepticism towards the widespread "30 under 30" lists that celebrate young achievers, suggesting that these lists may inadvertently pressure individuals to succeed by a certain age, potentially leading to feelings of inadequacy among readers who are past the age threshold. The author argues that lists celebrating achievements at later stages in life, such as "40 over 40" or "50 over 50," would be more inspiring, emphasizing that it's never too late to achieve one's goals and offering a more inclusive and less stress-inducing form of recognition.

Opinions

The author feels that "30 under 30" lists create undue pressure on both the individuals listed and the readers who compare themselves to these young achievers.
These lists are perceived as not beneficial to the author or others who feel demotivated rather than inspired by them.
The author believes that achieving success later in life is often overlooked and that celebrating such achievements could be more motivating for the majority.
A "40 over 40" or "50 over 50" list is proposed as a way to encourage people that there is still time to pursue and achieve their goals, regardless of age.
The author does not intend to diminish the accomplishments of young individuals but rather seeks to highlight the value of recognizing success at any age.

When a 40 over 40 list would be far more inspiring

As far as I remember, I’ve never been a fan of 30 under 30, 40 under 40 genius people lists. But I see them everywhere. I could never understand who benefits from these lists. I still don’t get it.

These lists are supposed to be an appreciation for exceptionally brilliant minds. Even though I’ve never been a part of any such list, I still feel how much pressurizing these lists could be — for both the achievers and the readers. It labels them as geniuses who everyone considers the master in everything they do. I’m not sure how much these lists help these achievers in their future achievements with so much pressure to perform.

The other reason for sharing these lists could be to motivate others. As I belong to this ‘other’ category, I can certify that I have never been inspired by these lists. If anything, I feel useless and depressed on seeing such lists. If it’s about an age I’ve already crossed, I feel like a loser. And if it’s an age I am approaching, I feel stressed by the sheer realization that I am nowhere near these geniuses.

I do, however, see many ways in which a 40 over 40 or a 50 over 50 list could inspire people to see that it’s still not over. There is still time to achieve your goals, don’t lose hope. So why don’t we share more of these lists?

I don’t mean to undermine the success of young achievers in any way. But that’s an unnecessary benchmark for people like me. We need a more relaxed list — a list of people who achieved good things later in life. A 50 above 50 list sounds so much better to me in terms of inspiration and motivation.