As we age we become more risk averse. Instead of challenging rules, we lean into them. Instead of questioning them, we comply with social norms. We may not like our career path or our job, but we like the money and/or stability that it brings. So, we begin to settle. We become complacent. We trade in adventure, risk and what we want for what we need: a four-door sedan, a three-bedroom house and three square meals a day.
And it makes sense, because adventure is tiresome and scary. You have to be more conscious of where you place that energy as it becomes more scarce as your responsibilities carry more weight.