Should your twenties be dedicated to curiosity or commitment?

My favorite book from the past year is Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. It’s a fictional novel based on real events, chronicling the author’s escape from an Australian prison and his search for refuge in the chaotic city of Bombay (Mumbai), India.

Whether readers admire or question the protagonist for his murky ethics and criminal lifestyle, one thing is almost universally agreed upon: the beauty of his words. His one-liners will have you saying “write that down” unironically—over and over again.

One line, in particular, struck me:

I paused, recognizing how much I could relate.

In my early twenties, a friend once told me how much she admired my endless curiosity. I beamed because I knew it was unequivocally true. I always ask one more question. I always seek to understand both sides of a debate.

But then, I think about the success stories we often hear—of people who commit early on. They’re the ones who pick a field, a mission, or a passion in their youth and never look back. These are the brain surgeons who dedicate their entire careers to one field. The athletes who master a single sport until they dominate their generation. They eat, sleep, and breathe commitment.

For me, I’ve embraced both curiosity and commitment—just at different stages.

From ages 2 to 17, I was a competitive gymnast. Gymnastics wasn’t just a sport for me; it was an identity. I spent nearly all my free time training, competing, and building lifelong friendships with teammates. This single-minded focus gave me a deep-rooted confidence—something crucial during anxious teenage years.

But when I stopped gymnastics at 17, a whole new world opened up. With free time came an insatiable hunger to explore. My curiosity intensified. I traveled internationally for the first time exploring Croatia and the UK with family, took advantage of free or inexpensive student group trips to China and Israel, and enrolled in a study abroad program that took me to Australia and decided to take a side quest to New Zealand. My curiosity was not satisfied, it only grew.

In the past four years since graduation, I’ve prioritized long-term, slow travel—balancing remote work with the desire to fully immerse myself in new places and cultures.

But there’s a trade-off. For every moment spent exploring a new city, I miss out on the comfort of staying put. On building deeper connections with a local community, investing time and money into a home, experiencing the changing of seasons, or nurturing close friendships that grow stronger with time.

So, when I read the quote, “interested in everything and committed to nothing,” it resonated deeply. I find myself always wanting to see the next best destination. But I also reminded myself that my mid-twenties are about trial and error. Zooming out, in fact, for all people in their mid-twenties, that’s the beauty of this phase of life: we’re allowed to be curious.

There’s a benefit to both commitment - repetition, discipline, direction - and curiosity - exploration, adventure, creativity. Ultimately, however, I believe our twenties should be about curiosity first, mixed with reflection.

Take chances, fail quickly, and learn from your mistakes. Reflect on those experiences to uncover your true values and passions. This process will naturally lead you to your commitments.

So, should your twenties be dedicated to curiosity or commitment? First and foremost, curiosity. Reflection will guide you to your commitments.