from a dream
Who am I? What is my purpose? What is real? Is this all there is?
Interviewer: How do existential questions land differently in your 30s and 40s?
Me: In your 30s you're really cavalier with your responses. "Who's asking?" "I don't have time for this." "I don't know, you tell me." All the bold flippancy of an anonymous account in the comment section.
In your 40s, you realize in a panic, "OMG, this is ACTUALLY a test." A timed one at that. In your 40s, you break into a sweat and get to it.