The average man’s brain isn’t fully developed until age 25. The last part to develop is our frontal lobes. That’s the part of the brain most responsible for long term thinking. It’s what causes us to stop being quite as reckless, to not be quite as “high risk, high reward” as we were.
As a Marine, I have always been in the awe of the reckless bravery displayed by 18-25 year old E-1s to E-5s and lieutenants. But the steady, resolute courage of the staff non-commissioned officers, CWOs, and captains is more worthy of respect. A man who thinks he is invincible and immortal can do some crazy things, but a man who knows he is neither invincible nor immortal is more worthy of deep respect. An E-7 on his fifth combat deployment (or more) is an amazing man. And the backbone of armies.
There’s nothing wrong about thinking about the consequences of your actions. It’s part of being a grownup. I’d still go on the hunt, but I perfectly understand the reluctance.
Age 25 is also when the brain develops the "sense of consequence", probably related to the frontal lobes you're mentioning. It's literally why you can't rent a car until age 25 though. The accident rates and insurance table data all line up on that being the age of someone acting more like an actual adult with a sense of consequences, and being a safer human being.
@43.6N , the stuff that gets to me isn't the grit of not quitting. I actually believe that, especially post-service, the "never quit" values actually get people into far more trouble than is appreciated. There absolutely is a time to course-correct and pursue a different path. That's not the same as quitting though. "Quitting" is more related to psyching yourself out, or not being willing to endure an endurable discomfort. Unfortunately, the body can generally handle far more than the mind believes, until pushed way past limiting beliefs - but it generally takes being pushed that far (by outside forces) to know those weren't actually barriers. So the more you push past perceived barriers, especially when young, the more you realize people quit far short of what they - and you - were actually capable of.
But all that - that's not what gets at me in trying to determine when I should quit. Having a long past of going way the hell beyond smart, and getting the victories because of that, at least gives the foundation of knowing it's not a grit issue for me when looking at that decision.
What troubles me is trying to discern when those nagging feelings are actually my subconscious giving danger warnings my conscious mind hasn't recognized enough yet. And, trying to discern when my mid-20s endurance mindset is pushing my middle-aged body farther than is literally safe. That's happened a couple of times the last few years, in a way that sneaks up on you. That's the stuff that's troublesome.
Other than being in shape through regular, daily fitness, and knowing your capabilities, the grit vs quit question can be helped by laying out a set of if/then guidelines for yourself, and making decisions based on that. "If X happens, I'll turn around/stay in, etc, regardless of how my body feels" types of things. This is an exercise of thinking ahead and thinking it through.
"What will my policy be on weather?"
"What's my maximum distance from the cabin/truck/SxS for shooting a buck/elk, etc, given I'll have to pack it out by myself?"
"How do grizzly impact my willingness to shoot or quarter out an animal as the sun gets lower?"
A million questions like this - with answers already decided, based on the ultimate goal of having a successful hunt where you get home to your family, safe and sound.
