I agree with the author's view. For the lack of better words, I think the author intends to imply that the struggle to learn new skills in the 20's is what leads to a successful later life. In the 20's you can take a lot of chances, risk misfires and learn from it. A personal cognitive pattern recognition for problem solving emerges from these struggles to learn new things. This pattern recognition when applied later in life with maturity and deep thought result in successful decisions. Please don't make ageism such a taboo. For example I have never heard or seen anyone applying ageism to children and old men. Ageism has a lot to do with biological growth than social apartheid.