You know, the 20-somethings that drop out of school, move back in with their folks and refuse to let good work habits get in the way of their lives?

“There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood.

During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another.”

Why is this, you wonder? NYT columnist David Brooks takes pretty good run at explaining what makes them tick (so slowly). You might have to create a free account to login and read the full piece but it’s an interesting read. [via Grow Learfield]