Nonfiction

Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood

Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood

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  • Create Date：2022-09-07 06:52:53
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Satya Doyle Byock
  • ISBN：0525511660
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Summary

An innovative psychotherapist tackles the overlooked stage of Quarterlife--the years between adolescence and midlife--and provides a "fascinating" guide "on how to navigate and thrive--rather than just survive--these odd years" （PureWow）。

"Quarterlife is an insightful， revealing look at the messy and uncharted paths to wholeness， and a powerful tool for anyone navigating early adulthood。"--Tembi Locke， New York Times bestselling author of From Scratch

I'm stuck。 What's wrong with me？ Is this all there is？ Satya Doyle Byock hears these refrains regularly in her psychotherapy practice where she works with "Quarterlifers，" individuals between the ages of （roughly） sixteen to thirty-six。 She understands their frustration。 Some clients have done everything "right" graduate， get a job， meet a partner。 Yet they are unfulfilled and unclear on what to do next。 Byock calls these Quarterlifers "Stability Types。" Others are uninterested in this prescribed path， but feel unmoored。 She refers to them as "Meaning Types。"

While society is quick to label the emotions and behavior of this age group as generational traits， Byock sees things differently。 She believes these struggles are part of the developmental journey of Quarterlife， a distinct stage that every person goes through and which has been virtually ignored by popular culture and psychology。

In Quarterlife， Byock utilizes personal storytelling， mythology， Jungian psychology， pop culture， literature， and client case studies to provide guideposts for this period of life。 Readers will be able to find themselves on the spectrum between Stability and Meaning Types， and engage with Byock's four pillars of Quarterlife development:
- Separate: Gain independence from the relationships and expectations that no longer serve you
- Listen: Pay close attention to your own wants and needs
- Build: Create， cultivate， and construct tools and practices for the life you want
- Integrate: Take what you've learned and manifest something new

Quarterlife is a defining work that offers a compassionate roadmap toward finding understanding， happiness， and wholeness in adulthood。

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Reviews

Jon Ross ，

The theory of Quarterlife has the potential to change the world。 The mapless space many of us encounter in our lives between adolescence and midlife is a space that capitalism， corporatism， white supremacy， heteronormativity， and the gender binary are all too happy to colonize， extracting our labor， our energy， our creativity。 Carl Jung himself seemed resigned to this， emphasizing Midlife， after we've built stable lives （if we should be so lucky） as the time to reconnect with our souls， our mean The theory of Quarterlife has the potential to change the world。 The mapless space many of us encounter in our lives between adolescence and midlife is a space that capitalism， corporatism， white supremacy， heteronormativity， and the gender binary are all too happy to colonize， extracting our labor， our energy， our creativity。 Carl Jung himself seemed resigned to this， emphasizing Midlife， after we've built stable lives （if we should be so lucky） as the time to reconnect with our souls， our meaning， our unique purpose。 But why should we wait to make that connection， all the while playing our part in an Earth-killing machine？ This slim book is a quick and easy read， yet it rewards close attention with surprising depths of insight。 Rather than explicitly invoking the Jungian theory that underwrites the author's training， it instead depicts Jungian practice at its best， with an approach that is attentive to the bodies and souls of young people， not only to the symptoms and pathologies that might be medicated。 Readers who also study Jung， meanwhile， are sure to hear how this work converses with his， and to sense the alchemical process that gives the theory its shape。 There are resonances with somatic and existential practices， and even subtle nods to the usefulness of esoterica like astrology and the I Ching。 How I wish I'd read this book as a Quarterlifer！ Yet even in my 50s I find it an invaluable guide to balancing my inner and outer lives， understanding my need for both meaning and stability， and navigating the continuous process of renewal through steps of Separating， Listening， Building， and Integrating。 It also helps me understand better the trials of the younger people in my life and hopefully be a better ally。 I hope and believe it's message could genuinely transform society if it takes hold in Gen Z and beyond。 。。。more

Sydney ，

Loved it as a therapist and as a quarterlifer 💗 really helpful information， heartfelt and research based insight， and tangible skills and lessons taught。

Britt Jacobson ，

This should be mandatory reading for everyone in this age group。

Glo ，

really good for getting the brain juices flowing but once i thought about it more after a couple weeks it actually doesn't have that much content ？ my takeaways were only a feeling of whoa cool and validating my current position but no actual concrete thoughts or changes I'll make really good for getting the brain juices flowing but once i thought about it more after a couple weeks it actually doesn't have that much content ？ my takeaways were only a feeling of whoa cool and validating my current position but no actual concrete thoughts or changes I'll make 。。。more

Nazli Rahmanian ，

I LOVE THIS BOOK！ I read it and then i felt i was not done with it so i started the audiobook the next day！ There is so much deep wisdom that Satya Doyle Byock offers in this book with beauty and simplicity。 This books is not a complicated and hard to understand philosophical text but a down to earth。 honest and beautifully written exploration of human condition， going through the most formative and challenging time of life。 Not the midlife， but the Quarterlife。 As i read the book i thought of t I LOVE THIS BOOK！ I read it and then i felt i was not done with it so i started the audiobook the next day！ There is so much deep wisdom that Satya Doyle Byock offers in this book with beauty and simplicity。 This books is not a complicated and hard to understand philosophical text but a down to earth。 honest and beautifully written exploration of human condition， going through the most formative and challenging time of life。 Not the midlife， but the Quarterlife。 As i read the book i thought of the beloved quarterlifers in my own life and the struggles I witness them go through and felt that this book can make a real difference in their lives。 I thought of my own quarterlife and of my life now and I felt seen and acknowledged and helped。 Both by the loving way Doyle Byock simply witnesses everyone on the spectrum of "Stability and Meaning" and by many tools hidden in the stories she shares from her own life and clinical experience。 If you are a quarterlifer or friend， parent or grandparent of a quarterlifer， read this book！ Read it and you will know you （or your loved one） are not alone in your struggles， that you are not crazy， that you can learn more about where your feelings and actions are rooted and use this knowledge and existing tools to achieve your own unique balance of stability and meaning that your unique soul requires。 Life is not easy， especially as the society becomes darker and less attentive to struggles of "the other"。 But this book speaks of a path， unique to everyone of us， a path that if we walk loyally， it will transforms us and bring meaning and joy to our life while helping us find the level of stability that allows us bring our gifts into this life。 I ordered several copies with some quarterlifer friends or parents of quarterlifers in mind。 I have now given all the books away and most have gone to people who unexpectedly shared something that made me think this book is for them。 I have ordered more copies but it seems this book has a mind of her own and is bringing those who need it into its sphere！ Thank you Satya Doyle Byock for writing this beautiful and life changing book！ 。。。more

Madison ，

Fantastic。 For fans of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” and “The Defining Decade”。“Sometimes， encouraging Quarterlifers to embrace art practices or other forms of creative exploration can help unearth these revelations。 Other times， mystical and divinatory practices prove beneficial too”“。。I’d yet to hear anything approaching joy from him， or even a genuine desire for something other achievement or acknowledgment。 More often than not， this is the kind of desire that the dominant culture encour Fantastic。 For fans of “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” and “The Defining Decade”。“Sometimes， encouraging Quarterlifers to embrace art practices or other forms of creative exploration can help unearth these revelations。 Other times， mystical and divinatory practices prove beneficial too”“。。I’d yet to hear anything approaching joy from him， or even a genuine desire for something other achievement or acknowledgment。 More often than not， this is the kind of desire that the dominant culture encourages: Achievement over satisfaction。 Acquisition over intimacy or connection。 A checklist of conceptual goals that are based on social expectations more than true personal well-being” “Stability types need to engage deeply with their self-exploration and questions of individual meaning: What brings them， specifically and uniquely， a sense of aliveness and purpose， no matter how threatening it is to the status quo？”“In the end， the memories could make her stronger。 This was psychology alchemy: transforming the chaos of her childhood into her creative and emotional gold。 It wasn’t work to be romanticized。 But it was powerful when it unfolded。”“So he needed to understand that the focus on consistency and stability， however mundane it might feel， could be oriented toward manifesting his own life， not just society’s expectations for him to perform for the economy and survive” “There were plenty of days and evenings that felt painful。 And endless slog。 But he kept trying。 This return to the work， even when he desperately wanted to give up， was key。 He was building his own resilience through devotion， and he began to feel an instinctual love at sitting at his desk， regardless of how productive he ended up being。 By showing up to write， even when he felt anxious， he was proving himself to himself” “Building structure can make the difference between a stressful life and joyful one”“… at some point， meaning has to become the core focus。 If stability remains the focus of one’s life long after daily survival has been achieved， life is likely to start to feel empty sooner than later” “She’d learned to subtly notice what she needed， rather than always leaning into the needs of others in order to avoid rejection。 She’d learned to say no- or， at least， she was practicing。 And she’d also learned how much alone time she actually required” “… conscious work to separate from their pasts， listen to themselves， build their lives in Quarterlife， and integrate stability and meaning…”“Traumatized Quarterlifers are everywhere。 Even when a person is spared trauma， a lifetime in school with an emphasis on left-brain learning and high stress competition， combined with regular if not constant relationship to digital devices， can dissociate a person from their physical body， as well as any experience of their inner life and imagination” “To alive is to be embodied。 To be embodied Is to struggle and thrive and struggle and thrive。 This inherent oscillation is our birthright。 Our charter is to learn how to ride the changes， become our fullest selves， create， and love” 。。。more

Eli ，

3。5 stars for how much I enjoyed it， but 5 stars for effortVery well-researched and written， but I was a little bored outside of the stories of four of her clients。 Even then， I don't know that I really got her point through the stories。 But either way， they were entertaining。 3。5 stars for how much I enjoyed it， but 5 stars for effortVery well-researched and written， but I was a little bored outside of the stories of four of her clients。 Even then， I don't know that I really got her point through the stories。 But either way， they were entertaining。 。。。more

Jennifer Heckman ，

📚Book 33: Quarter-life: The search for self in early adulthood by Satya Doyle Byock 💬Reader’s digest version: we hear about the mid-life crises all the time， but most seem to overlook the tumult of quarter life。 Satya Doyle Byock does a beautiful job of describing the struggles faced by young adults in their twenties and early thirties。 🏃🏻‍♀️My Take: While I’m teetering on the edge of middle life myself， this book resonated deeply with me。 In early adulthood， I struggled greatly between the need 📚Book 33: Quarter-life: The search for self in early adulthood by Satya Doyle Byock 💬Reader’s digest version: we hear about the mid-life crises all the time， but most seem to overlook the tumult of quarter life。 Satya Doyle Byock does a beautiful job of describing the struggles faced by young adults in their twenties and early thirties。 🏃🏻‍♀️My Take: While I’m teetering on the edge of middle life myself， this book resonated deeply with me。 In early adulthood， I struggled greatly between the need for stability and also the desire to find meaning in my life。 These two needs often conflicted with one another and caused me great inner turmoil。 Satya Doyle Byock uses her years of experience in psychotherapy to aptly describe and prescribe ways to find balance in quarter life。 My early 20s self would have greatly benefited from this book。 🙏🏻Big thanks to @netgalley and @atrandombooks for the Arc。 This book hit shelves on July 26th。 I definitely recommend checking it out！⭐️my rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5………#quarterlife #quarterlifecrisis #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #selfhelp #readersofinstagram #readersofig #readersofinsta #advancedreaderscopy #ereader #ebooks #kindle #bibliophile #randomhouse 。。。more

Margarita ，

I really liked the concept but overall wished there was more advice on how to implement the four pillars that are core to the author's framework for navigating Quarterlife。 I really liked the concept but overall wished there was more advice on how to implement the four pillars that are core to the author's framework for navigating Quarterlife。 。。。more

Michelle Qiu ，

it’s 4 case studies of young people trying to figure out who they are and had less “facts” than what i was expecting。 still， the topics she brings up are useful to think about when considering how to find meaning in life。

Jenny Montgomery ，

A subtle and engaging presentation of applied Jungian psychotherapy with young adults which explores territory others don’t。 Byock’s sharp critique of the social and economic obstacles faced by quarterlifers doesn’t detract from her compassionate insistence that they can and should work to craft lives of meaning and substance from the outset of adult life。 Her case studies are poignant and recognizable—from the overachieving box-checker who has lost her soul to the dropout， addicted gamer who th A subtle and engaging presentation of applied Jungian psychotherapy with young adults which explores territory others don’t。 Byock’s sharp critique of the social and economic obstacles faced by quarterlifers doesn’t detract from her compassionate insistence that they can and should work to craft lives of meaning and substance from the outset of adult life。 Her case studies are poignant and recognizable—from the overachieving box-checker who has lost her soul to the dropout， addicted gamer who thinks of suicide。 She speaks helpfully about how one cultivates the skill of listening to the unconscious and following the path of individuation without obfuscatory Jungian jargon。 Tracing Byock’s clients’ paths to greater wholeness through her creative choice of modalities （from drawing inner subpersonalities to trauma-informed embodiment work to defusing fear of basic money management with a highlighter and a bank statement） was a pleasure and an inspiration。 A book for parents， therapists， healing professionals， teens， twenty- and thirty-somethings， and beyond。 。。。more

Will Heff ，

As someone kinda going thru it right now， I found this book helpful in the way she tells us how to listen to yourself and figure out what you need， and go from there。 There were definitely useful methods explored in the examples in each chapter， but I wish she went into more detail about what to do。 She just shows the four people going through the pillar has a conclusion paragraph and moves on。 I want more haha。 Anyways despite it feeling a little lacking I did get some good pointers out of this As someone kinda going thru it right now， I found this book helpful in the way she tells us how to listen to yourself and figure out what you need， and go from there。 There were definitely useful methods explored in the examples in each chapter， but I wish she went into more detail about what to do。 She just shows the four people going through the pillar has a conclusion paragraph and moves on。 I want more haha。 Anyways despite it feeling a little lacking I did get some good pointers out of this book。 It ain’t gonna change your life but it will help show you how to get back on the saddle。 Oh also the conclusion chapter was so disappointing she just lists all the crises affecting us young people today， like we know lady we don’t need you to remind us haha 。。。more

Cheyenne ，

This book serves as a wonderful guide for anyone in quarter-life。 The case studies were incredibly relatable。 My partner and I both found ourselves relating deeply to two of them。 Her writing is rich with metaphor and rooted in the wisdom of depth psychology。 I am a meaning type and love the typology she developed！ I feel seen， understood， and guided forward in a way I never have by a book。 Powerful guide posts for quarter lifers at this time。 I highly highly recommend this book！

Simply Bibliophiles （Parker） ，

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: 4/5 | I love a good existential question。 And I’m ALWAYS more than happy to pick up a book to explain some kind of existential phenomenon。 The “phenomenon” closest to home （🙋🏾‍♀️）…or at least been on my mind recently， is an exploration of “early” adulthood， specifically ages 25-30。 A period that ideally is filled with so much promise， yet， realistically， so much uncertainty。 A period that feels like you’re supposed to be pursuing stability and meaning when really your brain can only fo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: 4/5 | I love a good existential question。 And I’m ALWAYS more than happy to pick up a book to explain some kind of existential phenomenon。 The “phenomenon” closest to home （🙋🏾‍♀️）…or at least been on my mind recently， is an exploration of “early” adulthood， specifically ages 25-30。 A period that ideally is filled with so much promise， yet， realistically， so much uncertainty。 A period that feels like you’re supposed to be pursuing stability and meaning when really your brain can only focus so much， and you’re just focused on stability。 And then， when you do find some form of meaning， you don’t know whether to go toward it， run from it， or ignore it altogether。Satya Doyle Byock defines “Quarterlife” as “adults between the adolescence and midlife…the first part of adulthood，” and more specifically， for anyone between the age of “16 to 36”。 （If you’re like， “Wow， that’s a broad range，”…that’s precisely what I said。）She breaks down those who identify as “Quarterlifers” into two types: “Meaning Types” [those who have found the freedom in meaning but have struggled to gain the stability of “adulthood”] and “Stability Types” [those who have mastered “adulting” and are now searching for meaning， and freedom outside of adult responsibilities]。Byock also argues that there are four pillars of growth in Quarterlife: Separate， Listen， Build and Integrate， and provides illustrative depictions of both typologies by way of four psychotherapy clients。 Each of these clients falls into one of the two types， and she gives insight into their respective hopes， fears， strengths， weaknesses， and journies through each of the four pillars of growth。 …This book was good; however， I needed more contextualization of Quarterlife from a comparative framework。 I think what makes Quarterlife fascinating and complicated is how it looks in the time and place we live in now。 I would have loved some historical insight into how Quarterlife has changed in the past 50 years。 And also， I’m a data girl…so I needed more statistical insight and analysis into how Quarterlifers （outside of the author’s clients） feel/live/exist across the two types and in the varying stages of the four pillars of growth。 To be fair， I’m not sure how the author could have done this， but 🤷🏾‍♀️…I still felt like the book was missing something。 。。。more

Brianna ，

I was hoping this would be more concrete， along the lines of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone， but it felt very surface level。 The ‘characters’ didn’t feel as tangible or real。

Emily Carlin ，

some useful frameworks。 wanted more Jung…！

Jessica Toro ，

5 stars！ The right book at the right time for me。 Doyle Byock establishes two types of Quarterlifers and makes it easy to distinguish between either of these two patterns/parts of ourselves。 The book then walks the reader through practices to help bring these two parts together so that we can find our whole selves。 Highly respect the author’s work， and found the book to be INCREDIBLY helpful。 ❤️

Carocarocaro ，

still presents thoughtful commentary about quarterlifers not being valued， but too binary with meaning vs stability types （I assume she knows this too， but why not give examples where someone can be both）， the examples felt obvious/cringe at times

Regina ，

The case studies and insights into the author’s approaches in her own therapy practice were interesting。 I didn’t necessarily agreed with the binary between “stability types” and “meaning types”。

Laura A ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book delves into the minds of young adults through the eyes of a therapist。 They are going through life and some encounter some road blocks on the way。 They question the direction they are going in。 This book made me think outside the box。

Bridgit ，

Although I found the stories about the author's therapy clients interesting， I couldn't help but think that this book could have benefited from more fleshed out chapters。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy。 Although I found the stories about the author's therapy clients interesting， I couldn't help but think that this book could have benefited from more fleshed out chapters。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-copy。 。。。more

Jenni ，

I definitely appreciate Byock's approach in thinking about the challenges of coming into one's own during "quarterlife，" and think there is a lot of merit to her ideas about the spectrum between Meaning and Stability types。 I do wish the second half of the book had incorporated more theory and less of the minutiae of her four character studies。 Would still recommend to my fellow "quarterlifers，" though， especially if you feel alone in thinking through some of these bigger questions about purpose I definitely appreciate Byock's approach in thinking about the challenges of coming into one's own during "quarterlife，" and think there is a lot of merit to her ideas about the spectrum between Meaning and Stability types。 I do wish the second half of the book had incorporated more theory and less of the minutiae of her four character studies。 Would still recommend to my fellow "quarterlifers，" though， especially if you feel alone in thinking through some of these bigger questions about purpose/life's meaning。Thanks to Random House for providing me with an early copy of this book through Netgalley。 Quarterlife is out on July 26。 。。。more

maria ，

as a quarterlifer myself， it felt wonderful being validated in this mess called life。 definitely recommend for those who have been questioning their 20s and would want some guidance or ways to begin there self journeys。 love how you can tell that the author had genuine care for her clients and wasn’t just using there pain for the plot of the book which i usually find in other psychology books。 overall， super grateful that i was able to get an ARC for this book and can’t wait to recommend in my s as a quarterlifer myself， it felt wonderful being validated in this mess called life。 definitely recommend for those who have been questioning their 20s and would want some guidance or ways to begin there self journeys。 love how you can tell that the author had genuine care for her clients and wasn’t just using there pain for the plot of the book which i usually find in other psychology books。 overall， super grateful that i was able to get an ARC for this book and can’t wait to recommend in my store。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0