Coming of Age

I define the "coming of age" period as the time when a youth realizes that they can create their own opinions. At first these opinions are half-hazard, unoriginal and often conflicting. This can lead to poor, misguided and/or confusing actions.
Some youths go through this period briefly and instead of finding their own path, just latch on and imitate those people they look up to or consider successful, frequently parents.