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    the bandwidth for introspection and the freedom to test assumptions.

Absolutely. You always put things so succinctly.

That freedom is what comes into play when you get out of your parent's house and into "the real world". Partially, you aren't being told what to do. But you also have the ability to do things without your parents judging you, punishing you, or event finding out. Your decisions are now 100% your own and you have to deal with the consequences of your actions at that point. In high school, going out late and getting drunk meant the possibility that your parents would find out and punish you. When you are older, going out late and getting drunk means the possibility of making decisions you will regret (hangovers, saying/doing stupid things, etc). You are testing assumptions every single day.

As you get older, you spend less time experimenting with the decisions you make. I know what will happen if I go out late and get drunk on a weeknight: I will be hungover at work and miserable. For that reason, I don't have to test it anymore. Of course, you will test assumptions as you encounter new experiences or predicaments but you have a lot more related knowledge to help you out. The tests occur more rarely as you mature and grow.