I think that the main thing that you can learn from watching

Hear the words of the actress Kaitlyn Dever, who spoke with the clarity of youth and the wisdom of experience: “I think that the main thing that you can learn from watching ‘The Spectacular Now’ is just learning about growing up and moving on.” These words, though born in the context of a film, speak a truth far older than cinema, a truth etched into the very nature of human life. For every soul must one day pass from innocence into responsibility, from yesterday’s comfort into tomorrow’s calling. And this passage is marked not by standing still, but by growing up and by moving on.

The meaning is this: life is not a stagnant pool but a flowing river. To resist growth, to cling desperately to the past, is to stand against the current until it pulls you under. But to grow up is to recognize that change is necessary; to move on is to embrace the unknown path ahead with courage. The film, as Dever notes, is but a reflection of this eternal transition—how we leave behind one season of life and step into another, often with fear, often with pain, but also with the hope of becoming more than we were.

The ancients themselves honored this journey. Consider the Spartans, who at the age of seven took their children from the arms of their mothers and placed them into the agoge, a training that forced them to leave behind childhood comforts and learn the disciplines of adulthood. It was painful, but it prepared them for strength, for resilience, for survival. In this we see the truth of Dever’s words: growing up is not always gentle, yet it is the necessary fire through which youth is tempered into maturity.

History gives us another example in the story of Alexander the Great. When his father, Philip of Macedon, was slain, Alexander was but a youth. Many doubted him, expecting him to falter under the weight of a kingdom. Yet Alexander chose not to remain a child. He stepped forward, claimed his destiny, and within years carved an empire that reached to the edge of the known world. His story shows that greatness comes only when one dares to move on from the shadow of childhood and accept the burden of responsibility.

Yet Dever’s words do not call only for heroes and conquerors—they speak to all of us. For in every life there are moments when one must release what is past: the friendship that has ended, the dream that has faded, the love that has died. To cling endlessly is to remain trapped in yesterday. To let go, to grow from the pain, and to walk forward into the unknown—this is the essence of maturity. It is not the denial of sorrow, but the transformation of sorrow into wisdom.

The lesson is luminous: growing up is not a single act but a continual process. It is the courage to face each new chapter without fear of leaving the last behind. It is the recognition that life demands motion, and that the soul shrinks when it refuses to move. To move on is not to betray the past, but to honor it by building upon it. What we leave behind becomes the foundation for what we will become.

Practical actions must follow. When you find yourself clinging to a past that cannot return, pause and ask: What lesson does this season give me? Take that lesson, cherish it, but do not let it bind you. Instead, step forward into the future with faith that what lies ahead has its own gifts. Cultivate habits that stretch you beyond comfort—learn new skills, face your fears, embrace responsibility. These are the stepping-stones of growth.

For remember this eternal truth: life is a journey of growing up and moving on. From childhood to youth, from youth to adulthood, from one season of life to the next, the river carries us ever forward. As Kaitlyn Dever teaches through her reflection, to resist this flow is to drown in yesterday, but to embrace it is to discover strength, wisdom, and the fullness of life itself.