Is there a right way to live life?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I had a conversation with a friend where she justified her past mistakes by saying she was young and didn’t know better back then—which is fair and valid. But it got me thinking: if every bad decision or reckless choice can be excused by saying, "I was just a kid,"then what’s the incentive for anyone to live the right way?

People go through different phases in life, and their priorities shift over time. Often, when someone reflects on their past, they expect others to overlook their mistakes and accept them for who they are now, without judgment. But is that fair?

For example, let’s say Person A spent years casually meeting new people and fooling around, while Person B chose to live differently—still having fun, but with different priorities. Now, years later, A has matured and wants to settle down, seeking acceptance from B despite their past. The common response would be: “The past doesn’t matter; what matters is who they are today.”

But if this is the case—if people are always expected to forgive and move forward—then what’s the point of making thoughtful, responsible choices in the first place? If everything will eventually be justified by saying, "I was young, I was just living life,"then does it even matter how one chooses to live?