As lifestyles become easier to observe, imitate, and test, younger adults appear more comfortable treating identity as something provisional. New MyIQ findings suggest that experimenting with a possible self does not always carry an expectation of permanence.
A growing share of everyday self-development now happens through direct imitation. People can adopt the routines, appearance, or habits associated with a particular kind of life before deciding whether it suits them. For younger adults, that process appears especially likely to remain temporary.
In a MyIQ survey of 8,742 adults, 69% of people under 30 said they had deliberately adopted the habits, appearance, or routines associated with a particular type of person because they wanted to experience what being that person felt like. The share declined across older age groups, to 55% among 30-44-year-olds, 45% among 45–54-year-olds, and 36% among adults aged 55 and over. Across the full sample, 52% said they had experimented with an identity in this way.
The difference becomes sharper when respondents are asked whether an experiment needs to last. 61% of under-30s said they were comfortable experimenting with a lifestyle or identity even when they suspected they would eventually abandon it. That compared with 49% of adults aged 30-44, 40% of those aged 45-54 and 29% of those over 55.
The findings suggest that younger adults are more willing to separate experience from long-term commitment. Someone might adopt a different way of dressing, reorganize daily routines around a new ambition, or behave according to a social identity they are considering. The decision to stop can still leave them with a clearer sense of what fits.
A third result points in the same direction. 53% of under-30s said giving up an identity they had experimented with did not make the experience feel unsuccessful. The figure fell to 40% among 30–44s, 32% among 45–54s and 23% among over-55s.
One respondent in their twenties described the approach simply: “I used to think I had to decide what kind of person I was. Now I think I can test it first.”
Across the age groups, the gap is visible at each stage of the process. Younger adults are more likely to try a possible identity, more willing to enter the experiment knowing it may end, and less likely to interpret leaving it behind as failure. The survey does not establish why those differences exist, but it indicates that age is closely associated with how much permanence people expect from identity experimentation.
The pattern can be described as identity renting: temporarily adopting the routines and signals associated with a possible self, then deciding whether they are worth keeping. The label captures a form of self-experimentation in which a temporary choice can still provide useful information.
For younger adults, that may change the role of commitment in personal development. An abandoned lifestyle, aesthetic, or ambition can still narrow future choices and clarify preferences. The identity itself may be temporary while the information gained from living with it lasts longer.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories: cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories: cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.