"Then perhaps you are learning well. The less you rely on others, the less collateral you have to deal with when things go wrong." His tone, at least for a moment, became more earnest. "And I do not mean stability, simply in terms of one's livelihood, or in a business. It seems 'adult' is a word people like to use, to imply an automatic sense of security, and the ability to hold one's life together. It is not always so black and white."