"Adolescence is society's permission slip for combining physical maturity with psychological irresponsibility"

This quote by Terri Apter suggests that adolescence is an amount of time in which society enables youths to explore their physical maturity while still being able to act in such a way that is not necessarily accountable. This might be interpreted as a time period in which youths are permitted to make mistakes and gain from them without dealing with severe consequences. It is a time for them to explore their newly found self-reliance and find out who they are without the pressure of having to be totally accountable for their actions. Adolescence is a time for youths to learn and grow, and society permits them to do this without needing to be held responsible for their mistakes.