I've found it to be a significant hindrance in my life. I'm in my mid-forties now, and I've stuttered mildly since I was about eight years old. The problem that I've seen is that people misconstrue you. One humorous example (and there are many darker ones), is that I played the leading role in a musical play one year, and there were those who really got a wrong impression about my feelings toward the high school girls who were acting in the piece. Stuttering is seen as a thing that means nervousness... and if you're friendly and have a mild stutter, it's a warning flag to people. The best advice I would have to give to someone your age is to start researching possibilities of what life might be like in other countries. If you're an American, I would particularly recommend checking out Canada, the UK, and Australia. There is a huge difference in social expectations that folks have, when they interact with strangers and colleagues in various countries. If you're meeting those expectations better, because your personality fits into the social milieu, your speech will flow **much** more easily. You might find that you can, indeed, have a successful life with minimal to no stuttering, when you find your niche.