Meaning of "by way of" in "youth does not have to work against you **by way of** experience."

Question

This is a link to the full video, and below is an excerpt from what the actor says:

Your youth does not have to work against you by way of experience.

Your youth can be a virtue by way of what you ethically and earnestly expect of the world.

And I'm having trouble understanding what these sentences mean, mainly because I can't figure out which of the three definitions of "by way of" below fits in this context.

1. so as to pass through or across; via. "we approached the Berlin Wall by way of Checkpoint Charlie"

2. constituting; as a form of. "“I can't help it,” shouted Tom by way of apology"

3. by means of. "noncompliance with the regulations is punishable by way of a fine"

I understand all three definitions and the usage of them in each example sentences, but somehow can't work out what it means in the actor's remark that I referenced.

Answer 1

The 3rd definition is the one that applies here. In your first example:

Your youth does not have to work against you by way of experience.

Is implying that young people do not have as much experience and that has a negative effect, but it also states that this does not have to happen. This means that "by way of" is showing HOW the person's youth can work against them, which is, through their lack of experience. Likewise, the second example:

Your youth can be a virtue by way of what you ethically and earnestly expect of the world.

is showing HOW the person's youth can be a virtue.

For further understanding here is an alternative sentence that could be used instead so you can compare:

Your youth does not have to be a negative attribute due to your lack of experience

It can instead be a benefit due to your ethical and earnest expectations of the world.