People Are Sharing The Harsh Life Lessons That Hit Them Like A Truck Once They Reached Adulthood
1."You will have to make very practical (sometimes very cold) decisions about what you want from life and what you're willing to give up. And if you don't make them, then life will make them for you."
—Anonymous
2."Even your dream job sucks sometimes. Even the love of your life gets on your nerves sometimes. There is nowhere you 'should be by now.' All life paths are different and equally valid. Happiness is a practice, it isn't something you achieve and then you're good."
—u/maybenut
3."Don't spend more money just because you are starting to earn more. Lifestyle inflation creeping in is a bitch."
—u/Neutrum
4."You learn that the friendships you took for granted as a kid actually fall away pretty quickly if you neglect them, and that even if you don't, time has a habit of changing people. Your best friend from school is different since they got married, and that guy you partied with in college never really got the hang of stopping drugs..."
—u/ChubbyWordsmith
5."Life is finite. As a kid, life is just this thing that goes on forever. Consequences don't matter as much because the future is unfathomably far away. It's a good time for making bad decisions, but as you progress through your life, you start realizing that the future is coming up fast, and how it looks actually does depend on what you do now."
—u/ChubbyWordsmith
6."You have to speak up for yourself. No one else will."
—u/Logical-Command
7."You are not invincible. Stop driving like an idiot and stay out of unnecessary physical altercations."
—u/Neutrum
8."You learn that relationships aren't like in the movies. They take work and thought, and everyone is flawed and damaged...and they'll probably kick you in the gut at least a dozen or so times."
—u/ChubbyWordsmith
9."Go to the fucking dentist. You can't wait for mommy to make an appointment for you and hold your hand the whole way... get your ass in there before it's too late. Teeth don't heal and once you've fucked them up, you've fucked them up."
—u/MyNameIsSkittles
10."The people you love are going to die. I don't want anyone to learn this lesson, ever, but it provides some pretty serious perspective when it inevitably happens."
—u/cosmolegato
11."It's important to deal with trauma early on in life, or it will take a toll on you."
—u/lalalolamaserola
12."Minimize your shit. Owning things won't make you happy. Plus, sometimes you shouldn't hold onto objects just for the sake of owning them. This can also be applied to people. Hindsight really is a bitch. Not all family is blood relations. If only one person is making all the effort in a friendship, it's probably not as good a friendship as you thought it was. And, most important lesson: It takes an embarrassingly long time for eyebrows to grow back."
—u/LadyEmry
13."Sometimes your best isn't good enough. Sometimes you put everything you've got into something and still don't get what you wanted."
—u/Fthat_ManaBar
"You can do everything right and still fail."
—u/Spire-hawk
14."Life is about lessons. Here are a few you'll learn: The 'Now I know why unprotected sex is risky' lesson. The 'Work your ass off for that advanced qualification then start at the bottom of the career ladder and be grateful' lesson. The 'I shouldn't have gotten a loan for something I couldn't afford' lesson. The 'I misplaced my trust in someone and got fucked over' lesson. The 'Always have a plan to get home' lesson. The 'Drunk tattoos aren't ideal' lesson. The 'You can eat whatever shit you want' lesson."
—Anonymous
15."Do not lie to your significant other. Have hard conversations and trust them enough to be able to have them with you. Give them the chance and don't be afraid/avoid doing it in fear of rejection or judgment. I learned that one the hard way, unfortunately."
—u/Ginoblee
16."Most people are basically decent, but don't rely on it. Really try to see people for the individuals that they are and not who you would want them to be or fear them to be. If your significant other says they love you while treating you as worthless, they are lying. Would you accept such behavior from a stranger? Would they? Honesty is not as valued, particularly in the workplace, as you may be led to believe, but don't give up on it. The people who value your integrity are priceless, and you won't know who they are without it."
—u/Selenay1
17."If you have a gut feeling about a particular person or situation, DO NOT fight it. Follow your instincts."
—u/Equivalent-Roll-3321
18."Some people who just fucking coast through life and have everything handed to them. Life is absolutely fucking unfair, and the sooner you stop comparing yourself to people who had a 50,000 mile headstart from birth, the sooner you can ACTUALLY start to live."
—u/Novirtue
19."Knowing when to say 'no' and doing that is more important than saying 'yes.'
—u/wradam
20."If your employer is doing something illegal or unethical and you decide to confront them about it, for fucks sake, do it in a way that all communication will leave a paper trail."
—Anonymous
21."Do stuff that makes you happy instead of doing stuff that makes you look cool."
—u/Neutrum
22."You learn that being healthy isn't an autopilot thing anymore. That if you eat shitty food and sit on your couch too much, shit will start to hurt and you'll feel more tired and grouchy. There's a similar lesson with booze and drugs."
—u/ChubbyWordsmith
23."Very few people actually follow through on what they say they'll do. It can be for any number of reasons, from 'I don't want to hurt their feelings' to 'I want to look good in front of others' or 'I want to please everyone' — and that's just for starters. When you find people who DO, cherish them. It's why I always post 'Look at the person's patterns of actions, not their words, to see their true feelings.'"
—u/bmyst70
24."Some things really are just about luck."
—u/foreveralready
25."Take care of your mental health early on so you can be healthy and meet other healthy people. You think you've had your fair share of life experiences, but they're still coming, and some hit you unexpectedly 'cause you're not where you need to be mentally in life. Don't say 'that'll never happen to me' because bad people do exist, and they don't discriminate."
—u/overthinking_7
26."Pride does absolutely nothing. If you don't say good morning to your boss in the morning because you think your boss is a dick, you're not doing yourself any favors."
—u/thisesmeaningless
27."You can love someone and still know they're not right for you."
—u/nomadicsailor81
28."Don't do business with family. Love your children more than you hate your ex."
—u/emmett_kelly
29.And finally: "You'll accept that you're halfway through your life at some point, and that'll freak you out a bit, but it's a good thing."
—u/ChubbyWordsmith
Do you have any to add to the list? Let us know in the comments!
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