I personally believe it’s never too late to learn anything, but there is definitely a feeling of guilt and even stupidity when you realize you should have known something for years.
But hey, that’s life!
And you can’t dwell on those things for too long or you’re bound to get really depressed. Know what I’m saying?
Let’s see what people on AskReddit had to say about the things they learned too late in life.
1. No big deal.
“It’s ok to be single at any point in your life.
There’s more pressure as you get older to find someone, and loneliness is definitely powerful and can be crushing at times, but you should definitely be happy with yourself, and it sucks people and society can make you feel like you are doing something wrong just because you are single.”
2. It works!
“That if you take care of yourself, work on your social skills and just learn from mistakes you will be attractive to the majority of women, especially after 25.”
3. You gotta start somewhere.
“Wouldn’t exactly say too late, but now I’m 32 I’m actually learning how to eat properly and manage to stop binge eating as much.
I’m still fat but slowly losing weight.”
4. One small mistake…
“One small mistake can lead to a life time of regrets and misery.
I told myself to pull over when I was driving late at night but ignored it and I crashed head on in the freeway.
I am now crippled and almost cost my family the entire wealth because of the lawsuit (which the guy dropped thank God) and we were approved for medical (thank God for that too).”
5. Love yourself.
“That self esteem is what brings you inner peace and happiness.
Nothing external will if you don’t have inherent self worth and love yourself.”
6. Take care of your body.
“If you wonder why you don’t feel great and full of energy and happiness like when you where a kid, it’s not that you’re just older. It’s because you’re not sober, not eating well, and not exercising. I just turned 44 on Thursday and feel like I’m 21.
Two years ago I felt like I was 75. I got dead sober, and forced myself to start jogging every evening. At first I could barely run down the block and back. Now I can run for miles and not even be tired, just sweaty. Once I started running my body started craving good food and not junk.
I got serious about my diet and now can fit back in same jeans I wore in college.
It’s worth it man, and it’s not even hard.”
7. Do it today!
“That time goes by fast.
If you want to really do something, don’t wait till tomorrow.”
8. Ask for help if you need it.
“It doesn’t make you weak to ask for help. In my case this relates to my clinical depression. For a long time I thought that depression was just feeling suicidal.
Depression can be a lot of things for lots of different people. In my case I just felt lethargic and completely unmotivated. After seeking help from doctors and attending therapy and getting medication I feel much better now.
If you feel like you need help, ask for it. On average I think most people are kinder than you think if you take the time to explain your situation.”
9. Be smart with your money.
“Budgeting and Saving.
Treating your monthly salary as your target spend each month is terrifying, and I’m now tethered by debt and only just now coming out of it (well…. Making progress).
If I could do one thing differently, it’s just plan my money. Even something small like 1 or 2 less nights out a month might have made all the difference in later life now.”
10. Words of wisdom.
“Here’s the list ya’ll:
Nothing good happens after midnight, just go to bed
Always double down on an 11 in Blackjack
Get the right tools for the job
Always have a backup plan
A closed mouth gathers no foot.”
11. Life is hard.
“Hardship and being an adult.
I was sheltered from anything remotely hard and got everything handed to me, but i was not spoiled. I didn’t get everything i wanted, that i had to work for, but everything i needed was provided.
example: taxes, paying bills, writing / reading / signing contracts, how to cook, and similar things.
I also didn’t learn how the world worked, I’m past 30, and its not long ago that I realised that companies exist to make money, and if you cant increase the revenue for the company, you wont get a job.
So, I’m not prepared for adult life, and I’ve been an adult for way longer than I was mentally prepared for.”
12. Investing is good.
“Invest in what you use.
That is, buy shares in companies that provide services you use. Assuming you use them because they are good, so will other people, and that will help with their success.
I was a Netflix customer when they were doing DVD by mail. I had a Gmail account by invitation. I did all my Christmas shopping online at Amazon in 2001. I bought pet food at pets.com (ok, not a perfect system). I’ve been a Costco member for 20 years.
My portfolio would be a lot richer if I invested in businesses I use.”
13. Don’t even worry about it.
“Don’t waste ANY time worrying about what people think of you.
Their perception of you is always a reflection of themselves.”
14. Be your own best friend.
“You should do what’s the best decision for yourself, not for everyone else.
You are your best friend and the only one who will always and forever on your side.”
15. Take responsibility.
“I spent lots of time being angry and upset that I didn’t have a silver spoon until I realized how easy life gets when you take responsibility for your own damn self. It wasn’t THAT late, but late enough.
Once I got it together and figured out that I could do whatever I set my mind to doing, within reason, it’s gotten so much better.
Always remember, life owes you nothing, it actually depends on you. You owe everything to your future life. You cannot control destiny or the past but you can prepare for that which you cannot control.
Get busy.”
What do you think?
Do you have any regrets about learning things too late in life?
If so, tell us about it in the comments.
