Even when people say “I have no regrets”, I have a feeling that they at least have a few…I know I sure do.
But you can’t beat yourself up about that kind of stuff or you’ll never get out of that “woe is me” thinking that plagues a lot of people. We all go through that from time to time but you have to always keep moving forward and looking to improve.
The question posed to people was “What did you learn too late in life?”
Here are some interesting, personal stories from folks on AskReddit.
1. Helicopter parenting.
“Eventually helicopter parents will need to be cut off if you want to live your life.
This shit never ends. Not at 20, or 25, or 30.”
2. Always the victim.
“Stay away from people who always see themselves as the victim in situations.
Especially when they are family and you feel obligated to deal with their drama for the sake of family.”
3. A tough one to learn.
“Your parents aren’t right all the time.
I feel like if kids realized this earlier in life, maybe they wouldn’t hold their parents to unrealistically high standards.”
4. Be good to yourself.
“That my own happiness is the thing I need to focus on.
Doing stuff alone is OK, and actually gratifying.”
5. Very true.
“That being alone is better than being with the wrong person.
Red flags should not be ignored and you can’t change a person by loving them.”
6. Workin’ hard.
“Hard work doesn’t sell itself.
And hard work doesn’t necessarily mean success or reward.
Some of the hardest workers in the world are broke and joyless.”
7. Brush and floss!
“To take care of my teeth.
It’s costly and headache inducing right now.”
8. Take care of your body.
“I’m in my early 30’s and I realized a few years ago that this is the only body I’ll get so I need to take care of it.
I’ve always been overweight and I’ve lost 76 lbs in the last year and a half. I’ve also been taking better care of my teeth and my skin and I’ve been much happier since I started taking better care of myself.
Only 10 more pounds to go before my BMI is under 25!”
9. Do it yourself.
“Nothing will change on its own, you have to change it yourself and no one coming to help you unless you help yourself before.”
10. Loneliness.
“Being lonely for any reason – not enough friends, not enough good friends, moving to a new situation and leaving old friends behind – can lead you to make some pretty foolish social decisions.
Even people who are normally quite confident and good at picking up on social cues will find themselves acting oversensitive, desperate, and/or falling into some pretty ill-advised infatuations.”
11. Reading is LIFE!
“It’s embarrassing for me, but reading.
But reading naturally, not forcing myself to do it. I’m 24, and 3 years ago I finished my first chapter book. I was so happy.
I have since thought myself how to read complex literature. But yeah, definitely how to read well.”
12. Don’t worry about it too much.
“It’s OK not to have a romantic relationship in high school or even college.
I started wigging-out about it when I was like 13, I can’t believe how much energy and stress I expended on a situation that was totally fine and normal.
I was definitely not ready to have a relationship in high school or probably even college, I just wasn’t mature enough or in the right place.
I completely over-romanticized (pardon the pun) the whole concept. It solves a lot of problems, but it brings a whole host of new ones.
I also didn’t realize how much my friends and others I saw were exaggerating or even outright lying about how great it was to be with someone, all the sex they were having, and how perfect and happy they were.
As it turns out, making people believe you are a happy couple is way easier than being one.
My single days were the times when I grew the most and followed my dreams the most effectively. Being in love and partnered is great, but it’s a trade-off.”
13. It feels good!
“Getting things done feels much better than doing nothing.
We all need to relax, but being lazy gets you nowhere. Pick up a creative hobby and make something; exercise, volunteer. Spend the majority of your time being active, and then rest when you need to. The world is much more interesting than your couch.
Took me a very long time to realize this.”
14. Exercise is important!
“It’s easier to stay in shape than to get back in shape.
Learning this the hard way at 22 after a few years of not taking care of myself.”
Now we’d like to hear from you.
In the comments, tell us about the lessons you think you learned too late in life.
Please and thank you!
