33 Things That People Started Really Appreciating Only After They Got Older
Interview With ExpertBack in my teenage years, I tried to be everything at once. An average party girl clubbing every Friday night, a hiking fanatic conquering some mountain on Sunday mornings, or a passionate football player drilling on the field on the weekdays. I wanted to try it all.
But as I grew older, I started preferring a slow life with lazy weekends where I refused to jump out of bed for anything. And when you look at this incredible thread you will see that I am not the only one who suddenly had a change of heart. Just scroll down to check out these fascinating changes for yourself!
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Quiet days. Days when there is nobody else around.
Edit : I wish you guys would stop responding to this. I want my peace and quiet.
My wife.
I thought I was at 100% when we got married. Here I am sitting at 235% like a bad game of smash bros.
The grand experience of being human can be really enthralling yet strange at times. For one day, you wake up and suddenly realize that you don't really fancy something that you used to love a lot before. And it's actually crazy how quickly, we can adapt to these changes once we start loving something else.
So, when a Reddit user asked people, "What are you starting to love more as you get older?" they didn't shy away from spilling the tea about the newfound loves of their lives. In fact, it created such an endearing thread that we had to write an article about it.
Some of the responses from folks were quite relatable. Because who wouldn't love a hot cup of coffee while snuggled in a blanket, or how can you say no to a quick nap on a cozy afternoon? Someone also mentioned their wife, which was such an awe-dorable comment!
No neighbors. I want more land between me and the next guy.
Yes! My closest neighbor is almost 2 miles (~3.2 km) on one side & just over a mile (~1.6 km) on the other. The trade off is that there are quite a few critters out here & DoorDash is a billion dollars when you live in the boonies, but totally worth it!
I'm really startin to love naps like no joke best thing ever… also cozy blankets and snacks like life is good now.
As we mentioned before, humans can adapt to something new that they start loving, quite quickly. "Evolutionary psychology suggests that adaptive behavior is deeply rooted in humans, as it has been passed down from our ancestors," Eden Lobo, a counselor and psychology professor, told Bored Panda.
She added that there are some external—or environmental—and internal stimuli that can bring about our fondness for a certain thing or aspect that we didn't really think much about before. And once we realize it, it becomes easy to adapt to.
She gave an example of how a person who's constantly stressed at their workplace suddenly might prefer to cancel their weekend plans and simply do nothing at their house. It's probably their de-stressing mechanisms that are kicking in and enabling them to develop a likeness for something different.
How little I care what people think of me. I still wrestle with what I think of myself, but peer pressure does nothing to me anymore. Freedom!
Being very selective with whom I spend my time with. I do not have any interest in meeting new people constantly. I like who I like.
I'm in my late 30s now and mostly hang out with my SO, SILs and a handful of close friends. I still like meeting new people, but I no longer feel like dealing with people's bs. No more drama for this llama. 🦙
Prof. Lobo informed us that most of us are not big fans of change, and some of us completely hate it as change means leaving our comfort zone. No wonder that we take change quite harshly when it comes knocking on our doors.
"However, this change is quite readily welcomed by people when they realize that it's associated with something that they have started to like, and it would actually be beneficial for them," she added.
She also mentioned that increased exposure can broaden their horizons and lead people to develop new interests and preferences. She believed that with age, people become better at understanding and appreciating perspectives different from their own, which can lead to a broader range of interests.
My mate retired 18 months ago, at 70. He rarely answers his cell phone nowadays. I asked him why, he said “my life is really good, I enjoy everything about it. No one has ever called me with good news”.
Quiet mornings. Just laying in a cozy bed with a warm cup of coffee.
Good people who don't have a lot of negative baggage, did a lot of their inner work already and are nice people.
It's not the suffering you had to endure. Everyone suffers. How are dealing with it and are you lightening any loads for others? That will truly help you and make you understand: Every living being suffers.
Lastly, she spoke about self-discovery, and stated, "As individuals grow older, they often explore different aspects of their identity, which includes their preferences. This exploration is a part of figuring out who they are and what they enjoy."
Well, what a rollercoaster it is to simply be a human! No wonder we experience so many changes in our preferences, the older we grow. And now, we come to you. We want to know about the things that you started loving as you grew older. So, just feel free to jot it down in the comments.
Generally speaking, I don't feel bored anymore.
Shockingly enough, when there's nothing to do... I actually sit back and do nothing.
Walking up early on the weekends. Grocery stores are empty, the world is still hungover and sleeping.
Old people. Could see them as boring in the past. Now I am fascinated by their experience and knowledge. In comparison, I feel disappointed by the current generation of young people who love a lot their phone and social medias. In comparaison, old people seem to have more to share, they are less boring.
Cooking.
It use to feel like a chore to feed myself, but now I enjoy shopping for ingredients and cooking a meal.
Who else loves when their families get together & enjoy genuine quality time now that everyone's older?
Cleaning! I was always untidy but I’m really learning to love a clean and tidy space. It’s literally always worth the effort.
Keeping up with the cleanliness, before things get real dirty, makes the cleaning easier and less gross.
Walking. something about the routine of seeing my neighborhood every day.
My mom walks so much, and tells me about it all the time. When she's over that's usually what she wants to do. Where to? Just around the neighbourhood. It's gotten to the point I can't stand the thought of walking aimlessly without a point. At least to get a treat is nice, or taking some pictures of flowers and animals.
Mornings.
Spent years in the service industry, working til 10PM, hitting the bar after, up til 3 AM every night.
Switched lines of work, started getting up earlier. Now im in my mid 30s and theres nothing I like more than getting up early, even on the weekends, and just having the whole day ahead of me.
I wish I could do that. I can't even get going until after 3pm. Midnight I'm like a car revved up to take on the track.
Those chest pockets on shirts.
Talking to people. My favourite thing is to learn, and everyone has a story to tell, or wisdom to share. Knowledge is power.
The thought of death.
Not me. I'm scared of dying and knowing there's no other way out of this life. It's inevitable.
When I choose to be social, I'm social. However, the older I've gotten the more I tend to embrace solitude.
Some of these posts seem to link getting older with becoming more of an introvert, or am I reading something deeper?
Think it's more to do with as you get older you're not expected to be as extroverted, and that when they were younger they thought it was weird, but now like it.
Load More Replies...The more I'm around people, the better I like animals.
The question on this post doesn't apply to me. I did all those things as a young person and appreciated it. I suppose the thing I appreciate now is feeling like I am respected a bit more when I want to get something done. I don't get followed by store employees, or told I can't buy something I want (most of the time), and I can get hired without as much fuss. I hated opening my door and having people ask me if my parents were home. Youthful looks have advantages, but I appreciate my grey hair.
When I choose to be social, I'm social. However, the older I've gotten the more I tend to embrace solitude.
Some of these posts seem to link getting older with becoming more of an introvert, or am I reading something deeper?
Think it's more to do with as you get older you're not expected to be as extroverted, and that when they were younger they thought it was weird, but now like it.
Load More Replies...The more I'm around people, the better I like animals.
The question on this post doesn't apply to me. I did all those things as a young person and appreciated it. I suppose the thing I appreciate now is feeling like I am respected a bit more when I want to get something done. I don't get followed by store employees, or told I can't buy something I want (most of the time), and I can get hired without as much fuss. I hated opening my door and having people ask me if my parents were home. Youthful looks have advantages, but I appreciate my grey hair.