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30 Cringeworthy Signs That Scream ‘This Person Peaked In High School,’ As Shared By This Online Community
One of the most insidious fears that some people can have is believing that their best days are behind them. If you zoom out and look at things mathematically, it’s inevitable that some chapters of your life are going to be better than others. Whether in terms of your quality of life or achievements. But that doesn’t mean that it’s all ‘downhill from there.’ Life is still very much worth living, and it’s worth putting in the effort to aim for new goals. Some people, however, cling to past victories, completely ignoring opportunities in the present.
Redditor u/realHDNA sparked an interesting discussion on the r/AskReddit subreddit, about all the things that ‘scream’ that someone peaked all the way back in high school. From bragging about their long-forgotten glory days and making their entire personalities a continuation of who they were as teenagers to bullying others as grownups, these internet users shared some of the saddest things that adults can end up doing. Scroll down for their stories and opinions.
Bored Panda got in touch with Andrea Bonior, Ph.D., with a couple of questions about why some adults miss their school days so much, as well as what can help them realize that their lives can be just as good as (if not better than!) when they were young. Dr. Bonior is the host of the mental health advice podcast ‘Baggage Check’ and the bestselling author of ‘Detox Your Thoughts.’ Read on for her insights!
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#1
I had a teacher who said "these are the best years of your lives".
Since I graduated in 2003, every single year has been better than every year of school since I can really remember.
High school was f*****g awful and seriously depressing.
I had to work as a janitor through grades 11 and 12 to pay rent. I dropped out with 1 class left to get a union construction job.
I'm back in university now doing an engineering degree because I have worked to get my life in a position where this is possible.
#2
I used to work with a guy, we used to call him roid rage. He was very muscular, very masculine, and let everybody know both those things about him constantly.
One day I'm sitting next to him in the break room and he's talking to me, unprompted as always, about how he went to attend an award ceremony for his son who won something regarding his football performance. I said "Well that was nice of you to go and support him"
"Nice?" He said. "It was f*****g sad man. That used to be me. Now I'm the old guy in the room who has to watch someone else win something I should have had" and all I could think was what a loser, you can't just be happy your son won this award and be proud of him. You have to make it about you.
Ricardo Ferreira 1 year ago
I'm just glad he told YOU about it, and not his son... or I just hope he didn't tell it to his son.
#3
"It doesn't get better once you grow up" I told a sub teacher at my school that people told me this all the time and she told me the only people that say that are the ones that peaked in highschool. I miss her every day.
Dr. Bonior, the host of the 'Baggage Check' podcast, was kind enough to answer our questions about grownups who might have peaked in high school or constantly miss what their lives were like back then so much. Many of us have at least some regrets from our past, including about opportunities not taken.
"I think as the saying goes, 'youth is wasted on the young.' As we get older we look back at those golden times and perhaps feel like we didn't appreciate them. That we missed an opportunity to make the most of those times, that we didn't realize how easy we had it, that we were free from adult responsibilities, that we had young bodies without aches and pains... it makes us want to go back and revisit those times, because our perspective now is so different," she explained to Bored Panda.
"Some people also might really be struggling with the fact that they DO feel like they 'peaked' in high school, and they feel like they are not measuring up anymore. And so their self-esteem is struggling because they had an identity as a 'star athlete' or a 'popular kid' or a class president and they haven't ever been able to replace it with anything else that is as potent for their self-image. So they want to go back in time," Bonior noted that, for some individuals, their high school days actually were the best times of their lives, and they yearn for the success they had back then.
#4
"Hey Girl! Long time no talk! Hope you and your GORGEOUS family are doing well! You crossed my mind the other day and I realized you would be SO PERFECT to join me in the amazing business opportunity I just started!" emoji emoji emoji emoji emoji emoji!!
#5
You continue to brag how you scored four touchdowns in a single game while playing for your high school team over 20 years later. And now you sell shoes.
#6
Anyone who bullies other adults as if they were still in High School
iBlank 1 year ago
or, maybe they are just letting her know how awesome it is, but she has a splitting headache from working on it all night :P
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PHOTOBOB 1 year ago
The guy that bullied me all through school still takes my lunch money everyday. Have to admit he does make a great Subway sandwich.
Kate Jones 1 year ago (edited)
This is seriously true. I see so many people who find a way to bully people after school because it's just a habit. The difference is the level of passive-aggressiveness just goes up and fighting goes down. Adults know they'll go to jail for getting into a fight so it just becomes about being petty. As an adult it's more about how lowly you are and how less you are to them. At least as a teenager they just tell you what they hate you right out the gate and the PA is a little less obvious.
Ami Cooke 1 year ago
It's not bullying to figuratively d***-kick an entitled adult child in their ego.
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Sarah SH 1 year ago
When I first became a teacher in my mid-twenties I thought since this was a college-educated career that people would be more mature and accepting. Turns out my department was just the Teacher’s Edition of Mean Girls.
Rylosalex 1 year ago
Wow! Shouldn't there be a memo handed out to EVERY 20 somethings that basically says: 'You are not in high school anymore, you are an adult. Act like it."
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Old Roadie 1 year ago
Downvote bullies... it's moved from school to internet. How many of us are on 2nd or 3rd BP account because of this?
Mr Old School Cool 1 year ago
Free speech is not allowed here - too many downvotes and your account gets (un-alived)
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Mr Old School Cool 1 year ago
Teacher workplace bullies are worse than corporate workplace bullies. It's like we regress back to high school behavior patterns after briefly growing up during college
Jodie daubenmire 1 year ago
Be the oldest of a crew, and be the worst bullied.. about EVERYTHING YOU DO, EVERYDAY.
Old Roadie 1 year ago
Respond: "I don't accept that." and walk away. It drops the barbs and mean spirited bs back in their laps. As the only female on most crews, it was a daily thing to have my tools stolen, tool pouch hidden or dumped, work sabotaged. And the nasty comments ...ugh. Someone suggested I try that response, or just *stare at them until they become uncomfortable. Then shake your head and walk away. I feel your pain in this one, @Jodie.
Load More Replies... CGZ 1 year ago
I learned a long, long time ago that for the kid who used physical intimidation in 7th grade to get his way, that's the only tool he ever really learned. Later in a professional office environment you can spot that guy. I can laugh in his face as he turns red not knowing how to negotiate his deal. You can think circles around this guy. In a place where there's no possibility of a physical interaction, size or physical stature are meaningless.
Silke 1 year ago
72 years old and my 45-yr-old neighbour (who had a nasty streak any way) really showed me the excrement she's made of. She verbally attacked me, high school style, then literally pushed me around. When I got back home, I learned that she had already claimed to a group of six fellow smokers (they have their own area) that *I* had attacked her and obviously needed medication Seven and a half months later, I still haven't been able to really clear my name, because her minions shared the story so widely. Lus, it seems better to just ignore the whole thing and wait for others to continue seeing me being me
Terri Rimmer 1 year ago
Yes, I still have nightmares about abusive bosses, dating back to 1997
We were interested in what can help these people realize that they can still have a great life, even outside the schoolyard gates. Dr. Bonior said that what's really important is a reality check.
"Maybe we felt stressed or lonely or that things were tough in high school, even if in retrospect our lives seemed simpler then. So it comes down to being able to make the most of what you have in the moment," she said that we need to take a realistic look at what our lives are like now and what they were back then.
"If you don't think you appreciated your high school life as much as you should have, might you be doing the same thing with your mid-20s life or mid-50s life, all by comparing it to something else? It's you who chooses the path that you will or will not regret in another five or ten years," she gave some excellent advice.
"By thinking about your values and what is most meaningful to you, you can build a life that is more authentic right now because you have learned many things that you didn't yet know in high school. And thank goodness for that!" If you found what Dr. Bonior shared interesting and useful, consider checking out her mental health advice podcast 'Baggage Check' and taking a look at her book, 'Detox Your Thoughts.'
#7
They want to organize high school reunions every 5 years.
#8
I’ll probably get hate for this, but as someone who was big in HS and now opposite, seeing all the people that used to be so unkind to me get fat made me realize a lot of people peak in HS and then have babies with all the same people from the same class, and remain in the same dusty old town we grew up in, peaking by having children and sending them to the same schools we went to, and the cycle continues. Move out of your hometown so you don’t peak in HS from karma for picking on the fat person just to get fat yourself 😂
#9
My ex stepmother constantly bragged about being a cheerleader in high school and winning a beauty walk (in a town of like 500 people). She was still bragging about these the last time I saw her. She was in her mid 40s.
What makes people constantly brag about their success from when they were still in school is the realization that the life they have as grownups falls short, quality-wise. Maybe they’re no longer as physically fit as they used to be when they were the star quarterback or the striker for the soccer team. Perhaps they had high hopes of becoming famous, only to end up working a dead-end office job. Or they used to be social butterflies and the most popular kids in their home towns, only to end up as completely average individuals now that they’ve moved out.
Hopes get dashed. Ambitions crumble. Dreams change. Life forces you to adapt to various circumstances after you leave school. You grow to realize that you’re no longer the person you used to be in the 12th grade; nor are you exactly the person you imagined you’d grow up to be. And that’s all right! Living a good life doesn’t mean that things have to be exactly the way they were or what you wanted them to be like when you were a teenager. It all starts with getting the basics right.
#10
I grew up in a super small town, so this might not apply to others. But if I had a venn diagram of "peaked in high school" and "never left the hometown" ... it could almost be one circle.
#11
Still acting like a typical "Mean Girl" when they're damn near (or past) 30
#12
Bragging about high-school hookups in their thirties
Human beings are social animals—we need others to thrive and survive. So at the core of all the things that make life worth living are the connections we have with others. Having an active social life keeps us active and happy. According to research, they also make us healthier and live longer. Meanwhile, social isolation endangers our health and is around as bad for us as smoking.
It’s easier to form social connections at school because we’re constantly surrounded by people our age, with more or less shared interests. We spend a huge part of our day with them, going to class, eating lunch together, and attending extracurricular activities. There are plenty of opportunities to spend time with others. Going to college or university is similar.
But when we enter the workforce, we suddenly find ourselves pressed for free time, burdened with responsibilities, and dealing with people who might have completely different values, likes, and hobbies. Sure, they might be perfectly nice people, but it’s harder to forge a genuine connection from scratch. As a result, we might yearn for the days when all of our closest friends literally lived next door or a short bike ride away.
#13
"I could have joined the military and run the place but I don't do well with authority so I would have kicked a drill sergeant's a*s on day one and been terminated. Also I have a bad knee."
Uh huh, uh huh, sure.
Telepathetic 1 year ago
Drill Sergeants been there done that----he wouldn't have had a Snowballs Chance
#14
Having a "my son can beat up your honor student" bumper sticker.
and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago
Sure, sweetie, sure. *cough projecting cough cough* sorry ’bout that I got some b******t stuck in my throat.
#15
a girl my siblings and i went to hs with has put on her cheerleading uniform too many times and posted on fb to show that it still fits. it’s pretty pathetic. we’re in our late 30s/early 40s
Some other things that help you live your life to the fullest include taking good care of your health. If you get the basics right, you’re much more likely to enjoy the present, and will be much more capable of taking opportunities that come your way. And, let’s face it, it’s a lot more fun to feel energetic than it is to be constantly exhausted, always wishing for Friday (or to time travel to back when you were still in school, so you could do things ‘better this time around’).
Eat nutritious food, make sure that you move your body, spend time out in nature, have a healthy work/life balance, take breaks from overusing tech. Avoid drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating sugary snacks and fast food for every meal. It’s very simple on paper, but far harder to get right in real life when you’re bombarded with work deadlines, stress at home, and are grasping for motivation. Quality living is a habit that you have to nurture. And it’s never too late to start. Your true glory days might be right in front of you.
#16
Still acting as if the “popular” people from high school are still popular in real life.
#17
Cheer moms. I find cheer for young girls incredibly creepy because I don’t want to see your 8 year old in a tiny skirt, a face full of makeup and big hair. I think being on the squad in high school is fine because it’s an extra-curricular. The whole cheer mom cliques screams high school to me and I’m glad my daughter isn’t interested.
#18
Talking about your IQ and advanced placement classes when you umm did nothing afterwards. Like being 48 and talking about honors English. That was a minute ago, friend.
Lola Rogers 1 year ago (edited)
I confess that a lot of these posts, including this one, seem like they deserve understanding rather than scorn. Sometimes 'peaking in high school' is another way of saying that somebody's life has been harder than they expected or were prepared for.
Many of us feel nostalgic for the good old days, when we were young, full of energy, and had way fewer responsibilities than we do now. Remembering these times can give us the boost that we need to feel more optimistic about the future and to get through any challenges that we face now. However, there is such a thing as too much nostalgia.
Generally speaking, if we’re constantly living in the past, daydreaming about our childhoods, and completely neglecting our responsibilities and ambitions in the present, then there’s a problem. Just because you were a star athlete or a top-performing student a decade or two ago doesn’t mean that the rest of your life is supposed to be a pale shadow in comparison.
Something that can help you get over that kind of funk is to pay more attention to what surrounds you in your daily life. Try to think of all the things you're grateful for. Gratitude helps you hone in on the successes in the here and now. High school was (probably) great—and you’ve got decades and decades in front of you to continue to grow as a person and enjoy life to the fullest.
#19
They keep insisting for the next 30 years that they would have taken state if coach would have put them in the game.
Serial pacifist 1 year ago
"I used to be a great football talent, but the lure of hedonism and truck driving was too tempting..."
#20
One guy I knew literally got our school emblem and mascot in a huge "CLASS OF 2010" tattooed on his shoulder.
#22
I had an abusive boyfriend. One of the things he told me was how disgusting I am because I didn’t have many friends in highschool meanwhile he did. He said he was so popular and deserves someone who was popular too. He said this when he was 26.
#23
My sister is one of these. Most frustrating are these moments.
Her: "You were never good in math."
Me: "I have a degree in Robotics, a very math heavy subject."
Her: "Well, I took a high school math class that earned me college credit, so that is better than what you have."
Me: "You are comparing one high school class against an entire college degree."
Her: "I earned college credit."
Me: "Maybe...at most, three hours. And you would have to find a school that would accept those hours, and you graduated over 20 years ago. What you have is pointless."
XanthippeⓐWulf🇨🇦 🇬🇧 1 year ago
It's like when the people I grew up with give me that "so sad for you" face when they learn that I went on to be a veterinarian who works with poop and blood, and all the unmentionable horrors that can come out of an animal...and not some "kept" woman who married the crypt keeper and runs a boutique just for funsies...as they all did. My apologies for contriburing to society.
#24
The "popular girls" in my middle school used to tan. Like every f*****g day. Or so it seemed. Apparently one of their parents had a tanning bed and they would all go over there and do nothing but tan. I swear i had like 4-5 chocolate/orange girls in my class. We're talking Swedes here. They stuck out. I haven't seen any of them irl in like 15 years but judging by the few photos I've seen they didn't stop tanning..
.. Every time I see people who overdo tanning or make up or put s**t in their lips i just ... 🤦♂️🤷♂️
#25
"Hey girl hey! Do you wanna be your own boss babe while working from home?!" and its just a pyramid scheme
#26
Really average looking mums that don't say thanks if you hold a door or something, or they are standing in the middle of a thoroughfare and get confused when people are annoyed at them. Imo they were high school hot so everyone just put up with their s**t. Now father time has played his hand and they don't get treated like royalty everywhere they are awful bitches instead.
This says to me you peaked in high school
#27
Still going to every high school football game and sitting in the student section
#28
They tattooed their last name across their shoulders
Firstname Lastname 1 year ago
At least it's easier to identify dead bodies when they are already labeled
#29
Regularly reposting the same picture of the one notable moment that they had in high school.
#30
But all he kept talking about was
Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye
Glory days, glory days
What do you think ?
Nat Blinsk 1 year ago
I was very relieved to finish secondary school as I didn't enjoy it much. But this list comes across as judgmental about people who don't seem to be hurting others (for the most part). Come on BP, stop dredging Reddit and Twitter for content and go back to showcasing artists, photographers, and other talented people!
Vinchenski 1 year ago
This is just a thread of people judging other people... Let people be whoever they want to be. Stop tracking people you clearly don't like, some 20+ years after high school...
Paul K. Johnson 1 year ago
This is the most depressing Bored Panda thread ever. I can't even get through it.
Wintermute 1 year ago
Ngl. This thread is sad from every angle. A lot of these posts are just as cringey as what they're posting about.
Poppy 1 year ago
It might be because I'm from the UK but I believe that most of us turn our backs on high school as soon as it finishes. No one has organised any reunions etc, people have gone on to live their lives, have families, raise children (or not as in my case) and just forget high school. It might be because we don't have our whole identity wrapped up in the high school sports team and associated cheer leaders. We don't (or didn't) have prom or prom king and queen or class presidents etc. School was just somewhere we went to learn and then went home. It wasn't a whole social thing like it seems to be in the US. Also before you all say 'OK Boomer' I'm Gen X so whatever
Joey Marlin 1 year ago
A lot of it did feel very specific to one country! No criticism of that but just not my experience in the UK either.
Load More Replies... Shayla Katherina 1 year ago (edited)
Some of these are making me wonder why they're still keeping tabs on high school classmates they've never liked. It just sounds like they never mentally left high school either. I didn't exactly have the time of my life in high school, and tbh I've barely given any thought of the people that used to be jerks or snobby to me.
DrBronxx 1 year ago
Some of these just sound like bitter people complaining. I suppose there's something to be said for schadenfreude, but there's an element of nastiness here. I would say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with reminiscing about your past experiences if you want. The only thing to be wary of is living in them, because that isn't healthy.
Tenacious Squirrel 1 year ago
I wish people wouldn’t look down on people based on their job title, which seems to be going on a bit here. Please don’t act superior because you think your job is better than someone else’s. You don’t know what people go through or why they might have to do certain jobs.
Marcus Lynch 1 year ago
High school was four years of hell with about a weeks worth of good memories. Couldn't wait to graduate get out! Made great connections with with a few teachers and a few friends but the rest of it was instantly forgettable. I'm sure I'm not alone on this one.
Michael P. 1 year ago
Reminiscing about high school from time to time and sharing your experience when meeting new people is one thing. Making your high school experience as your personality and not having any new experiences while trying to recreate it is another.
ric carter 1 year ago
Which of my six USA high schools did I peak in? Maybe the semester in Juvenile Hall trumps graduating from an adult HS a couple years later.
Jessica N 1 year ago
After graduation I used to run into "popular" kids at parties thrown by my friends. They always looked lost, the rest of us had real friendships and they had nothing but past popularity. I'm friendly and talk to anyone and a few came up to me over the years and on Facebook saying that they wished they had the guts to just be themselves like how I was and am just ME. I was considered a little weird with my pink hair and raver goth girl clothes but I always did what I wanted, they felt pressured to be like "everyone else"
Nat Blinsk 1 year ago
I was very relieved to finish secondary school as I didn't enjoy it much. But this list comes across as judgmental about people who don't seem to be hurting others (for the most part). Come on BP, stop dredging Reddit and Twitter for content and go back to showcasing artists, photographers, and other talented people!
Vinchenski 1 year ago
This is just a thread of people judging other people... Let people be whoever they want to be. Stop tracking people you clearly don't like, some 20+ years after high school...
Paul K. Johnson 1 year ago
This is the most depressing Bored Panda thread ever. I can't even get through it.
Wintermute 1 year ago
Ngl. This thread is sad from every angle. A lot of these posts are just as cringey as what they're posting about.
Poppy 1 year ago
It might be because I'm from the UK but I believe that most of us turn our backs on high school as soon as it finishes. No one has organised any reunions etc, people have gone on to live their lives, have families, raise children (or not as in my case) and just forget high school. It might be because we don't have our whole identity wrapped up in the high school sports team and associated cheer leaders. We don't (or didn't) have prom or prom king and queen or class presidents etc. School was just somewhere we went to learn and then went home. It wasn't a whole social thing like it seems to be in the US. Also before you all say 'OK Boomer' I'm Gen X so whatever
Joey Marlin 1 year ago
A lot of it did feel very specific to one country! No criticism of that but just not my experience in the UK either.
Load More Replies... Shayla Katherina 1 year ago (edited)
Some of these are making me wonder why they're still keeping tabs on high school classmates they've never liked. It just sounds like they never mentally left high school either. I didn't exactly have the time of my life in high school, and tbh I've barely given any thought of the people that used to be jerks or snobby to me.
DrBronxx 1 year ago
Some of these just sound like bitter people complaining. I suppose there's something to be said for schadenfreude, but there's an element of nastiness here. I would say that there is absolutely nothing wrong with reminiscing about your past experiences if you want. The only thing to be wary of is living in them, because that isn't healthy.
Tenacious Squirrel 1 year ago
I wish people wouldn’t look down on people based on their job title, which seems to be going on a bit here. Please don’t act superior because you think your job is better than someone else’s. You don’t know what people go through or why they might have to do certain jobs.
Marcus Lynch 1 year ago
High school was four years of hell with about a weeks worth of good memories. Couldn't wait to graduate get out! Made great connections with with a few teachers and a few friends but the rest of it was instantly forgettable. I'm sure I'm not alone on this one.
Michael P. 1 year ago
Reminiscing about high school from time to time and sharing your experience when meeting new people is one thing. Making your high school experience as your personality and not having any new experiences while trying to recreate it is another.
ric carter 1 year ago
Which of my six USA high schools did I peak in? Maybe the semester in Juvenile Hall trumps graduating from an adult HS a couple years later.
Jessica N 1 year ago
After graduation I used to run into "popular" kids at parties thrown by my friends. They always looked lost, the rest of us had real friendships and they had nothing but past popularity. I'm friendly and talk to anyone and a few came up to me over the years and on Facebook saying that they wished they had the guts to just be themselves like how I was and am just ME. I was considered a little weird with my pink hair and raver goth girl clothes but I always did what I wanted, they felt pressured to be like "everyone else"
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