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People Reveal What 30 Things Keep Disappointing Them But They Still Haven’t Given Up On
Among the many virtues and positive qualities of humankind, persistence, perseverance, determination, and good ol’ grit are some of the most important ones. Ever!
They allow us to push forward after failure. And to move towards our goals and loftiest ambitions, step by step, even when we feel like we’re utterly lost. However, in some cases, no amount of persistence is likely to change the fact that some things simply won’t get better.
What follows is a collection of very open and honest posts made by redditors who shared the things that consistently leave them disappointed, yet they keep trying to do them anyway. From hobbies and jobs to relationships, aspirations, and beyond.
There’s a lot of bittersweet motivation here, but we hope you enjoy it, dear Pandas. When you’re done reading the posts, tell us a bit about the things that disappoint you, but you still keep at them.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Trying to explain to people that animals are sentient and shouldn't be exploited for human pleasure.
#2
Trying to make friends.
I understand Im not everyones cup of tea, but it hurts being the outcast sometimes.
I keep being friendly though.
Redditor u/es_mo’s thread on r/AskReddit went viral and got over 50.2k upvotes in just a week. They started up an important discussion about how our expectations don’t always match up with reality.
But the underlying conversation also touches upon the power of the human spirit—that there is always hope. Hope that our determination will let us succeed at that which we so desperately want.
#4
Me and my wife trying to get pregnant... took a year for our first and that constant negative test was brutal.
We have been trying a year now for a second to the same disappointment. Until last week
A rule of thumb to keep yourself content (or possibly even happy) is to manage your expectations. Generally speaking, we tend to have slightly unrealistic expectations of what might happen. While some of us are more pessimistic, others are overly optimistic.
And when those expectations don’t match up with reality, we can get disappointed. If we consistently fail to manage these expectations, that disappointment will continue. Unless, of course, we try out different strategies to try and reach our goals, and actually manage to break the cycle of failure.
Whatever the case might be, it’s best to keep expectations low. If you actually manage to get what you want, you’ll feel elated, ecstatic, and all-around wonderful. However, if there’s any deviation from what you constantly daydreamed would happen, you’ll feel a deep sense of longing and sadness. You might even start questioning your skills, even if the end result is objectively quite good.
As such, it’s best to accept things as they are. Instead of hoping that there will be a moment that everything will fall into place and be ‘perfect,’ you should strive to enjoy what’s around you. Gratitude for what you have and who you have in your life will likely make you happier. And it’s a much better alternative to being disappointed for years.
#11
Being normal.
I was diagnosed ADD, ADHD, Bipolar 1, and clinical depression at the age of 10. My whole life ive been told things i can or cant do because im bipolar. Or because i need medicine.
My entire middle school year through half of highschool was spent in a medically induced coma caused by my meds constantly making me so drowsy that i passed out all the time.
It got so bad that the principal informed all teachers to send me to the nurse, with a passing grade, to sleep. For entire school days. This is where the bullying started with rumors about drug use.
People thought i smoked weed. All through highschool i was seen as a pothead cause i was always so exhausted. Id have rocks thrown at me by people. Cinstant bullying and name calling. I kept to myself as much as i could by this point.
The few friends i had would often want nothing to do with me because i was so starved for affection from years of bullying that it made me needy. I dont blame them for wanting to keep a distance.
My whole life i begged to some sort of diety to either fix me or kill me. Sometimes i still do. Ive looked into getting a lobatomy to force some sort of cranial reset and hopefully the connections in my brain would fix themselves. Thats the dream.
Ive been in and out of therapy since the age of 15. And i only got a few mental meditation techniques from it. But other then that? Im probably worse now at the age of 30 then i was at 15. This is partly due to the texas mental healthcare system being a rotating door of garbage.
People will often tell me things like there is no normal. That normal is over rated. That im fine the way i am.
To those people i fart in their direction because there is a normal. Theres a normal of people being able to be happy without drugs or without some sort of clincal assistance. There is a normal where you dont think about horrible dark things.
I want that normal. Ive never felt it. And each time I try to get it, I get disappointed.
Know that i am safe. And you dont need to be a douche with that reddit mental health message. This was me seeing a chance to vent some pain.
Thank you for joining my TED Talk.
#15
My wife. She left me in October, and I keep hurting myself by trying to get her to come home. We have two small sons together. I am lost.
#19
Voting. Doesn't really matter who gets elected, there are still wars in the middle east, massive government debt, continual erosions of freedom, poor getting left behind, military industrial complex thriving, stupid policies enacted, politicians helping each other and their friends instead of the populace, etc. etc.
#20
Trying to have a baby. Five pregnancies in the last year and a half. One made it to 16 weeks, and I was over the moon. Then there was no heartbeat, and I used medication to produce the most tiniest, most perfect baby girl ever, which I buried in my front yard under some flowers. Sometimes I go over there and say a prayer that in an alternative universe, we are together. IVF is around 20,000 paid up front with genetic testing that I need, so I’m at an impasse and just sad as hell. I just rejoined Reddit because I just needed to say this somewhere anonymously.
#24
Finding someone with a similar libido who also sees it as an emotional connection.
#30
My job as a teacher.
What do you think ?
Beth S 2 years ago
I keep on trying to adapt to my illnesses and conditions that I have year by year. It is so hard, when I get used to one thing - something new happens then I have to grieve the loss of more health and learn to live/adapt all over again. Even something as simple as balance is a challenge to me.
ChimeraBubbles 2 years ago
Have some genuine support from someone who knows exactly what that is like. 💛
Load More Replies...
K Witmer 2 years ago
My daughter recently diagnosed w ocd. Although it's a relief we have a diagnosis it is so exhausting for her and I feel so guilty and helpless sometimes. We're doing our best and tackling it head on. Shes 19 and thinking back my poor baby has had this her whole life.
ChimeraBubbles 2 years ago
Imagine how much worse it would be if you weren't there to support her through it though. You're all just doing your best. 💙
Load More Replies...
Randy Spence 2 years ago
Mine is working in the HVAC industry expecting something other than a miserable life and shitty paycheck (well under $50k)
Veronica Sjöberg 2 years ago
Gender equity. In all fields. The older I get the more angry I become. I still believe it's possible to make changes but I constantly realize how much we have left to do.
A Jones 2 years ago
My anxiety. it's just going to be there no matter what. Things kind of got better, but I still have my dark days. Some new stuff like tics or liking to tap things come in go. They return if I have a bad day. Lot of unwanted behaviors have left as soon as I had moved away from a home that wasn't good for me. It was in a way very very toxic and hurt my trust in people. So I have a very hard time bonding with people. I'm like the opposite of affectionate. I do try, but it's not all that sincere. The most I can do is be polite.
Beth S 2 years ago
I keep on trying to adapt to my illnesses and conditions that I have year by year. It is so hard, when I get used to one thing - something new happens then I have to grieve the loss of more health and learn to live/adapt all over again. Even something as simple as balance is a challenge to me.
ChimeraBubbles 2 years ago
Have some genuine support from someone who knows exactly what that is like. 💛
Load More Replies... K Witmer 2 years ago
My daughter recently diagnosed w ocd. Although it's a relief we have a diagnosis it is so exhausting for her and I feel so guilty and helpless sometimes. We're doing our best and tackling it head on. Shes 19 and thinking back my poor baby has had this her whole life.
ChimeraBubbles 2 years ago
Imagine how much worse it would be if you weren't there to support her through it though. You're all just doing your best. 💙
Load More Replies... Randy Spence 2 years ago
Mine is working in the HVAC industry expecting something other than a miserable life and shitty paycheck (well under $50k)
Veronica Sjöberg 2 years ago
Gender equity. In all fields. The older I get the more angry I become. I still believe it's possible to make changes but I constantly realize how much we have left to do.
A Jones 2 years ago
My anxiety. it's just going to be there no matter what. Things kind of got better, but I still have my dark days. Some new stuff like tics or liking to tap things come in go. They return if I have a bad day. Lot of unwanted behaviors have left as soon as I had moved away from a home that wasn't good for me. It was in a way very very toxic and hurt my trust in people. So I have a very hard time bonding with people. I'm like the opposite of affectionate. I do try, but it's not all that sincere. The most I can do is be polite.
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