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Hindsight is always 20/20, and the Reddit post that asked the question "What are some things you realized too late in life?" is a testament to this fact. Its comment section is filled with thousands of responses from people of all ages, sharing the biggest lessons they've learned so far.
Some of the replies center around the theme of missed opportunities, like not pursuing your passion or spending more time with loved ones while others focus on the importance of self-care and personal growth. But when looking at it as a whole, the thread serves as a powerful reminder that our time on this planet is short, and we should strive to make every day count with intention and purpose.
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#1
Its ok to catch yourself in your own BS. That's not you failing, its you being self aware and that will make you a better person.
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#2
Don't set yourself on fire to keep others warm.
Ranger Kanootsen 1 year ago
Same goes for the reverse: Don't set others on fire to warm yourself.
#3
Getting married and having kids is not "the ultimate life goal". Only do it if you really want to. Otherwise you'll do it just because it's expected of you and you'll be trapped in a very unhappy life
#4
Dont try to hang on to a toxic friendship just because of your history.
Yaksha_maan 1 year ago
Don’t hang on to toxicity. Period. Be it freinds , siblings, parents, partner, employer etc
#5
Doing well in school doesn't mean you will do well outside of it.
Ranger Kanootsen 1 year ago
I didn't do well in school, and I still don't do well. Where does that leave me?
#7
Just because you put effort and energy into a relationship, doesn’t mean the other person will.
Yaksha_maan 1 year ago
some people fall in love with the wrong people sometimes,it’s alright Listen to this song
#8
Don’t make other people’s lives your standard for living. Love what you have and love the people that support you
Yali-girl with weird name 1 year ago
There are literally 8 billion people in the world and none of them act or think the same whatsoever , don’t try to mimic any of them
#9
Take care of your teeth.
Yaksha_maan 1 year ago
Dentist appointments are damn costly in us so make sure you don’t need them
#10
Doctors are just people, and people are sometimes bias, useless, dismissive and just plain wrong.
#11
“I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them.”
#13
I thought people didn't like me because I was nerdy and all. Turns out the problem was that I never gave them a chance because I assumed they wouldn't like me.
#14
Don't assume people won't do to you what you wouldnt do to them.
#15
You don't need someone else to feel complete. There was never a hole to begin with. It was just you finding your way through life. You don't start with a hole, you start with foundation and build up.
#16
Some people are not meant to be in your life forever
#17
'If something's worth doing, it's worth doing badly.'
It's really easy to get into the mindset of thinking that things have to be perfect, but that's also the kind of mindset that leaves you meticulously editing the first five thousand words of that novel you've been working on for half a decade. Sit down and finish the f*****g thing, *then* worry about fixing it up.
Perfect is the enemy of good.
Dan Padgett 1 year ago
My most hated term "good enough". But yeah, designers are never finished, we tend to abandon work because otherwise we would go insane.
#18
Eating healthy and being active actually matters
Imani Nzombe 1 year ago
Yup. My grandmother who witnessed 3 wars died at the age of 105 in a "poor area" by western standards, just by living in a village up in the mountains which requires lots of exercise, and eating nothing but a bit of meat and vegetables from her garden (no processed food)
#19
That expecting others to act how you would in that situation does not work.
#21
I was so afraid of failing that I stopped trying. I know now it's okay to be afraid but it's no excuse to give up. I'm 28 years old and just finished my first quarter of college with all A's. When I saw my grades I cried for a long time because I realised the biggest thing holding me back was me. It took time and a lot of therapy for me to get here but that's okay. Everyone grows at a different pace.
Groaver Andout 1 year ago
I've got to say; those 28 years must have been hard. Look at all those grey hairs!
#22
Nobody has all the answers. Everyone is just trying to make sense of things the best they can
#23
Being jealous or resentful of other people’s success is a negative weight on your back that serves no purpose.
There’s room for others to succeed as well as yourself. Work hard, be happy for others and patiently wait for your turn to come up.
Samara Messer 1 year ago
I got a lot of this from my mom when I was in school. She did a lot to try and sabotage what I was working toward and tried to keep me from anything I was passionate about. Missed out on a lot of opportunities because of her. My grandmother stepped in and had my back when she could but was only able to do so much.
#25
Don't let anxiety rule your life.
All those people looking at you at a dance, the gym, the beach, work, school. It just doesn't matter. Half the people won't remember you in five minutes. Very few are actually judging you and even if they are, f**k them. Do what makes you happy and helps you and leave regrets behind you. You are your own best friend. You are the love of your life. If you are happy with yourself, you win.
And if you're not happy, find help to fix it.
#26
Being assertive and taking care of your own needs doesn't make you an a*****e and people aren't going to hate you for it.
#27
The chances of you growing up to be something big is very unlikely.
And if you do accomplish something huge, it's even more unlikely that you'll keep that success for too long.
Be grateful for being average because it's very hard to do the basic things it takes to maintain a stable lifestyle that's nowhere near the "american dream".
#28
That very few people actually wake up in the morning thinking: 'Hey, I'm going to be an a*****e and make someone else's life hell today'. Most of us think our behavior is justified.
Imani Nzombe 1 year ago
As someone who has been "toxic" or at least not not cool, I can relate. It's more being very very self-centered. It took me time (and people not cutting ties with me) to realise my behaviour was not justified, but during the whole ordeal I was convinced I was in my right
#29
Your stomach isn’t supposed to hurt all the time. I was knee-deep in denial for a while when I first started developing symptoms of Crohn’s Disease.
Side note: if you are in your late teens or early 20s and are having persistent stomach/gut pain, go to the doctor as soon as you possibly can. It could save you a lot of pain and surgery down the line.
Imani Nzombe 1 year ago
As one of of the 90% women with endometriosis who were diagnosed too late, to the point where I might never be able to have kids: if periods hurt a lot, if bleeding is consequent to the point it prevents from doing usual tasks --> go see a doctor, insist and ask for an echography to be performed. It is not normal to endure significant pain when having your periods.
#30
I should have traveled more when I was younger and single. If you’re in your early twenties, don’t waste time. Travel as MUCH as you can. If you time it perfectly, you can travel anywhere on a small budget. Don’t make excuses. Just do it.
What do you think ?
Elvalliant 1 year ago
There's "family" and there's "Family". Took me a while to differentiate the two.
Becca Kuehn 1 year ago
I learned that lesson also. I have the most amazing loving family now. I'm only biologically related to a few members of my family.
Load More Replies...
JD 1 year ago
I lived overseas for 20 years, rarely visited home. On my return, my niece decided on a small wedding. Was getting herself aĺl worked up because we're a huge family. My advice? Can't plse everyone so just please yourself and i got culled from the guest list. Oooff. Least she took my advice.
Elvalliant 1 year ago
There's "family" and there's "Family". Took me a while to differentiate the two.
Becca Kuehn 1 year ago
I learned that lesson also. I have the most amazing loving family now. I'm only biologically related to a few members of my family.
Load More Replies... JD 1 year ago
I lived overseas for 20 years, rarely visited home. On my return, my niece decided on a small wedding. Was getting herself aĺl worked up because we're a huge family. My advice? Can't plse everyone so just please yourself and i got culled from the guest list. Oooff. Least she took my advice.
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