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When you're a kid and a teenager, the idea of adulthood can seem like a promise of a brand new world full of thrilling opportunities and all sorts of amazing things. You finally get your well-deserved freedom, there's absolutely nobody to tell you what to do, you can create and live your life however you want and, most importantly, you finally have the liberty to go to sleep whenever you'd like, right?

In reality, once the long-awaited adulthood finally visits, stuff tends to get a tiny bit more complicated, and this AskReddit thread with over 74k upvotes is the perfect proof of that. The thread was started by the user u/berkel-is-a-madlad who asked fellow community members "What is something that sucks about being an adult that most teenagers don’t realize?" With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look at some of the best answers we managed to find. As always, feel free to answer the question yourself in the comment section.

More info: Reddit

#1

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread For me it's watching my parents get old.

As a teenager I thought they were all about keeping me restricted and controlled. Now I realize they're just two people who never had a kid before, did the best they knew how, and fu**ed up at times like all other humans on the planet.

I never realized how much I needed them emotionally until I saw my father through his open heart surgery, and saw Parkinson's take my mother's independence.

So here I am still feeling like a teenager on the inside, staring down the barrel of 50, wondering what the hell happened.

Hemenucha , Arian Zwegers Report

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BastWren
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here's a good lesson, then. Tell your parents that you love them now, rather than after the fact when they are gone and won't know. Even with their faults (we all have them) try to appreciate them for who they are. Keep in mind that they will not be here forever; life is ephemeral and one day (whether through accident/illness, etc., or due to age) they will be gone, often suddenly. I realize that this doesn't apply the same for people who have parents from hell...I mean for everyone else.

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#2

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Planning dinner every damn night.

MelG146 , Gregory Chittim Report

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hyperunknown
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our everyday struggle - "What do you want to eat today?" - "I don't know" - "Me either" .. Not the worst problem in the world obviously but still :p

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#3

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You don't fundamentally change, you are still you, even if you are older. It's the same you, you just need to survive in the adult world.

You don't gain adult powers, you just have to do adult things.

Pontus_Pilates , Alin Mechenici Report

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Happi doggi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s like when a girl gets her first period. Does she suddenly have infinite information about it? No, she just has to figure it out and survive having it every month for the next 50 years.

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#4

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You can do whatever you want, but most of the time you either have commitments that prevent it, or you can't afford it.

[deleted] , Yamanaka Tamaki Report

#5

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread One day your body will betray you.

LeicaM6guy , Michael Sauers Report

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Nikki Sevven
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Getting hurt in your 20s means actually doing something that screwed up your body. Getting hurt in your 50s: you slept wrong.

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#6

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Being lonely. Making friends as an adult is difficult, sometimes verging on impossible. You don't see people in your age group who are doing the same things you are every day anymore.

HilariousDisaster , Alireza Borhani Report

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Alan Gale
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so real, especially where I live. If it were not for my GF, (and we do not live together) I would not know a single person irl.

Colin Matthews
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah agreed. I literally have no friends here. Sounds lame but I bet there are millions of men like us

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Alexia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes, as you grow older and wiser, you manage to distance yourself from toxic people that you used to call "friends". Better alone than with friends that constantly hurt, belittle and use you.

Mazer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is an exceptional way to get around us it’s called volunteering

Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was in my 20s I had this awesome group of friends and we used to go to the pub on weekends to drink beer and play pool. Then they all moved away to look for work, and just like that I had no-one to hang out with and no idea how to meet anyone new. The loneliness definitely contributed to my slide into severe depression which happened at around the same time. :(

Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More recently I found a new group of friends and it was awesome... except then the pandemic happened and now we're all stuck at home and can't see each other for the foreseeable future. Groan.

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jk nbt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the social skill to learn here is to have life interests in something other than yourself. Then join a club or group of people that have the same interest. You will be able to socialize with these people and have friends. It is always a shock for young people to go from a college setting where they are surrounded by people their own age and with similar shared interests to go into the working world and not have that anymore.

~hUmMuS vIbEs~
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah. I guess in school, people could see their friends everyday, but even though when you don't have to ask your parents to drive you to their house when you're an adult, you don't have that automatic socialisation.

Nikole
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Completely. Although I've recently become good friends with a woman who lives down the block from me. Sometimes being friendly and open is a good thing :)

Paula Marowsky
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank goodness! Finally you get to avoid people of your same age group!! That is the best part of being adult. Best enriching relationships are between people of different ages and interest. I' m VERY gratefull for not having to see the same people anymore

Ben
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Realising you never truly had any _friends_ growing up is way harder than making new ones as an adult.

Cori
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is where the positive side of social media can really shine. Real life friends are important and everyone needs, and deserves, a support system, but there is nothing wrong with finding comfort and a sense of belonging among like minded and/or sympathetic internet citizens.

Sebastian's Mama
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Painfully true. I'm 34 and have no friends that I can see in person, they're all on the internet, hundreds of miles away. I'm lucky to have them, but it can still feel isolating not having anyone to be in physical contact with.

Sky Render
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Conventions are a great way to deal with this, as are smaller events where everyone's meeting up due to similar interests! Past generations had local garden clubs and the like to deal with this issue. There's always a way, you just have to look for people who share your interests gathering to do so.

Kevin Camp
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is true. There is also the effort involved in it as well. Sometimes I just want to eat in peace.

Marlowe Fitzpatrik
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So go and become a geek! Geeks can geek out about their favorite things and will find other people who geek along with them. Geek out about stitching or drawing or pottery or Harry Potter - whatever. Just get passionate about something, and you'll find company. Board - games are really good for getting to meet people. Hell, even camping or fishing will give you a group to become friends with!

Vanessa Bakic
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe it depends on a person's personality too? For me I do not find this to be a probably, but that is just me and I am pushing 50.

Hannah Edwards
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hopefully, if you get to retire, this will change as you can join groups with similar interests.

Sandra Boyd
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so true, even if you do have contact with other people, you simply might not like them enough to call them friend.

Sue Myers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had school friends, then moved on to work friends, now I’m involved in social groups or I would go nuts. It’s important to know people who share your interests.

Dolevaal
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel this :I Making friends is getting harder when you get older.

Cosmetica Solist
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Luckily this is not my experience at all. I've gained many friends as an adult and continue to do so. Reading these comments I feel very fortunate about the circumstances that allow me to do so

Lunar Bicycle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’ve never had a lot of friends. I had exactly three close friends that I made in my late 20s. They all moved away more than five years ago, and l, at 50, I have no idea how to make new friends. Thank god for my wife, or my cat and my Xbox would be my only companions.

Michael Se
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And once your friends start having children, you'll never see them again.

Pheebs
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Play dates if you end up with your own kids, but yeah friends tend to disappear if you don’t follow similar life tracks.

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Paul Z.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nonsense... just open up. The way you act determines how other people react...

SPQRBob
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Two points on this though: --> the range of age defined as "your age group" keeps getting broader as you get older. --> adults have much more freedom of mobility to find groups of people who enjoy the same sorts of things you do to go hang out/make friends/form relationships with. Sure, you have to expend a little more effort than "they go to the same school as you do", but you gain a far broader pool of people to interact with than just those who live within your local school's boundaries.

Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do you know how much painful peopleing you have to do to get to the few you have anything in common with?

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somekid
Community Member
3 years ago

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keep in contact with high school and middle school friends, bang

Rench
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds easy, but it's not. Daily life gets in the way. People grow apart.

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#8

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You come home from work and you're tired and if you don't feel like making dinner, then you're not eating dinner.

lightskinkanye , Par Boman Report

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#9

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread The repetition makes you lose time. Having the same job, workout regimen, schedule in general makes days blend into one another

Edit. Thanks for all the replies. I just want to point out I didn't mean life becomes boring. I was just talking about lack of those major separators we had as children like summer vacation, new school, your first kiss, etc. Due to those major separators missing I don't recall if I did something a year ago or 3 years ago. It's a little blurry if something happened 2 weeks ago or 4 months ago. This is because once you have a career and a home you're doing a lot of similar things most days(work, chores, cooking, hobbies, etc). This is why the days start to blend into one another, at least in your memory.

TinyBig_Jar0fPickles , Chris Lott Report

#10

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread When something goes wrong or something unexpected happens, there’s no one else to deal with it.

Plugged toilet? You gotta clear it.

Car outta gas? You gotta fill it.

Run out of clean undies? You gotta do laundry.

From small things to massive things, there’s no one to make it go away but you.

mswoodie , Chiot's Run Report

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#11

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread That ordering food is actually expensive and your parents weren’t lying to you

soundecember , Ingrid Taylar Report

#12

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread There’s never enough time for all the things you need to do. Definitely not enough time for the things you want to do

GiraffeMother , Claire Thompson Report

#13

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Life revolves around grocery shopping, preparing food, washing dishes, doing laundry, vacuuming and tidying up. It does not stop, don't let it pile up for the weekends or else you waste your weekends stuck indoors.

Alcohol is not your friend, it does not have the answers you are looking for, and usually gets you in even more trouble. Drink with friends to celebrate, don't drink alone in silence.

MostProbablyWrong , Julie Jordan Scott Report

#14

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread A $1000 pay check isn’t nearly as exciting as an adult

ecitruoc , Gunnar Wrobel Report

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Robert T
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thank you, but I don't want to be paid in adults, if its all the same to you. Cold hard cash will be just fine. ;-)

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#15

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread When all the cliches that used to piss you off start making sense and meaning something, but you can’t explain it to younger people because they haven’t lived that life experience yet.

SmokeyFlannel , pxfuel Report

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As I age I just find those cliches more and more reductive and less helpful.

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#16

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread People expect you to know what you're doing.

PmMeYourHotA** , Michal Hantl Report

#17

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Each day is desperately short. Work consumes 75% of the time you’re awake. And the time you’re free is spent doing chores and being tired. Hobbies slowly cease to exist and you just start to look for quick escapes.

goingrogueatwork , George Redgrave Report

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Ozacoter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Usually if you work 40h and dont have children you still have some time. I worked a very physical job in my late 20s full time and still had time to game in the weekends. But if you have kids yeah no free time.

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#18

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread That you had no idea what you were talking about when you were a teenager

BoomChocolateLatkes , Liz Henry Report

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Caro Caro
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was 14 and my mum bought me a poster. It said: "Oh Lord, help me to keep my big mouth shut until I know what I am talking about". HAHAHA

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#19

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Dental care. It’s so damn expensive if you let your teeth degrade. Please floss my dudes.

[deleted] , Tetsumo Report

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smugdruggler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, if I could go back in time and give myself some advice I would say "look after your teeth and take care of your back".

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#20

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Forgetting your age is a real problem. The only people who remind me how old I am are my kids, and i often have to double check. I used to ask my parents how old they were and they always "cant remember" or said "21" and it confused me. I get it now.

magicatom_87 , Ben+Sam Report

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AJ
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally agree! I can tell my age approximately, or I can quickly calculate it, but no way remembering it right just like that.

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#21

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Even though February is the shortest month, the rent is still the same

whycantifindmyname , Alex Lin Report

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Charlie grace
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I knew someone whose tenant thought she didn't need to pay rent when she went on holiday for 2 weeks because she wouldn't be there :)

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#22

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You know all those things you thought you would do when you were out on your own? They cost money, and you have to work for it...

AmericanExpat76 , Evan Bench Report

#23

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread The adult part.

The moment you need to pay for everything and the realization that fresh food spoils faster than you ever noticed before was eye opening

OneMorePotion , gerlos Report

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#24

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread The importance and scarcity of time. Your "you time" gets seriously reduced as you get older and your other responsibilities mount up. I used to think that spending half an hour cleaning 3 times a week was the worst thing ever. Now I spend about an hour cleaning pretty much every day. Between work, maintaining a house, and raising kids, the amount of you time gets reduced to.minutes a day. Anything else you want to do means sacrificing sleep.

The other thing is how true "time=money" actually is. Simply existing and breathing costs money. Food, rent, bills, transport cost money. Often the difference between happiness and unhappiness for me was comfortably making it to my next paycheck.

MontiBurns , Shadow Byrd Report

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Caro Caro
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be higher up. Time goes down the toilet especially with kids.

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#25

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Adult acne. It doesn’t magically go away when you turn 18

PoorCorrelation , Caitlin Regan Report

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AJ
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also you might get occasional pimples or even acne even if you already have wringles. Sadly they don't opt each others out.

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#26

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You need to be mentally prepared for the "benchmarks" in your life to not happen or for them to not happen on the right schedule. The big events in your life up to now have been driven and put into place largely by governments and parents and teachers. This is by design - to slowly teach you the relationship between efforts and results. The accomplishments you have laid out as an adult in front of you are largely up to you, and your place in society has a lot more to do with luck than you'd probably like to think.

As a teenager you tend to think "I will get married at 28, have a kid at 30 and 33, but only after I've graduated from the elite engineering program of my choice." You may not achieve any of those things, and the obsession with delivering them on schedule will cause you deep frustration or even grief. You may not find a spouse, or have a child, or own a house, or even remain relatively healthy.

Learn to give yourself a break now before you spend years of your life grieving the future you believe you screwed yourself out of.

HollyHobbyOxenfree , bryan anthony Report

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#27

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread The pain. Bodies start breaking down.

hamhead , Christophe Laurent Report

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RMA
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have arthritis and it came as a really unpleasant revelation that it can cause random pains, in various places, so sharp that you may accidentally cry out. Plus the everyday pain, but sitting in a taxi and suddenly yelping is embarrassing.

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#28

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Forty eight here

Bills don't stop or go away. Ever.

Work sucks. That's why they pay you to do it because nobody's doing that bullsh*t for free. Think of it as a means to your life and avoid it becoming your identity.

The term "work life balance" is HR code for "We own you. You're at our disposal 24/7/365"

Nobody owes you a damn thing and ain't nobody gonna give you nothing for free. They're much more likely to try to take what you have.

If not married, we're pretty sexually promiscuous and don't always adhere to the strict rules that we put on you - except that we're generally better with birth control and usually more fastidious about STD status.

You can choose one of two paths - shi**y life now or shi**y life later. The one thing I'd change about everything is to choose the shi**y life early on. Living life all YOLO or whatever you kids say when I was in my twenties came with consequences that persisted for decades and will likely render me unable to ever retire.

Time accelerates. Forty is but a blink away. So seize the opportunity you have today because it'll be gone in an instant.

stupidlyugly , Karl Bedingfield Report

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#29

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Metabolism does not go brrrrrrr

beefyboi6996 , Timothy Krause Report

#30

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You're at a time in your life when you see your friends almost every day at school. That should be cherished, because it's vastly simpler than maintaining friendships as you enter adulthood and you don't have that constant contact.

Life as an adult is change, most of it outside of your control. People change, circumstances shift...all of that work you put into your adult friendships can vanish in an instant, and you just have to adapt and move on.

dartblaze , Dan DeLuca Report

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Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had friends once upon a time. Now I live in trump country, finding someone with whom i have anything in common is just not going to happen.

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#31

Money loses value QUICKLY as you get older. Give me $1000 at 15 and I would have been in heaven buying video games and gadgets candy and all sorts of stupid nonsense. Give me $1000 at 36 and it's going towards paying off the crushing debt that comes with adulthood and car repairs that I've put off way too long and all sorts of totally un-fun things.

GWindborn Report

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SPQRBob
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This. Sometimes I still get money as a gift from family as they would rather let me pick out something I want most for myself... --> Apparently, what I want most is lower credit card bills.

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#32

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread By the time you're 30 you are going to be lucky to see whatever close friends you have left more than a couple times a year. And it's considered normal.

tallandlanky , Helder Ribeiro Report

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AJ
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This means you can have close friends, and they remain your closest, BESTEST friends even though you don't see each others regularly. And you can count on you can rely on them in the biggest things. Growing up is like burden lifted from one's shoulders for introverts!

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#33

You can't just quit your job if you dont like it.

elk_eel Report

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MB
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I disagree…I spent years working a job I hated and was miserable. People have to stop putting this idea into others heads. You can leave whatever job, whenever you want, you just have to do it the right way and make sure you don’t leave yourself stranded. But their is no reason to stay at a job if your not happy with it. No way. Get the hell out as soon as you can. Work is not supposed to suck.

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#35

coming home from work and still work at home

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#36

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You will be held accountable. No excuses, no blaming.

keltoy1549 , Widener University Delaware Law School Report

#37

Money adds up quick. You see something cheap that you want as a teen and think “It’s only $5.” Yes it is only $5, but when the end of the month comes, all those “only” purchases add up really fast.

Darkjeremy1992 Report

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#38

Waking up and just aching for non discernible reason other than having slept ‘a bit funny’.

Oh, and the 3 day hangovers that make it barely worth drinking more than a couple glasses of wine

[deleted] Report

#39

Losing your identity and sense of purpose once you graduate and enter a job that sucks up all your time.

You have no energy to pursue the hobbies or interests you once had. You're also no longer able to be the Smart Kid or the Theatre Kid or the Jock or whatever -- you're just another depressed 20-something trying to survive, playing 1 hour of a video game you'll never finish per night just to feel something in between cooking, chores, and your depressingly early bedtime.

Morveniel Report

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Patti Vance
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the identity thing was something that i realized back in high school. i was a military brat so that meant i ended up moving/living in areas that other kids were born and raised. some of the 'townies' were so wrapped up with their position in the community - like the 'mayor's daughter' or the 'doctor's son' and acted like the rest of us needed to acknowledge they were 'special'. i called this the big fish in the little pond syndrome and always wondered how they were going to handle the real world when there would be bigger fish that could snap them up easily

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#40

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Discipline is very hard to maintain when you are lacking purpose.

When you are a teenager there’s so much you think you can achieve:

“I’ll get into that college.”

“I’ll get that degree.”

“I’ll land that cool job after.”

“I’ll date that person who will fulfill me.”

However, what happens when those things fail and you have to readjust? What if the idea of progress turns into an idea of just sustainment?

My advice to teenagers: The most important thing you need to work towards figuring out as you enter into early adulthood is your purpose. It can change over time of course, but never be without it.

MG_Scott12 , Alan Levine Report

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#41

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Everything you buy starts to own you.

Got a new car? You now have to make a monthly payment, buy insurance, fill with gas, get inspected, change the oil, apply for a street parking permit, ect.

Just bought a house? Well on top of your mortgage, insurance and property taxes you now have to: mow your lawn, clean the building, maintain all of your appliances, repair damages when they are small so you don’t have to spend as much, possibly follow HOA rules, ect.

I just wanna get drunk and play video games, but I can’t because my refrigerator broke 2 days ago, and there’s a shortage of fridges because of COVID. So I had to borrow my college aged cousins mini-fridge. So now I’m on back order for 3 weeks waiting for something I just spent $2500 on to arrive.

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#42

Your "back up" is mostly gone. When you're a teen and screw up you can usually go to your parents to help you out of the hole you've put yourself in. As an adult that isn't there, whatever screw up is yours to dig yourself out of. Phone bill you can't pay? Ask mum for a loan (17 or 18) Phone bill you can't pay at 25 and it's an hour on the phone getting transferred to multiple people to ask for an extension which may be denied so instead of normal food you plan your meals to be plain rice or ramen for a week because an unpaid phone bill creates late fees and black spots on your credit. As an adult credit becomes more important than food for a week.

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Heather Menard
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rent, car payment, food for animals,then what ever I have left over pays the rest of the bills

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#43

You can't really ever "relax"

If you are just chilling, its because you deliberately carved that time for yourself or you are ignoring some things. It is complelty possible to structure your life to have down time but it takes serious effort while when you're a teenager its just there naturally.

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Kay blue
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is me today, I have a list as long as my arm of chores that need doing but I'm too tired to move today. Unfortunately this means that I will have even more to do tomorrow assuming I feel well enough to do it. Being an adult with a chronic illness really sucks.

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#44

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread You can count your friends on one hand and most of those have been grandfathered in.

pikaoku , Moss Report

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jk nbt
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

you can have 20 great friends when you are 20, but you will be lucky to have one real friend when you are 29...

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#45

Beer and pizza catch up to you fast...

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Bob Belcher
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Key here is to learn moderation. Beer and pizza once a month or so is fine. Once a week, no. Order a hamburger from somewhere? Don't get fries, get veggies. Popeyes chicken sandwich? Bring it home, toss the buns and wrap it in lettuce. Just as good. You'll find little changes help a lot more than doing some stupid fad diet.

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#46

Adult freedom and responsibilities are a double edge sword. You now can make pretty much all your own life choices, from the small to the large! You can set out and make your own destiny.

But you are also responsible for the outcome of all those choices - both good and bad. It's your life now, you don't have anyone to tell you what the right choice is. You can call friends and family for advice and there are lots of scammers out there who will tell you 110% they know the answer if you pay them.

But ultimately it is YOUR decision. You either make a choice or don't (and not choosing is still a choice) then have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life.

Even as a teen, you are present with choices as you start to get some of your own freedom.

But as an adult - yep it's all up to you, both good and bad.

You will make mistakes. You will be scared into indecision. But you should face up to hose mistakes and move on. Eventually you will have to make a choice.

But with some fore thinking, planning, hard work and a bit of dumb luck - you can hopefully steer your life in a positive direction.

And it's never too late for a second chance or to try a different direction.

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Tim Douglass
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, it definitely gets to be too late for changing directions. Try having kids. As soon as that decision is made your entire life is shaped by it. I suppose you can be a total jerk and just walk away from your children, but realistically there are lots of decisions you will make as you go into adulthood which will follow you all your life with no real options ever open because of that decision.

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#47

I make a lot of money. Far more than I did when I was a teen. Most of that money is lost in bills and taxes.

*some people are trying to poke at the phrase "a lot of money". Although, I do make a decent salary and have a great promotion potential...I'm not rich. The phrase "a lot of money" here is relative to what a teenager might make. For example, a teen making no more than $20K a year would be shocked by a $60K annual salary. It's not meant to brag.

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You kidding me
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You would be at poverty level here in California if all you make is 60K a year. You would barely be able to pay your rent and live in the worst area and never be able to buy a house, ever!

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#48

Life is long and complicated. You can never truly get a fresh start. Things wear you down over time.

And you just get so tired. Getting excited about things is hard, and when you’re an adult and you get excited about something, there’s usually another adult in line that is ready to tear you down for it. Just because they’re shi**y and the only thing they get excited about, these days, is shi**ing on others.

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BastWren
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The second part sounds like more of a personal issue of that person's and not what happens when you become an adult.

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#49

40 Bitter Truths About Being An Adult That Usually Don't Cross Teens' Minds, As Pointed Out In This Viral Thread Always prepare for the worst.

Keep seeing more people that fought hard for their dream job. Now they’re miserable.

[deleted] , Stephanie Young Merzel Report

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Blarrg
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't prepare for the worst, but do be careful and intentional about what will make you happy. Lots of people spend their lives working toward things that are ultimately empty.

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