23 Adults Share Their Wise Words Of Advice For The Younger Generation
1. This is great
If you are more fortunate than others, it’s better to build a longer table than a taller fence.
2. Basically
A lot of people can get away with not studying in high school.
Way less people can get away with not studying in college.
3. Most of us, anyway
Very few people truly know exactly what they’re doing. There’s no set age to have it all figured out. Most of us are just making it up as we go along.
4. I don’t get spinnas
There is no greater indicator of poverty and poor financial decisions than custom wheels on your car.
5. Realize it now, you’ll thank yourself later
In high school people will praise you a lot if you are gifted. After high school people only give a shit about you if you work hard.
Don’t be lazy. Being talented doesn’t mean shit if you aren’t willing to work your ass off.
6. Except for opinions
You’re not entitled to anything.
7. We’ll always be kids
There is no such thing as “the real world” and frankly, I have yet to meet an adult. Everyone pretends that somewhere between 18 and 25, we all grow up, learn how to do things and act like functional normal people. That is all bullcrap. No one knows what they are doing, we are all bumbling around making fools of ourselves and there is also no such thing as normal. You will find that the struggles you thought you would leave behind in high school follow you everywhere, all that changes are the stakes. Instead of gossiping about who kissed who, you gossip about who divorced who. Instead of the popular kids being determined by athletic ability, it’s determined by money and power. Instead of trying to impress a teacher to get a good grade, you are trying to impress a boss to be able to put food on the table. All the while, you put on a front trying to act cool, calm and collected and wondering why the hell you are the only one who doesn’t have their shit together. What teenagers need to know is that you will never have your shit together and that’s okay so stop trying to grow up and find this magical real world and just enjoy the good things and try to be a good person regardless of age.
8. Cooking
Learn to cook. Save yourself some money.
9. Rosebud;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!;!
Things cost money. I know this sounds stupid but it’s true. You will spend a little here and there and then suddenly you realize you are down a lot of money.
10. Until you find a job you actually enjoy
Imagine your most boring class. The class with the most pointless busy work. The class with the teacher who makes you want to stab a pencil through your eye.
Now imagine you are in that class all day. Monday to Friday. All year. No summer vacation. No spring break. Just that one dull terrible soul-destroying class. For the rest of your life.
That’s what it’s like to work a job you hate
11. Or don’t get caught, you know?
Don’t do illegal things because jail sucks really bad.
12. Hoard some TP
Always keep track of how much toilet paper you have. Also, buy a plunger before you need one.
13. We’re all fucked!!!!!!
As a young child, you think adults know everything. When you’re a teenager, you think you know everything. When you’re an adult, you realize that neither you nor anyone else knows anything.
14. RULE OF LIFE: BE ATTRACTIVE
No matter how hard it gets, the majority of the time it’s best to try and be good to another person, even if they don’t deserve it.
The vast majority of your current cares don’t matter.
I know you might not want to care about your appearance, but it does matter. It can be quite frustrating, but looking and dressing good opens a lot of doors.
15. Stab them with laughter, bury them in smiles
“Kill ’em with kindness.”
That was said to me when i first started working for a retail store. I always thought it was the pussy way out. The trick is to be able to stand your ground while being completely respectful and confident of yourself.
16. You’ll notice that they quickly become bald and get a beer belly
Plenty of people you think are cool right now will grow up to be losers.
Also, as an adult, no one has ever asked me what my gpa was.
17. Credit cards and little income makes your life miserable
Debt will make you not want to live anymore.
18. Thank god for state schools
I wish someone really reinforced into my head before I chose colleges. The difference between a “brand name” school and a good state school is negligible. The difference in price is worth decades of debt.
19. Are you brave enough to be an adult?
That anything is a dildo if you are brave enough.
20. Snowflakes always end up melting
Don’t delude yourself in any job you might do, because:
YOU ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE EXPENDABLE.
With very, very, few people being an exception to this.
21. Here’s some advice within an advice in an article about advice
I’ll repeat something I’ve heard before from an attorney that I think puts this very well and is superb advice:
“Don’t fight with cops, not in the street. You will lose and it will hurt. The way you fight the cops and win is in court with a lawyer. No, it doesn’t matter if you’re right or not, it doesn’t matter if you weren’t breaking the law or they were, it doesn’t matter. If you’re about to be gravely injured or killed then, and only then, should you even think about it, then it’s self-defense (you might still lose in court but it’s better than being dead or paralyzed). Otherwise don’t ever fight the cops unless it’s in court, with a lawyer. That’s how you fight them and (maybe) win.”
22. Please read this over and over and over again
1. Learn Cost Benefit Analysis and use it as much as you can. Some battles aren’t worth fighting, even if you’re “right.” Learn which things are worth the time and effort and which things should be let go. You’ll find that most battles people fight are a giant waste of time, money and energy. Make sure you have a goal worth pursuing.
2. Learn empathy. You don’t know what makes people act the way they do. If you try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, you might find yourself acting a bit more compassionately. While you’re at it, try being kinder to people. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Don’t take every slight against you so personally. Don’t take yourself so seriously–no else does.
3. Learn to manage money. Learn to save, even if it’s a little bit at a time. You don’t have to immediately spend every cent you have. If you can start to put aside a few dollars on a regular interval now, you have a much easier time later in life. Many hardships in life are due to people not being able to manage money effectively. While you’re at it, learn how to use debt effectively. It can be an asset or a liability.
4. Learn to reevaluate and admit when you’re wrong. It’s never too late to retreat from an incorrect path. Don’t waste your time doing the wrong thing.
5. Avoid drama and toxic people. There’s plenty of naturally occurring misery, there’s no need to add more. Learn to de-escalate situations. Also, learn the difference between an inconvenience and an emergency and respond accordingly. (Hint: emergencies involve a hospital, jail or morgue. Everything else is an inconvenience.) Don’t overreact.
6. Don’t lose yourself trying to impress others. The people you try to impress in high school won’t remember your name the day after graduation. Don’t take it personally, you probably won’t remember their names either.
7. You are the average of the people you choose to surround yourself with. Choose wisely and you’ll excel. Choose poorly and you’ll fail.
8. Appreciate what you have, even if it’s not everything you want. Even on your worst day, there are billions of people who would give everything they’ve ever had in order to trade places with you on your “worst day.”
9. Attitude is everything. You can be negative or positive about almost anything.
10. It’s okay to party and have fun, but don’t make that your only reason for living. Don’t squander your education. It’s one of the only things someone can’t take from you.
23. This is from me
Don’t complain about free service.
