The other day, Reddit user u/General_Ad4617 asked fellow redditors, "What are some of the life perspectives that changed while you grew older?" And buckle up — these responses might get you thinking.
Here are some of the most eye-opening ones:
1. "That everything I did had to be perfect. Most of the time, 'good enough' is just that — good enough."
2. "I spent a lot of time when I was younger worrying about what other people thought of me, when actually, most people are just thinking about themselves and worrying about what other people think of them."
3. "Just because I find something easy to do doesn't mean it comes easily to others."
"Just because someone else can do something doesn't mean I can. I only fully understood this in my 40s."
4. "I became a less judgmental person as I grew older."
"The fact that I used to make comments without thinking about others' feelings or situations made me realize how much of a jerk I was. I regret all of it, of course, but we all go through situations where we are judged without thinking. Looking at other people’s perspectives changed my life entirely."
5. "People don't grow up just because they get older."
6. "What I’m looking for in a partner. ... Looks matter a lot less now. Character is now at the top."
"Looks were at the top of the list. I put up with mean girls treating me badly because they looked like models. It affected my confidence and trust in the long run."
7. "Time moves so fast. From ages 1 to 17, it takes forever. From 18 to 20, it feels like a month. From 20 to 30, it feels like a week."
8. "Happiness is only possible when you act in ways that make you happy — not in ways that impress other people."
9. "For the most part, it doesn't matter what strangers think of you."
10. "You don't have to be special."
"As kids and young adults, it's easy to fall into the trap that you have to be in some way exceptional or special, particularly if you're a 'smart kid.' ... You don't have to start a company, invent something exceptional, become famous, be an influencer, make waves, be the best at anything, or be someone with a Wikipedia page. It's OK to be average or a little above average; that's not failure, that's life."
11. "That you don’t have to struggle alone to be strong."
"Took me a long time to realize the strongest thing I could do was admit I needed help and take steps to surround myself with people to help and support me instead of trying to push them away."
12. "When I was young, I thought that all I needed to be successful in life was money. Everything around me seemed to be blocked by money."
13. "No one really knows what they’re doing at any stage in life."
"We’re all just going along, hoping that what we’re doing will work out in the end."
14. "Sometimes your parents are right."
15. "Getting it right is more important than being right."
"I used to go to great lengths to prove others wrong just so I could say, 'Look at me! I’m right! Me so smart!' Then I realized that it doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong — and no one remembers. Essentially, forget the trivial matters of the past; just try to be happy in the present."
16. "Loneliness doesn’t stop when we are surrounded by people. It stops when we are seen for who we truly are."
17. "Being alone is not being lonely! I love being around people, but I enjoy being alone as well!"
18. "The world's problems do not solely rest on my shoulders. I can do things at my own pace to get to where I want to be eventually."
And finally...
19. "'When I'm older...' never comes."
"'I'll learn how to do that when I'm older.' 'I'll go traveling when I'm older.' 'I'll buy that thing when I'm older.' Do it now. Don't wait, or else you'll be saying, 'I wish I did that when I was younger.' Trust me."
What do you think? Which life perspectives have changed for you as you've gotten older? Let us know in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.