Listen up kiddies! The people who have lived it know better. It is just fact! Of course when our hormones were raging we didn't listen either, but don't repeat our mistakes. When you are a teen you think you're invincible and the world is an open journey. Use your seatbelt and a condom. Start learning about politics and for the love of God..... get good grades. You will regret utilizing high school.
Redditors u/Mjagos09 wanted all the grown ups to sit down give out some wisdom by asking..... Adults of reddit, what is something every teenager needs to know?Don't know it all...
Seth Meyers Whatever GIF by Late Night with Seth MeyersGiphyAdults don't have it all figured out.
They are just used to the fact that they are not and are usually quite good at hiding it.
Dealing with your emotions will become easier as you grow.
Even if someone says that their high school years were the best time of their life, doesn't mean that yours should necessarily be, there's a high chance your best years are far ahead of you.
Not You
2 related messages.
- almost nobody gives a crap about you
- that is amazing news. Kryten_2X4B_523P
I always used to cringe when I remembered an embarrassing situation that happened to me, because I would worry about what others thought of me. Nowadays I don't really care and I always keep in mind that everyone has been through some embarrassing things as well, which means they probably cringe more about themselves than me, the same way I cringe about myself and totally forget about others.
Tell the Truth
Parents mess up too. Good parents openly admit their wrongs and use it as a teaching moment.
This! Apologize to your kids if you mess up! I can't tell you how many times I have yelled or placed blame when I shouldn't have. I always, always apologize and explain-- we are only human and we mess up too.
When you don't apologize to your kids, you teach them to be unapologetic when they are grown as well.
The Best
schitts creek dancing GIF by CBCGiphyI came here to say what my father told me the day before I started high school- don't ever let anyone tell you that this is the "best time of your time". Yeah you should enjoy this time, its fun because you start to get more independence and start to become your own person but life SHOULD keep getting better and more interesting as you get older.
the clean-up
Basic household "management". Learn how to cook a couple of meals, know when to tidy/clean up a bit etc. Speaking from someone who moved out at 18 and had no clue. Oh and look after yourself physically and mentally.
The summer before I went to university, my mom gave me a bootcamp in adult self-reliance.
I did the laundry, the dishes, cooked most meals and kept a big chunk of the house clean.
She also required me to demonstrate at least three or four main meals, a breakfast, and a dessert to a decent standard.
She wanted to be sure that when I was living under my own steam I'd be able to look after my space and feed myself more than just toast and instant noodles.
Turns out, most of the people I lived with in university couldn't do half of that, and the best way to make friends in university is to offer chocolate cupcakes on day one.
Years & Years.....
Right now you have a massive span of life in front of you. Enjoy it. But remember ten or twenty years from now you're going to be much happier if you both had fun and also thought ahead.
Read. Exercise. Hug your friends. Show your loved ones you love them, whatever that means to you.
This thread might be filled with ways to be a responsible adult and a successful person. Try as hard as you can to be a happy one too.
Edit: Thanks for the awards, and thanks for being you. Sorry for the typo. And yes, maybe wait til Covid is over before hugging everyone? Just keep it in mind for when things are better.
be crazy.....
You will make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes will be huge. But, that's ok. Whatever problem that mistake produced, it's only temporary. You can correct it. It may not be easy and it may take time, but you can do it.
wicked GIF by NBCJust.... Don't.....
Don't blow your student loan on drugs.
Don't blow your load in someone you don't want kids with.
Don't blow off family/friend gatherings. They won't be around forever.
Don't blow your cool if you can help it. It rarely solved anything.
back in the day...
sexy high school GIFGiphyYou won't give a crap about things that happened in high school when you're in college/working.
Keep Running
I played sports in high school and I was a pretty good runner. I was also a musician in the school band. Now in my 30s the only thing I still care about from high school is that I wish I hadn't let myself get out of shape, or stop playing music. Those things become harder to find the time to improve at as you get older.
I did eventually start running again to lose weight and I'm still a runner today but I'm no where near as good.
be okay....
notorious julia george GIF by The Paley Center for MediaGiphyDon't compare yourself to others too much. No matter how perfect someone may seem, they're not. Nobody is. Everybody has flaws and makes mistakes. You're okay.
Make a Mess
Learn how to screw up. We spend too much of our lives trying to do everything right, but the best lessons come from learning from our mistakes.
I'm reading the Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson right now. He does a really good job explaining why only pursuing positive experiences in life is itself a negative experience. I highly recommend anyone who is interested to read the book.
Feeling Good
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.
To add to that, you gotta take care of yourself. Not just your physical self, your mental health too.
The world will ignore it but you gotta protect and care for yourself like you would for a close friend. Even if you have tons of friends, be your own best friend too. Look out for that dude, he'll thank you later for it.
HR Issues
No matter where you work, HR is not your friend.
This was a rude awakening for me working for a so-called social justice organization and learning that behind the scenes its just a company that runs a low-wage front line like any other company. old fashioned worker exploitation.
Simply the Best
Youre The Best GIF by Rhino RecordsGiphyIf somebody tries to tell you "these are the best years of your life", that's absolute horse-crap. Your quality of life and how much fun you are allowed to have is not dictated by your age. And it's naïve to assume all teenagers have it easy.
Soap it Up
Personal hygiene is critical. You need to shower regularly (soap on armpits, crotch, and ass crack), use antiperspirant, brush and floss, and do your laundry. Other people will notice your funk long before you do and once you're known as the smelly person, it's nearly impossible to clear that reputation.
Make it a rule that you don't leave your house unless you've showered within the last 24 hours, are wearing clean underwear, and have brushed your teeth and put on deodorant within an hour prior to leaving. It sounds silly but there is sadly a large population that needs to improve their hygiene.
The Add Up
Everything compounds: your savings, your reputation, your career, etc. Get started early because playing catch up is hell. The one thing I would really emphasize is to learn about household finances/budgeting, saving, and investing. Take the standard of living you want and figure out what level of income it will take to achieve and sustain it. Then compare that income to your "follow your dream" job.
It is fine to follow your dreams, but know what the trade-offs are, the likely outcomes will be, and have a plan B. Start saving now and open an investment account and an education IRA. It's amazing what a few thousand wisely invested as a teen can grow to over a lifetime.
Get a Pen
3 things I wish I had known:
Figure out what you want to do....
Not what you want to learn about. Think about the actual work you'd be doing in a "field". Science is exciting but are you ready to stand around in a lab all day writing stuff down in the most thorough way possible?
Money stuff....
You don't get rich with the money you earn, you get rich with the money you don't spend. Be careful spending money on trends and be aware of things you want to actually keep, not that you want to have right now. Also Excel is your friend, learn to budget as soon as possible.
Use every opportunity you get....
It may feel like there's always a next time but there's also no reason to not do it now. Whether it's that trip with your buddies or the chance to have a private moment with your crush. Don't wait for a perfect moment, not even a good one, use the moment you have, because you won't always get another one. And you most certainly don't want to have a "what if I did that" thing haunting you. There's always a million reasons not to do something. You only need one reason to do something.
We Know
tyler perry oprah GIFGiphyThe adults giving you advice to avoid certain mistakes will most likely of been told the exact same thing and choose to ignore it, which would of been expected as they too ignored the advice.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
- People Confess Which Life Lessons They Learned The Hard Way - George Takei ›
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- People Divulge The Most Important Life Lessons They've Ever Learned - George Takei ›
- People Explain Which Pieces Of Life Advice Can F*** Off - George Takei ›
- People Divulge The Most Illegal Thing They Ever Did As A Teenager - George Takei ›
- People Confess Which Pieces Of Life Advice Can F**k Right Off - George Takei ›
- People Explain Which Things They Find Incredibly Cringeworthy That Others Don't Seem To Mind - George Takei ›
- People Explain Which Things Today's Teens Aren't Ready To Hear - George Takei ›
When giving a speech and making an argument, the most effective way to reach other people or get your point across is to speak with conviction.
However, speaking with conviction doesn't always mean people are speaking the truth... or even coherently.
Redditor MonkeyGentleman420 was curious to hear more stories of ludicrous things people said with unwavering conviction, leading them to ask:
"What is the stupidest thing someone has told you with complete conviction?"
We Know How Often Birds Check Clocks...
'That we set the clocks forwards and backwards so the birds don’t get confused with their migration patterns."- alliecita410
Speaking From Experience?
"'Two people can breathe underwater forever if they have a hose'."
"The first person breathes in while the second breathes out, then the first person breathes out and the second person breathes in etc'."- PahoojyMan
Dream On...
"She said:'
"'If you are dream about falling and you hit the ground in your sleep you'll actually die'."
"'It's been proven'."
"I said 'If you die in your sleep, how can anyone know what you were dreaming?'"
"Ruined a favorite story of hers."
"Sorry."- FrankieMint
falling GIFGiphyBecause ALL Cops Ask For Your SSN Before Cuffing You...
"From a coworker: 'If you don't have a social security number then the government can't do anything to you'."
"I asked if that meant, if I didn't have an SSN then I could just go kill someone on the street and the government couldn't arrest me."
"'Yep', he said, 'if you don't have an SSN then they can't enforce any laws on you'."- AllAboutThePotatoes
Keep Them Away From Needles...
"A former coworker insisted that the body believes the ears are injuries, and we are all constantly trying to heal our own ears closed."
"The only thing keeping them open, you ask?"
"Ear wax."
"We worked in healthcare."- Reflection_Secure
Credit To the Visual Effects Designer
"A girl I worked with was convinced that every single mythological creature was real."
"I’ll never forget one of her claims."
“Think about it, every movie you done seen all those creatures and aliens and sh*t, all that’s real."
"Someone has to have actually seen it to come up with that!”
"Apparently there’s no such thing as the human imagination to her."
"So yes, transformers are real, Godzilla is real, Independence Day is real."
"This was a 20-year-old that said all of this."- Dragonborn83196
Unicorn GIF by MOODMANGiphyIn Theory... Still Wrong!
"That the speed of light wasn’t like an actual number, it was just a figure of speech."- sunbearimon·
Check The Date...
"Sunburn is not caused by the sun, it is actually caused by sunblock."
"If you don't use sunblock then you will never be burned."
"Sunburn was created by the sun cream industry to sell their products."
"Seems easily testable, why not lie on the beach all day in one position with no sun block and see what happens?"
"Make sure you fall asleep for maximum effect."
"You go bright red and then blister to the point that you get taken to hospital for a combination of sunstroke and the beginning of shock then spend the rest of the holiday indoors face down with regular application of creams and replacement paraffin patches on the burns."
"It puts a bit of a dampener on your 2 week break."
"Sunburn is mentioned in Livy's history of the second Punic war and others over 2000 years ago which is solid proof that the 'Big Sunscreen' claim is ridiculous."
"However it would be hand-waved away by a True Believer of big Sunscreen."- Magnus_40
Sonne Sunburn GIF by Mitteldeutscher RundfunkGiphyIgnorance Is Not Always Bliss...
"A distant relative, recently retired, once told me that he was going to hire a gardener and a housekeeper because 'the government will give you a grant to pay for them now'."
"This was a few minutes after a lengthy rant about how the welfare state should be scrapped because only lazy people lose their jobs and need to claim benefits."
"The same relative, some years ago, also announced with absolute conviction that he was going to hire a neighbor as a cleaner because 'she won't have anything to do now her kids are grown up'."- Plantagenesta
The Price Of Never Looking Up!
"Pineapples aren't real."
"They're entirely manmade and do not exist in nature."- tricksterloki
ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR!!!
"My dad was experiencing end stage renal failure (was on dialysis at the time and has since had a transplant)."
"My best friend's boyfriend at the time looked at me dead in the eye and said he could reverse his condition with a vegan diet and that the only important organ in the body was the skin, so as long as you take good care of your skin, your other organs will function properly."
"Mind you, by the time my dad got on dialysis his kidneys were functioning at 11% and his SKIN WAS JUST FINE."- lyingintheleaves
But What Causes Cavities?
"I'm a dental hygienist."
"We had a patient come in with terrible teeth."
"They thought toothpaste caused cancer."- dilapidatedfungus
If Only...
"That women don't burp or fart, because only men have (the ability to pass) gas."
"Spoiler alert: he was horrified when I burped in front of him."- sequoia_summers
Guilt Is Easier When You Know It's Coming.
"First girlfriend was religious, and apparently it was okay that we had sex 'as long as she feels bad about it after'."
"Pre-planning regret was her loophole to do what she wanted."- Lone_Buck
season 2 famalam GIF by BBC ThreeGiphyWhen people do speak with conviction, more often than not they firmly believed what they say.
So much so, that they have trouble believing the person brave enough to correct them.
In spite of the concrete evidence thrown in front of them...
When you're in a relationship, it's important to stay alert.
Yes, you of course want to give in to love.
But when you start seeing red flags, be vigilant.
You're gut always knows more than you give it credit for.
Sometimes those flags are a sign that it's time to jump ship.
if you see them... run.
Redditor Shinfekta wanted to compare notes on why people would immediately end a relationship, so they asked:
"What red flag is an instant break up reason for you?"
The signs are always there, but I tend to put on blinders.
I need to do better.
A Big Deal
Illustration Text GIF by Jacqueline Jing LinGiphy"Someone that casually says they've cheated. There's no way around that for me."
Kitchen-Bid-8235
"Or worse when they treat cheating as somehow noble."
2diceMisplaced
Hear Me!
"Wanting and demanding my attention but not reciprocating whatsoever."
Cranky_Windlass
"My ex. She would get pissed when she would talk to me about something while I was working and I wasn’t giving her my full attention. But every time I wanted to tell her something while she was doing nothing, she would get 'ADHD distracted' and completely ignore me or interrupt me to say something completely irrelevant."
ModestMustang
"I had a friend like this! he literally completely ignored me for 6 months and then blew up at me for not responding to him within an hour. Very strange."
KindBrilliant7879
Wronged
"Never admitting a mistake."
Curious-Force5819
"I know a total hottie that is notoriously known for not being able to admit he’s wrong, sucks because he’s a gem outside of this. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a fair and responsible person in general… but he 100% can’t admit he was wrong in banter or a light argument even when he realizes he realizes he’s wrong hahaha lost confidence in him ASAP."
Zomgirlxoxo
"This is a big one, even when these types of people apologize they still pass the blame. 'I'm sorry for my behavior but you made me really angry.'"
space_being135513
Never Again
"Unmanaged mental illness. Never again."
RuggedHamster
"I was with a girl that had that and I helped her through all of it and it was so hard to deal with it all but somehow I managed but when she felt better she just left me for her best friend’s ex and I was left with all that trauma because I loved her with all my heart and soul but she was just using me to feel better… and when she broke up with her best friend’s ex she came crawling back begging me to be with her again but it was too late.. the damage has already been done and I can’t do that again even though I still love her but I can’t tell her that... sorry for venting."
d7oomy998899
Afterthought
Sad Sponge Bob GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"If someone makes you feel alone, that you don't matter, or if you are a second choice on most of the occasions, you need to leave."
Mycatsnameislegolas
Always know when to acknowledge your feelings.
And know when to depart.
Behavior
Andre Leon Talley Manners GIF by GIPHY NewsGiphy"How they treat animals, children, elderly, handicapped, and service workers."
"A wise man once said: judge a person not by how they treat their equals, but by how they treat their inferiors."
Major-Ad148
Just Kidding
"Being mean as their 'thing' or 'just a joke.'"
netsbr
"'I'm just sassy!'" No, you're a bi*ch."
BansheeShriek
"I’m going to be honest, with certain friends I am absolutely ruthlessly mean, to the point that people are actually concerned it’s just bullying."
"However with strangers, I’m nothing like that. And the friends that I am meant to, they do the exact same thing back to me. We also know that if we need each other, then the meanness is dropped instantly, and it’s nothing but support and love."
5tr4nGe
Well-Meaning
"Zero accountability for anything. Everything they do is absolutely justifiable because, well, they mean well."
Throw_thethrowaway
"Yeah, I was looking for this answer! And it’s true outside of romantic relationships also! I had to end a friendship over this exact behavior- it was never her fault, always the victim, and her hurtful behavior shouldn’t be addressed because she 'meant well…' but my feelings are still hurt so why don’t I matter?!"
helibear90
"This. Can't stand people who always play the victim or blame everyone else and never take accountability for what they do."
_5minutesalone
Boundaries
"This one may take a while, but I would break up if I notice them creeping over personal boundaries, and not stopping when I tell them about it."
"People cross each others' boundaries all the time. I'm happy to give the benefit of the doubt until it becomes apparent that they have no intention to respect me."
"For example, if I don't like tickles or being startled, don't do that. It's not about the tickling, it's about them respecting me. And if there's no respect, there's no relationship."
Ptatofrenchfry
Talk to Me
Sarah Jessica Parker Hbo GIF by DivorceGiphy"If I'm hearing about a problem in our relationship from someone else rather than the partner. It shows huge trust issues."
"I've seen three divorces in my life, and they all were the result of the girl venting to her mother and her friends about issues she should have discussed with her husband."
michajlo
Communication is key.
If you're not talking to you're partner, why are they you're partner?
Reddit user FunChemical3182 asked:
"What is the weirdest animal fact you know?"
Like Perry
"Platypus glow blueish green under ultraviolet light."
"They also don’t have nipples, they just exude milk from glands under the skin and the baby’s lap it up."
~ WakingOwl1
"They have electrolocation in their bills that lets them detect their food under water."
~ DrPlatypus1
"And they lay eggs."
"The more I find out about them the more I understand why people first thought they were fake."
~ Reidroshdy
"After seeing all these platypus facts I am convinced these things are aliens that have been abandoned on Earth."
~ SeattleOne206
Kapow!
"Mantis Shrimp have 16 different sets of cones. Rods and cones are in your eyes. Cones see color, rods see light and motion."
"Dogs have 2 sets of cones—green and blue. Humans have 3 sets of cones—green, blue and red."
"Mantis Shrimp are seeing colors we can't comprehend and explains why they're very colorful."
"That’s not even the strangest thing about them."
"They can also punch as fast as a .22 bullet which cause a cavitation bubble which boils the water around them at temperatures of several thousand Kelvins."
~ RigzDigz
GiphyTerrible Twos
"Cats have the mental capacity of a 2-year-old which makes a lot of sense."
~ Alive_Ad823
Cats Dragging GIFGiphyLike Tinder
"When a female sloth wants a mate she'll hang onto a tree branch and just scream."
~ Remarkable_Sink2542
GiphyGood Thing They're So Small
"Dragonflies are the most successful predators on Earth."
"When lions choose prey they have like a 10% chance of catching it."
"African painted dogs—who hunt in packs—have the highest kill rate of any mammal, successfully catching 51% of their prey."
"When a dragonfly locks onto a target, it has a 99.9% success rate!"
~ PurpleInevitable2103
GiphyOn A Swivel
"Owls have really long necks, but it's hard to notice that because their feathers are so fluffy."
~ ergonaut
GiphyWhat About Cousin It?
"Sea otters are the most densely furred animal with 600,000 to 1,000,000 hair follicles per square inch."
"Dogs have about 15,000 per square inch, humans on average are between 800 to 1,290 hairs per square inch."
~ atom1129
Giphy
Sucker Punchers
"Octopus punch other fish for no reason—so, for fun."
~ Samanthalynn8915
"There's a direct correlation between species' intelligence and dickish behavior."
~ TheDesktopNinja
Looks Are Deceiving
"Polar bear fur isn't white—it's translucent (for most frequencies of light). And they have black skin underneath."
"So polar bear fur lets all the light through to their black skin to warm them—except for a few visible frequencies to keep them camouflaged as white."
~ seedanrun
GiphyWho's Going To Attack One‽‽
"Honey badgers can turn their a**holes inside out and use the smell to deter attackers."
"Not sure what exactly has the guts to attack a honey badger, but if they have the courage to do so, the badger sure as hell isn’t gonna make it easy."
~ nonexistantauthor
GiphyBig Momma
"The Blanket Octopus exhibits the highest degree of sexual dimorphism known."
"Females: About 6 feet across."
"Males: About one inch."
~ Fabulous-Pause4154
High Times
"Dolphins will intentionally use puffer fish to get high."
~ altkaldra
"They upset blowfish so they inflate, and therefore emit poison. It gets the dolphins high. Then they pass it around, literally."
~ smack4u
"Not just the dolphins. I recently saw a video about 10 animals that like to get high. Very interesting."
~ s137leo__
"Lemurs do that with giant centipedes/millipedes too."
~ chubbyknuckles420
Fabrizio Frigeni on Unsplash
Better Than Bike Helmets
"Woodpeckers' tongues wrap around their brains to cushion them from the vibrations of slamming their face into trees all day."
~ we_made_yewww
"Their tongues also have barbs to grab bugs out of the holes."
"Their brains have additional cushioning because, you know, they spend their days smashing their face as hard as possible into trees."
~ RhynoD
Detachable Organs
"Argonauts [paper nautili] are small octopuses that are too lazy to have intercourse."
"They detach their penises and toss them into the open sea to mate with female argonauts."
"The detachable 'd*ck' is a tiny tentacle, complete with suckers and sperm, that develops in a cavity under the eye of a male argonaut [paper nautilus]."
"When it's time to mate, the tentacle explodes out of the cavity, instantly killing the male argonaut. The tentacle then swims towards a female argonaut to insert itself."
"Sexy, huh?"
~ Schwarzes__Loch
What's your favorite weird animal fact?